Symposium 2001

Jonah: A False Prophet or a Prophet with a False God?

Melisa Birkey, First Year

The Jonah narrative is a story often told to children to emphasize that it is wrong to run from God and there is no way to escape from God. However as adults we see that there is more to the story. There are many ways to interpret the Jonah narrative and the character of Jonah. Readers may even read the story with an anti-Semitic view if they judge solely from their first impressions of Jonah. We see a man who flees, a man who is angry with God, and a man who pouts under a bush and wishes to die. From all this we may conclude that Jonah is selfish. If we read beyond the surface impression and pay careful attention to the narrative and Jonah's words and not just deeds, we see a more spiritual concern in Jonah's heart. He is not concerned about what people think of him but what people think of God.


During Jonah's time, conditions were not very stable. Political, social, and religious disorder reigned in Israel. Syria had recently won a war and taken over Israel. The relationship between Jonah's homeland and Nineveh, the capital of Syria, were strained and bursting with animosity. Israel itself was in a state of turmoil, trying to adjust to the loss of their power and independence (Winard 538).

In his article "Jonah: The Wayward Dove", Richard Stamp charges Jonah with extreme nationalism. "We see a rather obnoxious man who is disobedient to God and seems to be a bigoted nationalist of the worst kind" (Stamp 80). Jonah's frustration with God shows that he would rather see the destruction of more than a hundred and twenty thousand souls than acknowledge that God can be merciful to the foreigners of Nineveh. His anger over God's mercy towards this wicked city is used to justify his desire for vengeance of the city's wickedness.


Jonah's anger, taken as evidence to be an extreme nationalist attitude, is then used to charge the Israelites with having the same ultra-nationalist views. The story is used to show that God does care about other nations of the world and that the Israelites are too selfish to share 'their' God. This point does not have much valid support. Why would the Jews choose to hold on to a story and place it in the Bible when it makes them look bad? Why would they keep it if it portrayed them as having such hatred and ultra nationalistic views?


The true character of Jonah does not support such extreme nationalism as a cause for his anger. If in fact he wanted Nineveh to be destroyed, Jonah would never have gone to Nineveh at all. The act of traveling to the great city of Nineveh, walking through it for days, and preaching to the people shows Jonah's loyalty to God and his compassion for others.


Throughout the narrative and during all the trials that he faces, Jonah's faith remains strong. While he is fleeing from God on the boat from Joppa to Tarshish, a storm rises up upon the sea. The sailors are scared for their lives, yet Jonah has no fear. He is so calm and relaxed that he is found sleeping by the captain of the boat. Jonah knows that he is the reason for the storm and the lots the sailors cast prove the blame is on him. Jonah proves the expanse of his faith by asking the sailors to "Pick [him] up and throw [him] into the sea" (Jonah 1:12). He is willing to risk his own life to save the other innocent crewmembers.


After he is thrown into the sea, God saves Jonah's life by sending a great fish to swallow him up. Many people have a hard time with the story of Jonah because of the miracle of a giant fish saving him. Jacob Myers even suggests "the great fish is not intended to be taken literally; it is the author's way of getting the prophet back as quickly as possible to his task and as such fits in quite well with the story" (Myers 168). When focusing only on whether the details of the story are fact or fiction the importance of the message in the narrative is lost.


Through Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish, we learn a lot about his character. Jonah is able to ask for forgiveness. Along with his repentance, Jonah is still able to praise and give thanks to his God. Although Jonah is literally the lowest he can ever be, he is nevertheless able to find good in the situation. Instead of a call for help his prayer is one of thanksgiving. Jonah's only regret about dying at that time and place is that he will not be able to "look again on [God's] holy temple" (Jonah 2:4). At the bottom of the sea and in the belly of a fish, he is only worried whether he will ever again get the chance to worship his God.


Jonah's words are not the only demonstration of his loyalty; his actions also show his devotion to God as well. He eventually does go to Nineveh. This act in itself is no small feat. In a city that all called wicked, Jonah has the courage to preach to the people. For three days, Jonah walks the streets and told the people of God's plan to destroy their city because of their wickedness. Anything could have been possible. Jonah could have easily been met with hostility and anger from the people and at worst even been killed.


As Jonah walks through the streets of Nineveh he proclaims his one sentence message: "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4). Jonah has been accused of "making his message as vague and as blunt and as offensive as he possibly can. It is suggested that he delivered a message that would make it impossible for the people to respond positively" (Fretheim 108). Yet the people responded positively and not only that, but Jonah had a one hundred percent success rate. Even the king of Nineveh donned sackcloth and sat in ashes. "All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands," proclaimed the king. "Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish" (Jonah 3:8-9). This shows Jonah's great skills in customizing his message to fit the level of understanding to the people. If a prophet is half-hearted about his message, the people would pick up on it and not respond enthusiastically. Jonah, a foreign prophet in the city of Nineveh, is met with complete success. This evidence contradicts the theory of Jonah preaching his message only half-heartedly to the people and demonstrates the passion with which Jonah shared God's message to the Ninevites (Fretheim107).


The Bible says that the Ninevites believed Jonah's words and asked for forgiveness by fasting and adorning themselves with sackcloth. Jonah was face to face with these people; therefore he may be the second best judge, next to God, in deciding if the people are sincere with their repentance. The Ninevites may turn to God at this moment, but in the end they do eventually return to their wicked ways again.


Some scholars believe that Jonah's anger is a result of his fear of being a false prophet (Myers 174). He preaches the destruction of Nineveh, yet God has mercy on them and they are not destroyed. He is angry with God for making him look like a liar in front of so many people. Jonah could also be afraid of the reaction of the Ninevites. What would become of him if they thought that his words were untrue and that he was a false prophet? If Jonah is truly afraid for his own safety, why does he stay near the city? Jonah may have left the wicked city and got as far away as possible. He would not have stayed to watch if God would destroy Nineveh.


Aspects of one's true character are most evident in life threatening situations. Because of Jonah's actions during the storm before when he showed his faith and selflessness, it is impossible to see him as scared for his life this time either. Jonah's strong characteristics of loyalty, faith, selflessness all suggests that there is more to Jonah's anger than just pouting and foolish stubbornness. Jonah is not scared of being called a false prophet. He is scared of being called a prophet to a false God. In all of Jonah's motives and actions he is concerned about God's image.
Jonah knows before he goes to Nineveh that God will have mercy on the Ninevites. He says to God, "That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent punishment" (Jonah 4:2). It is possible that he is scared about what the people will say about God's actions. Since God changed His mind about destroying the wicked city of Nineveh, it might now look as if He was never planning to destroy the city. The people of Nineveh might ask the question: Would our city really have been destroyed or was Jonah just saying that to get us to conform to his people's ways?
The narrator of the book of Jonah withholds information about Jonah's reasons until the end. The reader is left to guess. One begins to assume that Jonah is only afraid, but the narrator confuses this interpretation by showing us Jonah's acts of courage. Readers think that Jonah is not a faithful servant, but then the narrator gives us an intimate glimpse into his prayers and shows us a true prophet who risks his life by preaching to Nineveh. Readers think that he is petty and vindictive about Nineveh, yet the only words we hear are his confession about God's mercy.
God, who is the only one who knows the true meaning behind Jonah's anger, only rebukes him gently. He reminds Jonah of the importance of mercy and grace to all people. He shows Jonah that even the truly wicked can receive grace if they respond to God's call. God's love is to be shared with all people. The message God has for Jonah is a reminder to all of God's people of the missionary calling to the rest of the world (Limburg 156). In this example, Israel is once again called to be a "light to the nations" (Isa 49:6).


It is interesting to note that the Jonah narrative ends with out resolving Jonah's anger. He does not repent for his anger towards God. God is all knowing and He knows Jonah only wants what Jonah believes is best for God's image yet can not always understand the ways of the Lord. The narrative also ends with a question from God. God asks, "Why should I not be concerned about Nineveh?" (Jonah 4:11). We hear no more from or about Jonah. The narrator intends that every person will have to answer the question for himself or herself (Fretheim 132).


Unlike the simple message of the children's version of the Jonah narrative the real message of Jonah's story is much deeper. Jonah really is a caring and loving person who only wants to see the best done, despite his bad reputation. Jonah does not desire the best for the people of Nineveh but the best for God. Jonah wants God to demonstrate his awesome powers to show the Ninevites that God is the all-powerful, one and only God. His intentions are not mean spirited. Jonah truly has very deep loyalty, strong faith, and great knowledge of God and he shows these characteristics in all his actions. Jonah is never concerned about what people think of him but what people think of God.

Works Cited
Fretheim, Terence E. The Message of Jonah: A Theological Commentary.Augsburg Publishing House: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1977

Martin, Hugh D.D. The Prophet Jonah: His Character and Mission to Nineveh. The Banner of Truth Trust: Highgate West Hill, London , 1958.

Myers, Jacob Martin. The Book of Joel; The Book of Amos; The Book of Obadiah; The Book of Jonah. John Knox Press: Richmond, Virginia, 1959.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible: (NRSV)Oxford University Press, 1991.


Seiden, Chaim. "Why does Jonah Want to Die?" Bible Review 15 June 1999: 4.

Stamp, Richard. "Jonah: The Wayward Dove" The Expository Times Vol. 111 Dec.1999:80-82.

Winward, Stephen F. A Guide to the Prophets. John Knox Press: Richmond, Virginia 1969.