Jonah 3

King James Version

Full text for Jonah Chapter 3

1¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5¶ So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.

9Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, commanding him to preach to Nineveh. Jonah obeyed, proclaiming that the city would be overthrown in forty days. The people of Nineveh, including the king, believed God, repented with fasting and sackcloth, and turned from their evil ways. Consequently, God saw their actions and relented from the judgment He had threatened.

Medium Summary

Following a second divine command, Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, a city of immense size. He began to preach within the city, declaring that in forty days, Nineveh would be overthrown. Remarkably, the people of Nineveh believed God's message, initiating a city-wide fast and donning sackcloth, from the highest to the lowest. Upon hearing the news, the king himself descended from his throne, covered himself in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He then issued a decree, commanding all people and animals to fast, wear sackcloth, and cry mightily to God, urging them to turn from their evil ways and violence. The king expressed hope that God might relent from His fierce anger. Observing their genuine repentance and their turning from evil, God indeed "repented of the evil" He had purposed, and did not bring the threatened destruction upon them.

Long Summary

The narrative of Jonah chapter three commences with the word of the LORD coming to Jonah for a second time, reiterating the divine command to go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver the specific message appointed by God. This time, Jonah promptly obeyed, journeying to Nineveh, which is described as an exceeding great city requiring three days to traverse. Upon entering the city, Jonah began his prophetic ministry, proclaiming the stark warning: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." This dire prophecy had an immediate and profound effect upon the inhabitants. The people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, believed God's word, responding with a collective act of humility and repentance. They proclaimed a public fast and clothed themselves in sackcloth as a sign of their contrition. News of Jonah's message and the people's response reached the king of Nineveh. In a striking display of humility, the king rose from his throne, removed his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He then issued a comprehensive decree, published throughout Nineveh by his authority and that of his nobles. This decree mandated a universal fast, extending even to the animals, forbidding both man and beast from tasting anything or drinking water. Furthermore, the decree commanded that all, both man and beast, be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God. Crucially, the king's edict emphasized the necessity for every individual to "turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands." The king articulated a hope that perhaps God would "turn and repent," thereby averting His fierce anger and preventing their destruction. Observing their sincere actions and their turning away from their evil ways, God responded mercifully. The text states that God "repented of the evil" He had declared He would do unto them, and consequently, He did not bring about the threatened judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Command and ObedienceThe LORD reiterates His command to Jonah to preach to Nineveh, and this time Jonah obeys, demonstrating a shift from his previous rebellion.
  • Prophetic ProclamationJonah delivers a concise and urgent message of impending judgment to Nineveh, stating the city will be overthrown in forty days.
  • City-wide RepentanceThe entire populace of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, believes God and responds with a collective fast and donning of sackcloth.
  • Royal Humiliation and DecreeThe king of Nineveh humbles himself by sitting in sackcloth and ashes, subsequently issuing a decree for universal fasting and turning from evil.
  • Turning from Evil WaysThe core of Nineveh's repentance involved actively forsaking their wicked practices and the violence in their hands, as commanded by the king.
  • God's Relenting MercyUpon witnessing Nineveh's genuine repentance and their changed behavior, God "repented of the evil" He had threatened, withholding the promised destruction.