Jonah 3:1-5

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2 “Arise, go to ¹Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you. ”

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now ²Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, ^[a] three days’ journey in breadth. ^[b]

4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! ”

5 ³And the people of Nineveh believed God. ⁴They called for a fast and ⁵put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Jonah 3:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JONAH 3

This chapter gives an account of the renewal of Jonah's message to Nineveh, and of his faithful execution of it, Jon 3:1-4; and of the fruit and effect of it, the conversion of the Ninevites, their faith in God, repentance of their sins, and reformation from them, Jon 3:5-9; and of God's approbation thereof, by revoking the sentence he had pronounced upon them, Jon 3:10.

Cross References

• 1. 3:2 See ch. 1:2
• 2. 3:3 [See ver. 2 above]
• 3. 3:5 [Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32]
• 4. 3:5 See 2 Chr. 20:3
• 5. 3:5 See 2 Sam. 3:31

Footnotes

• [a] 3:3 Hebrew 'a great city to God'
• [b] 3:3 Or 'a visit was a three days’ journey'