Jonah 3:4-9

4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.

7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.

8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Jonah 3:4-9 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. S Jeremiah 18:7-10
• 2. Daniel 9:3; Matthew 11:21; Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:32
• 3. Esther 4:1-3; S Job 2:8,13; S Ezekiel 27:30-31
• 4. S 2 Chronicles 20:3; S Ezra 10:6
• 5. Psalms 130:1; John 1:6
• 6. Jeremiah 25:5
• 7. Jeremiah 7:3
• 8. S Job 16:17
• 9. 2 Samuel 12:22
• 10. S Jeremiah 18:8
• 11. S Joel 2:14
• 12. S Psalms 85:3