Echoes of jonah in the new testament mark allan powell he book of jonah is never quoted in the new testament. Detailed commentary and discussion, tim bulkeley, university of auckland. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. Sandwiched between the prophetic utterances of amos, a farmer, and jonah, who was sent by god to speak to the ninevites but refused and ended up spending a few nights in the belly of a fish before obeying, obadiah speaks of a. It would be presumptuous to think that one could, in a brief article, speak the final word on the questions in debate. Summary of the book of jonah the story of the bible. The masoretic text places joel between hosea and amos the order inherited by the tanakh and old testament, while the septuagint order is hoseaamosmicahjoelobadiahjonah. The book of jonah the book of jonah is one of the old testament books of the minor profits. What section of the old testament is jonah in answers. The hebrew text of joel seems to have suffered little from scribal transmission, but is at a few points supplemented by the septuagint, syriac, and vulgate.
The book of joel is part of the hebrew bible, one of twelve prophetic books known as the twelve minor prophets. The old testament concludes with the twelve minor prophets. The book was originally written for the jewish people, like the rest of the old testament. Resources for the book of jonah the text this week. Thus, when we find words used by the writer which are common in postbiblical hebrew, but which do not occur elsewhere in the old testament, or only in writings that are recognized on all hands to be of late date. The main division of the book 18, 914 are noticeably dissimilar in both style and subject matter, a fact that has led some to assign the last division 914 to another author. This months article was originally presented as an audiocassette lecture titled jonah and new testament themes. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. The authors of the authoritative book, theological word book of the old testament, in examining the use of the hebrew word fish make this correct and truthful statement, the identity of biological classification of this great water monster is unknown as jonah does not give us details about the miracle. In examining the vast literature on the book of jonah we observe how widespread is the idea that the aim of the author was not to give an account of historical events, but to present a fiction with a moral tendency. For it is evident that we are intended to understand by the jonah of this book the prophet mentioned in ii kgs. 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. The books of joel, obadiah, jonah, and micah the new international commentary on the old testament allen, leslie c. Jonah, the son of amittai, which was of gathhepher.
And jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. These people were extremely cruel towards israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. Sometimes called the apocalypse of the old testament, this book contains the messages of the prophet zechariah, a contemporary of haggai. For example, in the book of jonah, the author selected a person who reportedly lived during the times of the prophet amos.
Jonah was a prophet preaching a message of repentance jonah. Jonah flees from the lord the word of the lord came to jonah son of amittai. The twelve, book of the hebrew bible that contains the books of 12 minor prophets. The book of jonah in the bible encyclopedia isbe this little roll of four short chapters has given rise to almost as much discussion and difference of opinion as the first four chapters of genesis. Jesus does, however, make mention of the title character in one memorable passage, and key elements from the storys plot seem to surface here and there in the narratives of the synoptic gospels and acts. Learn more about the life, experiences, and ministry of jonah. What most people need is something short, simple, and practical that encourages, motivates and guides. When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets. Give either the internal or external evidence for these books being included in the canon. Book of the twelve, barry bandstra, reading the old testament. The quran calls the first five books of the old testament the tawrat in judaism, the collection of inspired books is known as tanakh. The bible brief is a summary or overview of the bible, that lists all 66 books in the old and the new testament combined. How could a man be swallowed by a whale and vomited out alive upon the dry land after three days and nights.
If we were going by verse count, wed still know the shortest books of the bible, but wed have them out of order. In christianity, the old testament is the name of the first part of the bible, the one written before jesus christ. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they actually occurred. Features that those two books share are the technique of symbolic reality a preponderance of symbols, so that the reality that we encounter as we read is primarily a world of symbols and an apocalyptic end times orientation. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. 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. This short passage helps us understand the situation that jonah had been thrust into. The book of jonah is broken down into four chapters and is written by the prophet jonah who most likely penned the book between 793 and 758 bc. When the call of god came to him, jonah could not see beyond his own selfish desire for god to punish the assyrians. These lessons are designed to help us understand the book of jonah by asking some basic questions.
The subject of nahums prophecy is the approaching complete and final destruction of nineveh, the capital of the great and at that time flourishing assyrian empire. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. Old testament of the bible cliffsnotes study guides book. An apocalyptic book that is commonly called the revelation of the old testament. Jonah 1 niv jonah flees from the lord the word of bible. Jonah, the book of definition and meaning bible dictionary. Why are the thessalonians told not to worry about those. Old testament book crossword clue answers crossword solver. The book of hosea compares gods love for his people to marrying a harlot. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. The miraculous event many people consider that the problem of the book of jonah consists chiefly in the miraculousness of its contents.
The book of jonah is included in the collection of twelve minor prophets from hosea to. In just a few short chapters, the book of jonah demonstrates gods power over all things, his love for all people, and his relentless grace and mercy. Surely the foregoing points of truth, as gleaned from the delightful book of jonah, are illustrative of the truth of this rich passage. Study on jonah by hampton keathley, iv at the biblical studies foundation. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly. Hosea, joel, amos, obadiah, jonah, micah, nahum, habakkuk. The book of jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. Pdf reading the old testament in the 21st century using the book. Second john has fewer verses than third john, but more words. 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. Book of jonah is a bible study specifically dealing with the old testament book of jonah.
Story of jonah and the large fish can be found in the book of jonah in the old testament jonah 1. Literary characteristics unlike most other prophetic parts of the ot, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. We know nothing of the author other than what we can intuit from the book. Old testament jonah did not wish to become a prophet so god caused a great. The old view that jonah was the author is still held by some scholars, though most moderns place the book in the late exilic or postexilic times. Find the answer to the crossword clue old testament book. Old testament book biblical prophet old testament prophet a minor prophet habakkuk zephaniah haggai zechariah one of the minor prophets malachi last of the minor prophets old testament ender. The reign of jeroboam ii 793753 bc, who was an evil king before the lord, saw. The book of jonah intro to jonah biblica the international bible. The second part of christian bibles is the new testament, written in the koine. Micah description of the complete moral decay in all levels of israel.
The story concerning this man was designed to show the attitude that the jewish people had taken toward foreign nations. Test your knowledge of the bible with over 150 challenging questions and answers. Philemon has more verses than obadiah the shortest book in the old testament, but fewer words. Following amos and preceding jonah, obadiah continues the. The themes of this book, like every old testament book, point to the main focus of the whole bible. The ultimate bible quiz book is a fun and interactive way to learn the most important aspects of the bible, and the perfect supplement to your bible study. Jonah is the fifth of the socalled minor prophets, the twelve shorter prophetic books that make up the final portion of the old testament. The 5 shortest books of the bible, in order overviewbible. In the first chapter, jonah is running from god a boarding a ship that is heading in a different direction than to the place that god wishes him to minister. We need something that will help us read the biblical texts and not just about the text. Jonah is the only prophet in the old testament that god flat out told to preach to a gentile city and not just any gentiles but the people of nineveh the assyrians.
The question in debate is whether the language of israel in the days of jeroboam ii had. Both jews and christians believe these texts to be holy. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to. Reading the old testament in the 21st century using the book of jonah as reference. Although their specific suggestions range from fictional short story to allegory to parable. The book of jonah is a minor prophet, so the book holds significant value to the jews both as a historical book and as reveling god blessing is not just for the jews but for the gentiles as well.
The question in debate is whether the language of israel in the days of jeroboam ii had taken over words from the aramaic. Than the text there is no more christian utterance in the old testament. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. An introduction to the book of jonah an argument of the book of jonah selected bibliography of the book of jonah j. Obadiah means servant of jehovah and worshiper of yahweh. The old testament abbreviated ot is the first part of the christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the twentyfour books of the hebrew bible or tanakh, a collection of ancient religious hebrew writings by the israelites believed by most christians and religious jews to be the sacred word of god. The term indicates the short length of the text in relation to longer prophetic. Old testament book micah book containing a prediction of the coming of the messiah book after jonah he prophesied the destruction of jerusalem book before nahum nahum. His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. It is agreed that the story is fictional and that the psalm in ch.
Jonah jonah proclaims a coming judgment upon ninevehs people, but they repented, and judgment was spared. Most people remember the old testament book of jonah as a story about a big fish, but its really a story about our big god. Book after amos hebrew prophet jonah biblical prophet thrown overboard by his shipmates lunch for a whale, in a bible story one with a whale of a story. This old testament book describes at least part of the ministry of a prophet called jonah, the only prophet who attempted to run away from god. The book of jonah which deals with the historical and textual background of one of the twelve minor prophets in the old testament. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament.
Among the books of minor profits, the book of jonah is very unique because jonah was the only prophet who is recorded as having run away from god. Jonah, whose name means dove, lived in gathhepher, located just north of nazareth, during the reign of jeroboam ii in. Simple bible reading guide overview of the old testament. This is the purpose of this simple bible reading guide.
The books of joel, obadiah, jonah, and micah the new. This would indicate a date for the book soon after 800bc. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. Intended as a quick guide or reference book to the scriptures, it is in no way intended to replace the bible god forbid. Hear details behind the scriptural record, including insights into where jonah fits into history, his cultural background, and jonah s unique work for the lord. Kurt vonnegut also very often uses science fiction and comic book formulas quick action, short. May 14, 2016 jonah is the most widely known of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament.
Scholars do not know exactly when the book was written, but because of the preaching to the gentiles the book is usually dated after the postexilic period. Nineveh was a city of vast extent, and was then the center of the civilization and commerce of the world, according to nahum a bloody city all full of lies and robbery, a reference. Sandwiched between the prophetic utterances of amos, a farmer, and jonah, who was sent by god to speak to the ninevites but refused and ended up spending a few nights in the belly of a fish before obeying, obadiah speaks of a bitter squabble between two peoples with common ancestral roots. Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of god during the reign of king jeroboam ii of israel 2 kings 14.
Bible survey jonah hebrew name yonah dove greek name ionas greek form of the hebrew author jonah according to tradition date 862 bc approximately theme gods mercy on nineveh types and shadows in jonah jesus is the one crying out. Below is a list of the books of the bible in the new testament, along with some typical crossword clues for each title. Its best to read them all together, like twelve chapters of one book. Seeing jesus christ in the old testament 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. Seeing jesus christ in the old testament book of jonah will greatly aid us in understanding jonah and how jesus could refer to himself as, something greater than jonah matthew 12.
1466 1002 122 895 1483 629 1326 1118 497 446 288 228 651 197 882 1449 971 1081 1302 394 1236 53 1303 641 1524 266 271 257 1283 674 149 900 233 1407 905 633 917