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, Jonah 3:1; 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, Jonah 3:5;... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ren... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, GO UNTO NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY,.... So it is called; Jonah 1:2. The order runs in the same words as before; and the same discouragements are presented to Jonah, taken from the greatness of the city, the number of its inhabitants, its being the metropolis of the Assyrian empire, and the sea... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JONAH AROSE, AND WENT UNTO NINEVEH, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD,.... He was no longer disobedient to the heavenly vision; being taught by the rod, he acts according to the word; he is now made willing to go on the Lord's errand, and do his business, under the influence of his power and grac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JONAH BEGAN TO ENTER INTO THE CITY A DAY'S JOURNEY,.... As soon as he came to it, he did not go into an inn, to refresh himself after his wearisome journey; or spend his time in gazing upon the city, and to observe its structure, and the curiosities of it; but immediately sets about his work, an... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH BELIEVED GOD,.... Or "in God" r: in the word of the Lord, as the Targum; they believed there was a God, and that he, in whose name Jonah came, was the true God; they believed the word the prophet spake was not the word of man, but, the word of God; faith came by hearing the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WORD CAME UNTO THE KING OF NINEVEH,.... Who was not Sardanapalus, a very dissolute prince, and abandoned to his lusts; but rather Pul, the same that came against Menahem king of Israel, 2 Kings 15:19, as Bishop Usher s thinks; to him news were brought that there was such a prophet come into the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAUSED [IT] TO BE PROCLAIMED AND PUBLISHED THROUGH NINEVEH,.... By a herald or heralds, sent into the several parts of the city: BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES; with whom he consulted, and whose advice he took; and who were equally concerned at this news, and very probably were pre... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET MAN AND BEAST BE COVERED WITH SACKCLOTH,.... As the king was, and the people also were; and this order enjoined the same to the beasts, horses, and camels, whose rich trappings were to be taken off, and sackcloth put upon them, for the greater solemnity, of the mourning; as at this day, at t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO CAN TELL,.... The Septuagint and Arabic versions prefix to this the word "saying", and take them to be, not the words of the king, but of the Ninevites; though very wrongly: or "who is he that knows"; which some connect with the next word, "he will return": that is, that knows the ways of repent... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD SAW THEIR WORDS, THAT THEY TURNED FROM THEIR EVIL WAY,.... Not their outward works, in putting on sackcloth and ashes, and fasting; but their inward works, their faith in him, and repentance towards him; and which were attended with fruits and works meet for repentance, in that they forsook... [ Continue Reading ]