Jonah's Location When Commissioned to Go to Nineveh
Jonah's Location When Commissioned to Go to Nineveh
The biblical account of Jonah's commission to go to Nineveh is found in Jonah 1:1-2, where it is written that Jonah, the son of Amittai, received a command from the Lord to arise and go to Nineveh, a great city, and call out against it because its evil had come up before God [1]. To understand Jonah's location when commissioned, we must examine the biblical text and historical interpretations.
Jonah is identified as a prophet of Israel, specifically from Gath-hepher, a town on the border of the tribal areas of Naphtali and Zebulun [8]. The biblical account in 2 Kings 14:25 indicates that Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II (793–753 BC), predicting the restoration of Israel's ancient boundaries [2, 4]. This historical context places Jonah in the northern kingdom of Israel.
When the Lord commissioned Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah was likely in Israel, possibly in or near Gath-hepher, his hometown. The exact location is not specified in the biblical text, but it is clear that he was not in Nineveh. Instead, he attempted to flee to Tarshish, a city often associated with Spain or a distant western location, to avoid fulfilling his commission [6].
The distance between Gath-hepher and Nineveh is significant, with Nineveh being located east of the Tigris River, opposite the modern city of Mosul [5]. The journey would have been considerable, taking into account the geographical and cultural differences between Israel and Assyria.
Historical interpretations of Jonah's commission and flight vary among Christian traditions. Some view Jonah's reluctance to go to Nineveh as a manifestation of his nationalistic sentiments, as the Assyrians were a dominant power and a threat to Israel [5]. Others see Jonah's actions as a demonstration of his lack of faith or his unwillingness to preach to a Gentile nation [11].
Despite these differences, most commentators agree that Jonah's commission was a call to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh, warning them of impending judgment due to their wickedness [1, 3]. The success of Jonah's mission, as recorded in Jonah 3, resulted in the repentance of the Ninevites and the sparing of the city by God [9].
The biblical account of Jonah's commission and journey highlights the complexities of prophetic ministry and the challenges of obeying God's commands, especially when they involve preaching to those outside one's own cultural or national identity. As noted by various commentators, Jonah's story serves as a powerful example of God's mercy and the importance of obedience to His will [5, 7, 10].
The historical and cultural context of Jonah's commission provides valuable insights into the biblical narrative. Understanding Jonah's location when commissioned to go to Nineveh helps to illuminate the significance of his journey and the challenges he faced in fulfilling his prophetic role.
Sources
- Jonah “Jonah 3:3 (LEB) — So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was ⌞an extraordinarily great city⌟—a journey of three days across.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jonah — (dove), the fifth of the minor prophets, was the son of Amittai, and a native of Gath-hepher. (2 Kings 14:25) He flourished in or before the reign of Jeroboam II., about B.C. 820. Having already, as it seems, prophesied to Israel, he was sent to Nineveh. The time was one of political revival in Israel; but ere long the Assyrians were to be employed by God as a scourge upon them. The prophet shrank from a commission which he felt sure would result, (Jonah 4:2) in the sparing of a hostile city. He attempted therefore to escape to Tarshish. The providence of God,”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Nineveh — Origin and antiquity of -- Ge 10:11. Situated on the river Tigris -- Na 2:6,8. The ancient capital of Assyria -- 2Ki 19:36; Isa 37:37. Called the bloody city -- Na 3:1. Described as Great. -- Jon 1:2; 3:2. Extensive. -- Jon 3:3. Rich. -- Na 2:9. Strong. -- Na 3:12. Commercial. -- Na 3:16. Populous. -- Jon 4:11. Vile. -- Na 1:14. Wicked. -- Jon 1:2. Idolatrous. -- Na 1:14. Full of joy and carelessness. -- Zep 2:15. Full of lies and robbery. -- Na 3:1. Full of witchcraft. -- Na 3:4. Jonah sent to proclaim the destruction of -- Jon 1:2; 3:1,2,4. Inhabitants of”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jonah — A dove, the son of Amittai of Gath-hepher. He was a prophet of Israel, and predicted the restoration of the ancient boundaries (2 Kings 14:25-27) of the kingdom. He exercised his ministry very early in the reign of Jeroboam II., and thus was contemporary with Hosea and Amos; or possibly he preceded them, and consequently may have been the very oldest of all the prophets whose writings we possess. His personal history is mainly to be gathered from the book which bears his name. It is chiefly interesting from the two-fold character in which he appears, (1) as a”
- Jonah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jonah 1:2: to Nineveh--east of the Tigris, opposite the modern Mosul. The only case of a prophet being sent to the heathen. Jonah, however, is sent to Nineveh, not solely for Nineveh's good, but also to shame Israel, by the fact of a heathen city repenting at the first preaching of a single stranger, Jonah, whereas God's people will not repent, though preached to by their many national prophets, late and early. Nineveh means "the residence of Ninus," that is, Nimrod. , where the translation ought to be, "He (Nimrod) went forth into Assyria and builded Nineveh." Mod”
- Jonah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Jonah 1 (introduction): Mission of Jonah to Nineveh His Flight and Punishment - Jonah 1 Jonah tries to avoid fulfilling the command of God, to preach repentance to the great city Nineveh, by a rapid flight to the sea, for the purpose of sailing to Tarshish (Jon 1:1-3); but a terrible storm, which threatens to destroy the ship, brings his sin to light (Jon 1:4-10); and when the lot singles him out as the culprit, he confesses that he is guilty; and in accordance with the sentence which he pronounces upon himself, is cast into the sea (Jon 1:11-16).”
- Jonah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jonah 1 (introduction): JONAH'S COMMISSION TO NINEVEH, FLIGHT, PUNISHMENT, AND PRESERVATION BY MIRACLE. (Jon. 1:1-17) Jonah--meaning in Hebrew, "dove." Compare , where the dove in vain seeks rest after flying from Noah and the ark: so Jonah. GROTIUS not so well explains it, "one sprung from Greece" or Ionia, where there were prophets called AmythaonidÃ&brvbr. Amittai--Hebrew for "truth," "truth-telling"; appropriate to a prophet.”
- Jonah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jonah 1:1: 1:1–2:10 Jonah initially rejected the Lord’s commission to warn Nineveh of the judgment it had incurred because of its wickedness. 1:1 Jonah son of Amittai was from Gath-hepher, a town located on the border of the tribal areas of Naphtali and Zebulun. He ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (793–753 BC; see 2 Kgs 14:25).”
- Jonah (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Jonah 3 (introduction): Jonah is sent again to Nineveh, a city of three days' journey, (being sixty miles in circumference, according to Diodorus Siculus), Jon 3:1-4. The inhabitants, in consequence of the prophet's preaching, repent in dust and ashes, Jon 3:5-9. God, seeing that they were deeply humbled on account of their sins, and that they turned away from all their iniquities, repents of the evil with which he had threatened them, Jon 3:10.”
- Jonah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jonah 3 (introduction): JONAH'S SECOND COMMISSION TO NINEVEH: THE NINEVITES REPENT OF THEIR EVIL WAY: SO GOD REPENTS OF THE EVIL THREATENED. () preach . . . the preaching--literally, "proclaim the proclamation." On the former occasion the specific object of his commission to Nineveh was declared; here it is indeterminate. This is to show how freely he yields himself, in the spirit of unconditional obedience, to speak whatever God may please.”
- Jonah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jonah 1 (introduction): This chapter gives an account of the call and mission of Jonah to go to Nineveh, and prophesy there, and the reason of it, Jon 1:1; his disobedience to it, Jon 1:3. God's resentment of it, by sending a storm into the sea, where he was, which terrified the mariners, and put the ship in danger of being lost, Jon 1:4; The discovery of Jonah and his disobedience as the cause of the tempest, and how it was made, Jon 1:6; The casting of him into the sea at his own motion, and with his own consent, though with great reluctance in the mariners, Jon 1:11. The prepar”