Who Was Jonah in the Bible? The Prophet Who Ran From Nineveh

Jonah son of Amittai was a prophet from Gath Hepher in the northern kingdom of Israel who lived during the reign of King Jeroboam II, in the 700s BC (2 Kings 14:25). God sent him to preach against Nineveh, but he ran the other way, was thrown overboard in a storm, and was swallowed by a huge fish (Jonah 1:1-17). When he finally preached in Nineveh, the city repented and God spared it, which made Jonah angry (Jonah 3:10; 4:1). Jesus later pointed to Jonah's three days in the fish as a sign of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:39-40).

Quick Facts About Jonah

Fact	Details
Name meaning	Often understood as "dove"
Testament	Old Testament
Key books	Jonah 1-4; 2 Kings 14:25; Matthew 12:39-41; Luke 11:29-32
Time period	About 790-750 BC, during the reign of Jeroboam II (traditional dating)
Hometown	Gath Hepher, in the territory of Zebulun (2 Kings 14:25; Joshua 19:10-13)
Known for	Running from God, the huge fish, preaching to Nineveh

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Who Was Jonah in the Bible? His Background

Outside the book that bears his name, Jonah is mentioned once in the Old Testament. Second Kings records that Jeroboam II, king of Israel, restored Israel's boundaries from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher (2 Kings 14:25). Jeroboam II was a descendant of King Jehu, whose dynasty God had promised would last four generations (2 Kings 10:30; 15:12).

Jonah prophesied in the northern kingdom after Elijah and Elisha. Elisha died during the reign of Jehoash, the father of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 13:13-14, 13:20). The book of Jonah is the fifth of the twelve Minor Prophets in the standard order of the books of the Bible. Unlike most prophetic books, it is mainly a narrative about the prophet rather than a collection of his sermons.

Nineveh was a major city of Assyria (2 Kings 19:36). Assyria was a powerful enemy of Israel and later conquered the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:5-6).

Running From God

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, telling him to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness had come up before God (Jonah 1:1-2). Instead, Jonah went down to the port of Joppa and paid the fare for a ship headed to Tarshish, to flee from the LORD (Jonah 1:3). Nineveh lay to the east, and Tarshish was reached by sailing west.

The LORD sent a great wind, and the storm threatened to break the ship apart. The sailors cried out to their own gods and threw cargo overboard, while Jonah was asleep below deck (Jonah 1:4-5). The captain woke him and told him to call on his god (Jonah 1:6).

The sailors cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7). He told them he was a Hebrew who worshiped the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land (Jonah 1:9). He also told them to throw him into the sea, because the storm was his fault (Jonah 1:12). The sailors tried to row back to land, but the sea grew wilder. They prayed to the LORD not to hold them guilty, then threw Jonah overboard, and the sea grew calm (Jonah 1:13-15). The sailors then feared the LORD, offered a sacrifice, and made vows to Him (Jonah 1:16).

Inside the Huge Fish

The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and he was inside it three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). From inside the fish he prayed. He described sinking into the depths, with seaweed wrapped around his head, and said the LORD had brought his life up from the pit (Jonah 2:1-6). His prayer ends with a vow of thanks:

"Salvation comes from the LORD." (Jonah 2:9)

The LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2:10). The Hebrew text and the NIV say "huge fish" or "great fish." The word "whale" comes from older English translations of Matthew 12:40.

Preaching in Nineveh

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, and this time he obeyed and went to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-3). The city was so large that it took three days to go through it. Jonah went a day's journey into the city and announced that in forty more days Nineveh would be overthrown (Jonah 3:3-4).

The Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least (Jonah 3:5). When the king heard, he took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the dust (Jonah 3:6). He decreed that people and animals should fast, call urgently on God, and give up their evil ways and violence, in the hope that God might relent (Jonah 3:7-9).

When God saw that they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring the destruction He had threatened (Jonah 3:10).

Jonah's Anger and the Plant

Jonah was angry that Nineveh was spared. He told the LORD that this was why he had fled to Tarshish in the first place:

"I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." (Jonah 4:2)

He asked God to take his life (Jonah 4:3). The LORD answered with a question: was it right for him to be angry (Jonah 4:4)?

Jonah went out east of the city, built a shelter, and waited to see what would happen (Jonah 4:5). God provided a leafy plant to shade him, and Jonah was very happy about it. At dawn God provided a worm that chewed the plant so it withered, and then a scorching east wind. Jonah grew faint and again said it would be better to die (Jonah 4:6-8).

God asked whether it was right for him to be angry about the plant. Jonah said it was (Jonah 4:9). God replied that Jonah cared about a plant he had not tended, which sprang up and died overnight. Should God not have concern for Nineveh, with more than 120,000 people who could not tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals (Jonah 4:10-11)? The book ends with that question.

The Sign of Jonah

When some Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus for a sign, He said none would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:38-39). Matthew records His explanation:

"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)

Jesus also said the men of Nineveh would condemn His generation at the judgment, because they repented at Jonah's preaching, and something greater than Jonah was now present (Matthew 12:41). Luke records similar words (Luke 11:29-32).

Other Bible passages connect to Jonah's story. Peter is called "Simon son of Jonah" by Jesus (Matthew 16:17), a different Jonah. Peter was also staying in Joppa, the port where Jonah boarded his ship, when God sent him to the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10:5-23). Jonah is one of several Old Testament accounts of God showing mercy to non-Israelites, along with the Syrian commander Naaman (2 Kings 5:15; Luke 4:27).

What Happened to Nineveh Later

Nineveh's repentance did not last for later generations. In the time of King Hezekiah, the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah and then returned to Nineveh, where he was killed by his own sons (2 Kings 18:13; 19:35-37). The prophet Nahum later announced Nineveh's destruction (Nahum 1:1; 3:7).

Key Lessons From Jonah's Life

• No one can outrun God. Jonah fled by sea, and God reached him there (Jonah 1:3-4).
• God gives second chances. The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time (Jonah 3:1).
• Repentance is met with mercy. When Nineveh turned from its evil ways, God relented (Jonah 3:10).
• God's compassion reaches beyond Israel. He expressed concern for the people and even the animals of Nineveh (Jonah 4:11).
• A servant of God can resent God's mercy to others. Jonah's anger is recorded plainly, and the book ends with God's question to him (Jonah 4:1-11).

Where Jonah Appears in the Bible

• Jonah 1-4: His flight, the fish, Nineveh, and the plant
• 2 Kings 14:25: His prophecy about Israel's borders under Jeroboam II
• Matthew 12:39-41 and 16:4: Jesus speaks of the sign of Jonah
• Luke 11:29-32: The same teaching in Luke's Gospel

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Jonah in the Bible?

Jonah son of Amittai was a prophet from Gath Hepher in Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25). God sent him to preach to Nineveh, and after running away and being swallowed by a huge fish, he went and the city repented (Jonah 1:17; 3:3-10).

Was Jonah swallowed by a whale?

The book of Jonah says the LORD provided a huge fish (Jonah 1:17). The word "whale" comes from older English translations of Matthew 12:40, and the Bible does not identify the species.

Why did Jonah not want to go to Nineveh?

Jonah said he fled because he knew God was gracious and compassionate and would relent from sending calamity (Jonah 4:2). Nineveh was a major city of Assyria, Israel's enemy (2 Kings 19:36).

How long was Jonah in the fish?

Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). Jesus compared this to the time the Son of Man would spend in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40).

What is the sign of Jonah?

The sign of Jonah is the sign Jesus said He would give when religious leaders demanded one. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish, so Jesus would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39-40).