Literary comments on the book of jonah pdf

Getting into jonah by seeing the books literary structures. As the sections are completed, this is where they will get posted. As the grace commentary on jonah is written, posts will be added to the chapters below. The style of the book of jonah is distinctive among the prophetic books.

But who then wrote the book and where do those intimate details of the story come from. What is the historical context of the book of jonah. Explication of a text is always more than mere plot summary. In the midst of the obscure prophecies before and after this book, wherein. Read jonah commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. I am drawn to the book of jonah not only because i. A literaryexegetical and socialscientific analysis of. A literaryexegetical and socialscientific analysis of the. The majority of scholars have rejected any historicity. 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. Book 1 philip and pat juler book 2 chun kertyoo book 3 reg and marjorie vines book 4 david clines book 5 john and grace robertson book 6 bob and vic mccallum book 7 chue petnamngern book 8 vic and jean fleming in the present book, as in my other books, my aim is to provide biblical reference material that bridges two gaps at the same time. The historiccritical approach a continuation of the esprit critique at the.

The following structure is based on a careful analysis of the content of jonah in the hebrew text. Each has a call from god and a response from jonah 1. In any case, from its style it is quite clear that the book of jonah was written centuries later. There are a number of helpful commentaries on jonah, and the following are five of the best. Many critics however want to lower the book of jonah to an allegory, a parable or a legend because of the miracles described in it especially the appearing of the great fish devouring jonah. Jonah is forced into a confrontation with god because of his attitudes 1. The book of jonah translated word for word and explained. In phillip carys 2008 commentary on jonah, he shows that those who have the courage and humility to let jonahs story confront them will be challenged to deepen their understanding of gods mercy and wrestle once again with the meaning of the proclamation in exodus.

The issue is complicated somewhat by the use of the. Literary historical content literary content the literary content of the book of jonah begins with the call of the prophet to proclaim the message of yhwh to nineveh in assyria. The traditional view is that the prophet jonah is the author, and his book is a record of his own experiences. You can find his reflections on chiasms here they demonstrate how much the biblical authors, in this case jonah or another. Use of irony in the book, nonetheless, is acknowledged. Commentators who have interpreted the book as an historical narrative identify jonah with the 8thcent. Seven episodes in jonah 7 jonahs lesson about compassion 4. Fifth in the canonical order of the minor prophets. At the end of chapter 1, jonah, who is a most reluctant prophet on the run. Fruitful literary analysis will often focus on how a text employs the tropes already present in the collective mind of the audience to tell its own story. Introduction jonah is one of the most ridiculed books by liberal scholars. The author employs structure, humor, hyperbole, irony, double entendre, and literary figures like merism to. This article contains chapter 2 of the book a dove to the land of war.

Many people have sent useful comments and detailed bug reports. Session 1introduction to jonah session 2literary aspects of jonah session 3jonah chapter 1. Book of jonah updated 2015329 book of micah updated 2018831 book of nahum. Literaryhistorical content literary content the literary content of the book of jonah begins with the call of the prophet to proclaim the message of yhwh to nineveh in assyria. This study on jonah will first look at the historical aspects of jonah, both the prophet and the book. Labat also included columns indicating the development of this symbol in his manual on. A literaryexegetical and socialscientific analysis of the book of jonah. Aside from portions of the book of jeremiah and daniel, all of the other prophetic books focus primarily on the message of the prophet.

Although the content of the message is coming judgment 1. In this final study of the book of jonah, you will learn what the book of jonah is all about. We read nowhere in the book that jonah confessed his sin and received a new heart. To explore the relationship between mercy and justice category three has been, by far, the most popular option among interpreters of the book, and.

The book is anonymous, and its authorship is in dispute. While the story line is so simple that children follow it readily, the story is marked by as high a degree of literary sophistication as any book in the hebrew bible. A more recent view is that the book was written long after jonahs time by some anonymous author and that it is a work of fiction with a moral lesson. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. Controversies over the book of jonah have apparently all but ceased. Historical background to jonah november 21, 2012 by jeremy myers 5 comments when studying scripture, it is critical to gain understanding of the historical background and cultural setting of the book or passage being studied. Nov 21, 2012 historical background to jonah november 21, 2012 by jeremy myers 5 comments when studying scripture, it is critical to gain understanding of the historical background and cultural setting of the book or passage being studied. The tyndale old testament lecture, 1984 jonah and genre by t. The book of jonah preface those of you who are familiar with the story of jonah and the whale know that jonah hopped a ship heading in the opposite direction when god commanded him to go preach to the ninevites. The theme of repentance nominates it for being read on yom kippur, but it has less to say. Yonah is a strange prophet, and sefer yonah the book of jonah a strange book. By analysing the structure, various literary techniques, and character roles in the book of jonah, this study shows that the author constructed his book very artfully to invigorate its purpose. The chapter divisions mark the natural divisions of the book. 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.

Conversation analysis, literary criticism, and the book of jonah. Conversation analysis, literary criticism, and the book of jonah raymond f. Written by leading scholars, the focus on essays are designed to stimulate thought. While the following discussion does not purport to be a comprehensive literary analysis of the book, it offers a partial analysis which nevertheless has bearing upon the overall story. Mar 16, 2018 in a pair of articles on literary structure and the book of jonah, ernst wendland argues for what makes a chiasm valid, with a test case in the book of jonah. Peter van t riet a dove to the land of war the book of jonah translated. Pdfbook archive in conversation with jonah semantic scholar. Jonahs ministry, at least according to the book of 2 kings 14. Jonah commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Jonah has been a favorite subject for midrashic commentary. The result is the most extensive commentary now available on the book of jonah. The story of a fish swallowing a man and the man living sounds impossible, and since most liberal scholars deny the possibility of the supernatural, they reject the book of jonah as anything but a fairy tale. Reading a piece of writingfrom instruction manual, to sports page, to oped. Second, will be on a focus the literary devices and sophistication of the book of jonah.

This did not mean, however, that jonah remained the same. I would like to express my appreciation especially to. In modern literature, a novel may include a poem or a letter from one of its characters to another, as occurs frequently in alice walkers the color purple. We are told, for example, that the great fish that swallowed jonah was specially created for. However, to my knowledge this is the first attempt to present an overall literary analysis of the book as a whole. When god calls abraham to offer his son isaac as a sacrifice, abraham gets up early in the morning and goes, but when god calls jonah, jonah runs away. Concern for the salvation of all people, including ones enemies, is the proper attitude for people of god. Additionally, a literary work can incorporate different genres, just as the book of jonah incorporates the psalm in chapter 2. The problematic classification of the book of jonah as prophetic literature.

In these few remarks, i examine persons application of linguistic methodology to conversation in jonah. You can find his reflections on chiasms here they demonstrate how much the biblical authors, in this case jonah or another prophet wellacquainted with. You can find the best commentary on jonah for you using the tools on the right side. Literary analysis of jonah chiasmus in jonah has been noted by numerous biblical scholars. Jonah 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. In phillip carys 2008 commentary on jonah, he shows that those who have the courage and humility to let jonahs story confront them will be challenged to deepen their understanding of gods mercy and wrestle once again with the meaning of the. Person the author analyses the various conversations that occur between the characters in the jonah narrative and the conversation that occurs between the. The prophet jonah is best known for the storm at sea and his stay in the big fish which after three days. Conversation is a critical component of biblical prose, but also poses significant. Second, will be on a focus the literary devices and sophistication of the book of jonah, such as parallelisms, symmetryasymmetry, and the repetition of key words. In view of that curiosity, says sasson, i have had to devote much space to establishing what the book of jonah says, what ancient translators understood it to say, and what contemporary authorities think it should say x.

The discovery of him, and his disobedience, to be the cause of the storm v. It differs from them in that while they for the most part contain prophetic discourses, with a minimum of narrative material, the book of jonah is mainly occupied with a narrative, and the prophetic message in it is almost incidental. The central theme of the book of jonah is the god who loves in freedom. The pursuit and arrest of him for that disobedience by a storm, in which he was asleep v. The title of the studysalvation belongs to the lordcomes directly from jonah 2. Person the author analyses the various conversations that occur between the characters in the jonah narrative and the conversation that occurs between the text and its readers. 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 broad variety of opinions on this subject from the talmudic sages through modem commentaries can be subsumed under four basic headings. While biblical and literary scholars continue to debate the author ship, purpose, and structure of various ot narratives, commen tary on the book of jonah retains a certain uniformity, keeping intact one assessment from the midsixties. We are told, for example, that the great fish that swallowed jonah was specially created for this occasion when god created the world. As our church begins to study jonah, i share the outlines from his second article. Article information, pdf download for who converts whom. Top 5 commentaries on the book of jonah ligonier ministries. Tom meyer combines research, memorization and his higher education in the land of the bible to reveal fascinating insights, explanations, and cultural comments on the book of jonah.

Commentary on the book of jonah relevant bible teaching. I am currently writing commentary on the book of jonah. Jonah encounters pagans who are forced to consider the influence of his god 1. 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. By sanderss reading of this book, yahwehs action in 3. Literary structures between the books of the bible. Pdf the literary character of the book of jonah peter. Nevertheless, to uncover the tragic qualities in the book of jonah. Pdf the literary genre of the book of jonah researchgate. On the contrary, through a literary analysis, the lasting. Study the bible online using commentary on jonah and more. The book of jonah is short, but its brevity does nothing to reduce the significance of the theological questions it raises. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. The results of toms own careful, personal bible study and lengthy exposure to jewish thought and practice while living in israel.

The relationship between new literary criticism and socialscientific. This was a time of expansion, which was in process for nearly two generations. The word of the lord came to jonah and jonah refused. Analysis, literary criticism and the book of jonah. In a pair of articles on literary structure and the book of jonah, ernst wendland argues for what makes a chiasm valid, with a test case in the book of jonah. Jonah brazos theological commentary on the bible kindle. The book is prophetic in that it speaks a word of judgment and grace to a specific audience, evoking amendment of thought and life. Although the author of jonah is never identified in the book itself, jonah himself has traditionally been identified as the author. Commentary on the book of jonah jonah 1 1the word of the lord came to jonah the son of amittai saying, 2arise, go to nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me. The literary buildup of the book of jonah as a diptych 263 table 27. Literary features the book of jonah is a literary masterpiece. The primary purpose of the book of jonah is to engage readers in theological.

The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book. You will also remember how god provided jonah with a living submarine to get him back where he belonged. So if you are interested in studying jonah, bookmark this page, and check back soon. The symmetrical structure of the book of jonah according to phyllis l. The analysis of the various imaginative genre classifications of the book of jonah shows. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.