And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second
time
Jonah having been scourged by the Lord for his stubbornness and
disobedience, and being humbled under the mighty hand of God, is
tried a second time, whether he would go on the Lord's errand,
and do his business; and his commission is renewed, as it was
necessary it should; for it would have been unsafe and dangerous
for him to have proceeded upon the former without a fresh
warrant; as the Israelites, when they refused entering into the
land of Canaan to possess it, upon the report of the spies, and
afterwards reflecting upon their sin, would go up without the
word of the Lord, and contrary to the advice of Moses, many of
them perished in the attempt, being cut off by the Amalekites, (
Numbers
14:1 Numbers 14:3
Numbers
14:40-45 ) ; and this renewal of Jonah's commission shows
that he was still continued in his office as a prophet,
notwithstanding his failings; as the apostles were in theirs,
though they all forsook Christ, and Peter denied him, ( Matthew
26:56 Matthew
26:75 ) ( 28:19 ) (
John
21:15-17 ) ; and that the Lord had heard his prayer, and
graciously received him, and took away his iniquity from him,
employing him again in his service, being more fitted for it:
saying;
as follows:
Jonah 3:1
