Putting It All Together The Book of Jonah

God and Pagan Captain God 1.2 Captain 1.6 Arise (qum), go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out (qera’) against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me. So the captain came to him, and said to him, ‘What do you mean, sleeper? Arise (qum), call (qera’) on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.’

Jonah 1-2: Sacrifice and vows Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they sacrificed (zabakh) a sacrifice (zebakh) to the LORD and vowed (nadar) vows (neder). But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice (zabakh) to you; what I have vowed (nadar) I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the LORD!"

Jonah 1-2: Calling and Answering "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call (qara’) on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.” Then they cried out (qara’) to the LORD, "Please, O LORD, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man's life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.“ So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, "I called (qara’) to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Jonah 1, 3: Pagan Reactions The captain came and said to him, "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.’ (v. 6) [The king] had a proclamation made in Nineveh: … “Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. … Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.’ (vv. 6-9)

Jonah 1, 3: Pagan Reactions Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. (1.16) And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. (3.5)

Jonah’s Prayers Jonah 2.1-2, 6 Jonah 4.2-3 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, "I called to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried … and you brought up my life from the Pit, O LORD my God. He prayed to the LORD and said, … And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."

Repetition between stories: Jonah and Elijah 1 Kings 17.2-3, 8-9 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2 ‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.’ The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 3 "Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.

Repetition between stories: Jonah and Elijah 1 Kings 19.4 Jonah 4.3, 6 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." ‘And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ … The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head.

Jonah and Nahum: Endings And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals? All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For who has ever escaped your endless cruelty?

A 4-5a: The storm begins with pagans worshipping their gods B 5b: The sailors throw goods into the sea C 5c-6: The captain expresses hope for deliverance from the storm D 7a: The sailors discuss the culprit E 7b: Jonah is the cause of the problems F 8: The sailors interrogate Jonah G 9: God, the creator of all things F` 10a: The sailors interrogate Jonah E` 10b: Jonah is the cause of the problems D` 11: The sailors discuss the punishment C` 12-13: Jonah states the means of deliverance from the storm B` 14-15a: The sailors throw Jonah into the sea A` 15b-16: The storm ends with pagans worshipping the Lord

Structure of Jonah Ch. 1 Ch. 3 God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh ‘The word’ comes to Jonah and he disobeys The captain tells Jonah to cry to God God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh ‘The word’ comes to the king of Nineveh and he obeys The king tells Nineveh to cry to God

Structure of Jonah Ch. 2 Ch. 4 Jonah is very happy when he is saved Jonah asks God to save his life Jonah is very angry when Nineveh is saved Jonah asks God to take his life

Jonah and hapak ‘Overturn’ ‘Turn around’/’Convert’ And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown (hapak)!’ (Jonah 3.4) God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew (hapak) the cities in which Lot had settled. (Gen 19.29) Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn (hapak) their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. (Jer 31.13)

Plot of Jonah 3 Initial situation vv. 1-4 Information concerning characters, their situation, etc. The initial situation requires development for the plot to progress. The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

Plot of Jonah 3 Complication vv. 2-5 Moves the narrative away from initial status quo. The ‘trigger point’ that moves the narrative forward. And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

Plot of Jonah 3 Transforming action vv. 6-9 The (potential) means of managing or responding to the complication. 7 …"By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish."

Plot of Jonah 3 Resolution v. 10 Concludes the move started by the transforming action. (At least partially) resolves the issues introduced by the complication. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Interrupted Story: Jonah 4.11 … And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?

Calling to God Jonah 1:6 Jonah 2:2 The captain came and said to him, "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish." And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.

King vs Jonah Jonah 3.6 Jonah 4.5 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat (yashab) in ashes. So Jonah went out of the city and sat (yashab) on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat (yashab) under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.