The book of ezekiel has always been a problem book. Though i must state that the author is writing from the view of didactic fiction meaning that he views the book of jonah as based on a historical figure and life, but not a record of literal history. The book of jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. Medieval jewish commentaries to the book of jonah, translated and explained kindle edition by bob, steven. Jewish and christian interpreters believed that the book of jonah was historical until the rise of critical scholarship. Mention must also be made of isaac arama 143094, whose aqedhah, his commentary on the pentateuch homiletical in style, was the standard book for the jewish pulpit for centuries, much esteemed by the christian world, and is still much read by the jews, especially in russia and poland. Jonah did not want to go on this mission and attempted to flee to tarshish in spain. And one of the synagogue readings for yom kippur is the book of jonah in hebrew, sefer yonah. Reasons for the traditional acceptance of the historicity of jonah. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The purpose of jonah s prophecy is to show the sovereignty of god at work in the life of an individual the prophet jonah, and his concern for his own people and that the way to avert national catastrophe is a. Jonahs experiences form the main contents and purpose of the book. Jonah 1 commentary arno gaebeleins annotated bible. Study the bible online using commentary on jonah 4 and more. Habakkuk, jonah, nahum, and obadiah in talmud and midrash. There he was to warn them that if they did not return. The incidentals in the book of jonah are the fish, the gourd, the east wind, the boat, and even the city of nineveh. It is particularly difficult to identify the central theme that unites all the elements of the story in the book of jonah into a literary and conceptual whole. The book of jonah ends with the reader not knowing if jonah ever understood what it was to really repent before gd or not. Rabbi steven bob has served as senior rabbi of congregation etz chaim, in lombard, illinois, since 1981. Oct 01, 2017 the story of the prophet jonah that we customarily read on yom kippur captures the essence of the holiday, that we need to put ourselves aside and act for the benefit of others the story of. Yom kippur is a significant point in our development where we engage in deep introspection.
Yanklowitz shows that the book of jonah delivers a message of human responsibility in a shared world. An easyenglish 2800 word vocabulary commentary on the book of jonah. This meant according to the understanding of jonah that nineveh would be destroyed. Literary characteristics unlike most other prophetic parts of the ot, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. The witness of jonah max reich the messianic hope of israel. Set in the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. Jonah is not literal historyit is not a short story but an allegory, similar to the parables of jesus.
In the jewish synagogical ritual the book of jonah is read on the day of atonement. Entry for jonah, book of the 1901 jewish encyclopedia one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia is a descriptive record of the history, religion and customs of the jewish people. Like jonah the nation was called to bear witness to the. The sign of jonah is the only sign that christ specifically gives to prove that he was the messiah. He went down to joppa and found a ship going to tarshish. The book of jonah stands unique in the prophetical canon, in that it does not contain any predictions, but simply relates the story of its hero, beginning for that reason with waye. Study scripture verses with commentary, concordances, and use highlighting, underlining, take notes in the bible. We are reminded that there is no point in trying to run away from gods word. Uriel simon is a professor at bar ilan university in israel and served as a director of the universitys institute for the history of jewish research. Calkins, on page 168 of his book, illustrates this with his list of allegorical meanings. But that selective and erroneous interpretation conveniently overlooks the plain meaning of jesus words. Jonah, however, started out to flee to tarshish from the lords service. The bible knowledge commentary adds some thoughts here.
There he was to warn them that if they did not return from their sinful ways, the city would be destroyed. Book of jonah, also spelled jonas, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. This book of jonah, though it be placed here in the midst of the prophetical books of scripture, is yet rather a history than a prophecy. Indeed, the account in the book of jonah depends on that in the book of kings. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. A word list at the end explains words with a star by them. Jewish bible commentaries merrimack valley havurah. In any case jonah is one of the prophets who advised the house of jehu, and it is not unlikely that with him the series of prophets that began with elijah came to a close. Israelite settlement from days of solomon and that jonah desired to join this settlement and not just to be amongst gentiles. The miraculous sign in the book of jonah is the resurrection of jonah.
Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a. The meaning of yom kippur in relation to the jonah story. Jonah is the only old testament character with whom. The essentials here are jehovah and jonah god and manthat is what the book is all about. The broad variety of opinions on this subject from the talmudic sages through modem commentaries can be subsumed under four basic headings. The book of jonah relates how god told jonah to go to the major assyrian city of nineveh and there prophecy that after 40 days it would be overturned. This commentary explores the book of jonah, providing historical and literal context, interpretative insights, and practical application principles. This book was an exceptionally good and concise commentary on the book of jonah. The jewish publication society, known in the jewish community as jps, has initiated a longterm, largescale project to complete a modern jewish commentary on the entire hebrew bible. The writer is indebted to an old orthodox jew for the information why this story is read on their great day of fasting and prayer. What i found very helpful, as a christian minister, was a jewish perspective of a jewish book.
Conservative scholars place the writing of the book of jonah before 745. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and returned to his starting point. In explaining the verses of the book of jonah, the commentators explore many core topics, including human nature, our relationship with god, the interaction of. Even though jonah did what gd commanded, his heart was still far from gd. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Aug 10, 2010 the holiest day in the jewish calendar is yom kippur, the day of atonement, with its theme of repentance. The content of the book enjoys more notoriety than it deserves because of the miraculous elements which make up a large part of it.
This commentary has been through advanced theological checking. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. Full text in english of the book of jonah my jewish. The book of jonah is a good counter to a narrow view of god that thinks that our enemies are gods enemies an attitude frequently found in other prophetic scrolls.
Jonah it means dove in hebrewlived in gathhepher, a town of zebulun north of nazareth in galilee, and he was the son of amittai truthful. Jonah therefore is the only prophet of the ot revealing the grace of god towards the heathen. Go to the great city of nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. The inclusion of the book of jonah among the minor prophets is paralleled by the inclusion of ii kings xviii. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan.
Based on the same format and design as the torah volumes, jonah provides a critical linebyline commentary of the biblical text, which is presented in its original hebrew, complete with vocalization and cantillation marks, as well as the jps english translation. Though the book does not identify its author, tradition has ascribed it to the prophet himself, jonah son of amittai 1. The book of jonah is more than just a delightful story for children. A modern commentary, translation and commentary by leonard s. Through this brilliant presentation of classical rabbinical commentaries as well as his own careful reading of the book of jonah, rabbi bob demonstrates the truth of this adage. Their wickedness, as that of nineveh, is a bold and open affront to god. Simon examines various points of view as he goes on an extensive verse by verse examination of the story of jonah. But god sent a worm to eat through the branches and kill the tree. Portraits through the ages alan levensons book, joseph. Raymond calkins in his book, the modern message of the minor prophets, writes. The book is best seen as an interpretive development of these roots in. This volume is a welcome addition to modern scholarship on the book of jonah. The sign of jonah is not a sign of preaching or bringing a message, as some allege.
In the eighth century commentary in pirkei drabbi eliezer, we are taught, jonah entered the fishs mouth, as a man who enters a great synagogue, and he stood and the two eyes of the fish were like glass windows giving light to jonah. The story of jonah and the whale the book of jonah. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. Jonah s prophecy about israels boundaries being extended may indicate that he made that prophecy early in jeroboams reign. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. Medieval jewish commentaries to the book of jonah, translated and explained.
A source book jacob neusner, university press of america yonah jonah the jps bible commentary. The next succeeding prophet, amos of tekoa, whose activity fell in the reign of jeroboam ii. Jonah following the completion of the jps torah series, this fine commentary is based closely on the authors original hebrew commentary am oved, 1992, with some revision and expansion. The meaning of the jonah story read on yom kippur michael. Jewish tradition asserts, turn scripture over and over again, for all is in it. Spanish legends also speak of israelite settlement in.
Go at once to nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it. Jonah 4 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. The only prophetic message that jonah announced was the one about the coming judgment over nineveh jonah 1. It is the custom in some communities to ask a stranger to offer a commentarycalled a dvar torahon that text.
Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. Bibliotheca sacra this volume is a welcome addition to modern scholarship on the book of jonah. Jonah had only repented outwardly, but inside he was still fleeing from gd. This is why when those who came to yeshua and asked for a sign from heaven that yeshua was indeed the messiah, yeshua responded that the sign they would receive would be the sign of jonah i.
Medieval jewish commentaries unfold new perspectives of meaning beyond the surface of the biblical text. Allusions in rabbinic literature to the biblical character jonah, the unwilling prophet on whom the book of jonah centers, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the bible itself. It was a source of consolation to him in his anguish, and made him aware of gods compassion. The hebrew prophet jonah rebellion and the light of the. The obvious reason why this haftarah is read on yom kippur is because the story of jonah is a story of teshuvah. The complexity of the motives in the book of jonah is palpable. You can find the best commentary on jonah for you using the tools on the right side. According to the septuagint text of the book of tobias xiv, 4, the words of jonah in regard to the destruction of ninive are accepted as facts. I shall address myself to these four chapters which introduced a new idea into our culture and into jewish as well as universal consciousness. Unlike the judaica press and soncino commentaries, the jps commentaries are producing a detailed linebyline commentary of every passage, in every book of the bible. Free online bible library jewish commentary on the bible.
An outstanding literary and exegetical commentary on the book of jonah. Passing over the brief prophecy of obadiah, with its veiled reference to the messiah in saviours who will go up on mount zion, under the leadership of the jehovahsaviour, for the kingdom shall be the lords obadiah 1. It is a wonderful and thorough study of the book of jonah. Jonah s conflict with gods mercy toward even the most worthy of pagans, jewish bible quarterly 34. In the modem scholarly version of this exegesis, the book of jonah is described as a polemic against the narrow exclusivism prevalent among the returnees to zion that resulted from the travails of the destruction of the first temple, the exile and persian domination. Illuminating such contemporary ethical issues as animal welfare, incarceration, climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and jewish muslim relations, this social justice commentary urges us to join in repairing a. An unverifiable jewish tradition says jonah was the son of the widow of zarephath whom elijah raised from the dead 1 kings 17. Jonah is the only old testament prophet on record whom. After jonah left nineveh, he went to the outskirts and made himself a shelter in the shade of a kikayon tree. And one of the synagogue readings for yom kippur is the book of jonah in hebrew, sefer. The controversial book of ezekiel nearly didnt make it into the biblical canon, but it has had a lasting impact on both liturgical practice and mystical traditions. This commentary has been through advanced theological checking words in boxes are from the bible.
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