Jonah - More than a child's tale

Jonah is unique amongst the prophets in the OT because:

• He was swallowed by a great fish.

• He was the only prophet to anoint a king.

• He was the only prophet who was a king.

• He was the only prophet who never performed miracles.

How is the structure of the book mimetic or paired?

• The structure of the book is mimetic or paired by mirroring real-life events.

• The structure of the book is mimetic or paired by using parallel narratives.

• The structure of the book is mimetic or paired by alternating chapters.

• The structure of the book is mimetic or paired by using a single narrative thread.

The narrative style of the book is:

• First-person

• Second-person

• Third-person

• Omniscient

Read Jonah 1:1-16, write a brief summary.

• Jonah is called by God to go to Nineveh, but he flees in the opposite direction.

• Jonah willingly goes to Nineveh and preaches to the people.

• Jonah is swallowed by a whale immediately after leaving his home.

• Jonah builds a ship to escape God's command.

The heart of the Book of Jonah is the psalm of thanksgiving that appears in Jonah 2:3-10. Biblical scholarship has suggested that the psalm is much older than the Book of Jonah and that the story of Jonah was modeled to fit around the psalm, illustrating the meaning (a teaching method that Jewish rabbis came to call a midrash).

• True

• False

Do you think these verses would indicate that Jonah is intended for an Exiled audience? Why or why not?

• Yes, because the verses suggest themes of exile and return.

• No, because the verses do not mention exile.

• Yes, because Jonah's story is a metaphor for exile.

• No, because the audience is not specified.

What does the king do after hearing Jonah’s message?

• He ignores the message.

• He laughs at the message.

• He repents and declares a fast.

• He punishes Jonah.

In other words, the Assyrians repent their ways and change their behavior. God recognizes the Assyrians' repentance, and Jonah is furious at God's compassion. It is, of course, the same compassion that earlier saved his own sea-soaked skin. But now that God is showing compassion to an enemy, it is too much. Read to the end of the book - what is Jonah’s attitude at the end?

• Jonah is grateful for God's compassion.

• Jonah is angry and resentful.

• Jonah is indifferent to God's actions.

• Jonah is joyful and relieved.

What is the main theme of the Book of Jonah as described in the text?

• God's compassion for all people

• The rejection of God's call

• The importance of transformation

• The double meaning of parables

Does this sound familiar? This pattern is the general historical theme of the Bible, preeminently represented in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings. In fact, some believe that the prophet Jeremiah's famous comments may have originally inspired the Book of Jonah: He has consumed me, routed me, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, he has left me as an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a dragon: filled his belly with my delights, and cast me out. (Jeremiah 51:34)

• Yes, it is a common theme in the Bible.

• No, it is not a common theme in the Bible.