Daniel Copyright 2002
This paper was originally written for Dr. Jesse Long of Lubbock Christian University to receive credit for Advanced Biblical Interpretation. Any quotes taken from this writing without acknowledgement is unethical and illegal.
One of the literary devices used by the story teller is that of characterization. In this narrative, I noticed four main characters in the story, though not all of these character are full-fledged characters, they are all essential to the plot. The first character seems to be the main character and also the character from whom the name of the book is derived. Very little is known about the character of Jonah in this narrative. We aren’t told how tall he is or what he looks like. We are simply told that he is the son of Amittai. He obviously had a relationship with YAHWEH, because he is called for a specific purpose. We can also sense prejudice in Jonah. He knows that YAHWEH is compassionate and therefore Jonah doesn’t want to share YAHWEH’s message to the wicked people of Ninevah. In fact, Jonah goes as far as to flee the other direction because of his great hatred for the people of Ninevah. Jonah appears as an angry and impatient man with such little respect for God that he blatantly disobeys and runs away from what YAHWEH has called him to do. In fact, when the sailors ask who is responsible for the storm, Jonah acknowledges that he is at fault. He obviously knows he is wrong in disobeying YAHWEH yet he shows no true sign of repentance until he is in the belly of the fish. It is from within the fish that Jonah cries out to God.
The sailors are also important characters in this narrative. Like Jonah, little is known about their character as well. We know that they weren’t followers of YAHWEH. When Jonah told them he was running away from YAHWEH, they still allowed him to sail with them. When the storm came, the sailors also began to call upon their gods. They appear to be men who try to take things into their own hands, trying to row back to land. However, it seems as though they are good men. They don’t wish to harm Jonah and they are patient with him. As the storm grew more fierce, they began to cry out to YAHWEH and ask forgiveness for throwing Jonah overboard. After the sea calmed, the men ‘feared the LORD and offered sacrifices to the LORD and made vows to him.’ They actually end up worshipping YAHWEH and recognizing His power.
A third character, or group of characters, are the people of Ninevah. They are described as wicked people. They were a ‘great’ number of people. The people were wicked to the point that God was going to send judgment upon them. However, as Jonah proclaimed ‘Forty more days and Ninevah will be destroyed,’ the people repented. The King of Ninevah declared a fast and the city turned from its evil ways.
The final Character in this story is YAHWEH. He is first introduced as one who opposes the wickedness found in Ninevah. He demonstrates his power, and perhaps displeasure in Jonah’s rebellion, through the storm. He demonstrates his grace and mercy by sparing Jonah’s life by preparing the fish. He also shows mercy to the sailors by calming the storm. He accepts the repentance of Ninevah and has compassion on them. He provides shade for Jonah even though Jonah sits outside the city to see what will become of it. YAHWEH, in this narrative, wants to be fair to all people. He teaches Jonah a lesson with the vine and the worm. He shows mercy to the Assyrians. The sailors recognize him as sovereign by saying, ‘You...have done as you have pleased.’ We can see an example of YAHWEH’s character that shows his grace in the midst of judgment. In his commentary, Matthew Henry makes reference of the storm and the fish. He describes the storm as God’s judgment, but of the miracle of the fish swallowing Jonah without killing that, ‘In the midst of judgment, God remembers mercy’ (1143). In a similar way, God is planning to bring judgment down upon the people of Ninevah by destroying the city, yet when they repent, he shows mercy to them.
Another literary device used in the Jonah story is contrast. One aspect of contrast is that of the character of Jonah verse the character of the sailors. Jonah knows the power of YAHWEH, yet deliberately disobeys and rebels. The sailors on the other hand are not servants of YAHWEH, yet once they recognize his power, they worship him and seek his mercy. Jonah is filled with prejudice toward Ninevah, yet though he is an outsider the sailors still allow him to sail with them. Jonah seems impatient and unwilling to serve others, yet the sailors do not wish harm upon Jonah and remain patient with him. When the sea is calm, the sailors begin to worship YAHWEH, they make a sacrifice to him. However, Jonah was unwilling to make a sacrifice and obey God. He was more concerned with not associating with the people of Assyria.
Contrast can also be seen between Jonah and the people of Ninevah. God calls upon Jonah and he doesn’t listen. Instead he flees and runs the other way. However the people of Ninevah are rebellious until God calls. Once they are called, they draw near to God. Jonah runs away from God and the people of Ninevah come to God. Just as when Jonah was trying to flee to Tarshish, the sailors actually come to God as well. Another way we see contrast between Jonah and the people of Ninevah is in Jonah’s desire to have the YAHWEH take his life. The people of Ninevah are told that they will be destroyed and so they fast in hope of finding life in YAHWEH’s compassion. However, Jonah says three times in chapter four that he wishes to die. His prejudice toward the Assyrians led him to the point where he would rather be dead than see God have compassion on them. This contrast further exposes the character of Jonah in a negative way.
Dialogue and narration play a part in the Jonah story. The most interesting aspect of the dialogue is that YAHWEH has the first and last word in the story. Both YAHWEH’s first and last words are directed to Jonah and are about Ninevah. The first words talk about Ninevah’s wickedness and God’s desire to bring judgment, the last words talk about YAHWEH’s concern for the people of the city.
The narration seems to be relaying events that took place rather than giving a point of view. Instead, the dialogue gives the most insight into the life of Jonah and YAHWEH’s relationship with him. Jonah doesn’t speak when YAHWEH first calls him. In fact, he first speaks only after the lot falls to him. He tells the others on the ship that he is a Hebrew that worships YAHWEH. The longest portion of dialogue is Jonah’s prayer from within the belly of the fish. The prayer seems more like a psalm than a prayer, seeming almost exaggerated, yet sincere. The phrase that stands out the most is, ‘Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.’ I look at that statement and question Jonah’s words. I agree with the words, however I see Jonah as forfeiting the grace that could be his. In essence, he is putting his own will before YAHWEH’s and therefore passively practicing idolatry. His actions throughout the story do not match up to his words.
Jonah’s words to the people of Ninevah are short and direct, ‘Forty more days and Ninevah will be destroyed.’ However, the people respond with repentance and fasting. Jonah is displeased with YAHWEH’s compassion toward to city and he initiates dialogue with YAHWEH. Jonah’s dialogue with YAHWEH is fueled by anger. Jonah makes note that it is better for him to die than to live. God’s response is a question, ‘Have you any right to be angry?’ Jonah again says, ‘It would be better for me to die than live.’ God responds with a similar question as before, ‘Have you any right to be angry about the vine?’ This time Jonah responds, ‘I do. I am angry enough to die.’ YAHWEH ends the dialogue by explaining to Jonah that the vine wasn’t what Jonah had worked for and telling of the great number of people in Ninevah and asking, ‘Should I not be concerned about that great city?’ This dialogue ends in a powerful and challenging way. The dialogue provides insight into the story and allows the reader to sense the tension and climax of the story. The storyteller allows the dialogue to develop our image of the characters instead of the narrative giving us our point of view. By having YAHWEH be the first and the last to speak, the story teller shows that YAHWEH is the focus of the story.
Repetition also plays a part within this narrative. YAHWEH’s command to go to Ninevah is stated twice, showing his concern for the people of the city in contrast to Jonah’s unwillingness to see them come to repentance. Jonah three times says that it would be better for him to die, again showing his desire to see Ninevah destroyed by YAHWEH instead of spared. The wind is something that occurs to show YAHWEH’s feeling toward Jonah’s hatred for Ninevah. The first wind comes and develops into a storm that ends up sending Jonah overboard and into the belly of the fish; the second wind is a scorching wind that again expresses God’s pursuit for justice.
The words cry out, call out, and pray are scattered throughout the story. The first time the phrase is introduced the sailors were calling out to their gods to ask them to calm the storm. Then the captain tells Jonah to call on his god. After they see that the sea will not be calm until Jonah is out of the boat, they cry out to the LORD for mercy. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to YAHWEH. In his prayer he makes note that he called out to the LORD. The most significant thing I see in this phrase has to do with the sailors. As the storm comes they call out to their gods, yet their gods do not answer. They then cast lots and the lot falls to Jonah and ask who he is. Upon hearing Jonah’s response, they become terrified. They end up calling out to YAHWEH. This shows the great power of YAHWEH and the change of heart in the sailors who begin to worship the LORD.
The key word in the story appears to be ‘great.’ Jonah is told to go to ‘the great city of Ninevah.’ YAHWEH sends a great wind. A great storm develops. The sailors ‘greatly feared the LORD.’ YAHWEH provided a great fish. Jonah is again told to go to the ‘great city of Ninevah.’ The people of Ninevah, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Jonah is greatly displeased. YAHWEH asks, ‘Should I not be concerned about that great city?’ Each time the word great is used it appears as a display of power. Ninevah is great in number. The great storm and great wind demonstrate YAHWEH’s great power. The fact that the sailors greatly feared the Lord further shows God’s power and the extent to which the faith of the sailors increased. The repentance of the people of Ninevah from the greatest to the least shows that everyone from those in power all the way down the least of all people turned to YAHWEH. With the word great in every chapter, it is evident that the story teller wants the reader to know the power of YAHWEH.
The use of irony also comes to play a role in this story. With Ninevah being the capitol of Assyria, enemies of Israel, Jonah doesn’t want to go to this Gentile people with a message from God. He is very adamant about his dislike toward the people of Ninevah and boards a ship bound for Tarshish. The irony is that this ship probably carries others who aren’t Jews. Matthew Henry explains the ship probably carried ‘the mariners, the passengers, the merchants...Jonah, forgetting his dignity as well as duty, herded with them’ (1142). Jonah was so concerned about not associating with the people of Ninevah that he boarded a ship with people who were also different. When Jonah was thrown overboard and the sea calmed, these people (some of them possibly Gentiles that Jonah deemed unworthy of God’s mercy) turn to YAHWEH and worship him.
Another example of irony is one that is somewhat humorous. A simple phrase is used by the narrator very early in the story that simply states, ‘After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.’ That statement tells us that all Jonah had to pay for his rebellion was just the boarding fee, however the story quickly shows that Jonah hasn’t begun to pay for his rebellion in fleeing from YAHWEH. Jonah would soon be caught up in a great storm and thrown overboard. He would be swallowed by a great fish and spends three day within its belly. He would still have to go to Ninevah and give them the message from YAHWEH. He would still have to see YAHWEH have compassion upon the city. He would still be filled with anger toward God. He would be so upset that he will want to die. He will be rebuked by God. Jonah had to pay much more than a boarding fee for running away from God, it cost his dignity.
Minimal representation is contained within the story. It occurs in the form of gaps. One instance occurs after Ninevah repents. Jonah becomes angry and sits outside the city and waits to see what would happen to the city. That is when the story turns its focus to the vine and the worm. We are never told what became of the city in this narrative. We don’t know what Jonah saw, it is a gap.
Another gap in the story occurs at the very end. Jonah is upset with YAHWEH for showing compassion to Ninevah. After some exchange in dialogue, YAHWEH ends by stating, ‘Ninevah has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?’ We are not given Jonah’s response. We don’t know for certain if Jonah repented for hatred of Ninevah. We don’t know if he continued to respond in anger to God. We don’t know if his attitude changed. We are simply left to wonder.
The story of Jonah is one that relates God’s relationship to man. In many ways we are like Jonah. The view that Jonah held toward the people of Ninevah was probably held by most Jews. The people of Israel were God’s chosen people. They didn’t want YAHWEH to show compassion to the Gentile people of Ninevah. William McDonald writes, ‘The Lord wished to go with His prophet. Instead, Jonah tried to flee from the presence and power of God’ (1127). Are we any different? Do we want YAHWEH to show mercy to our enemies? Do we, like Jonah, hear YAHWEH’s call and run the other way? The story of Jonah is one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The sailors witnessed the power of YAHWEH and began to worship him. The people of Ninevah heard a message from YAHWEH and repented and cried out to him. Jonah interacted with YAHWEH and ran away from him. Who is the true hero in the story? I find it interesting that in some ways the people in the boat are more righteous the Jonah, the prophet. These people who worshipped other gods ended up worshipping YAHWEH. However, the prophet Jonah throughout the story runs away and argues with YAHWEH. Even the wicked people of Ninevah listen to YAHWEH’s message, yet Jonah doesn’t seem to change or want to obey. Surely we must look at this narrative with a theo-centric mindset rather than anthropocentric. We must look at the God of the story and be awed by his greatness, his power, and his grace. We must take the lesson of the story teller and apply them to our life today.
I have always been fascinated by the story of Jonah. I remember from the earliest days of VBS hearing the story and laughing at the foolishness of Jonah. I found it funny that giant fish swallowed a man and then vomited him onto the shore. I didn’t understand the Jonah story. As I got older and started reading the Bible for myself, I looked at Jonah differently. I began to look at Jonah from the perspective of Ninevah. Jonah didn’t like the people of Ninevah so he didn’t want to give Yahweh’s prophecy to them. I began to ask where God was calling me and what my response would be. The challenge I always made was, ‘Go find your Ninevah.’ I don’t necessarily feel that is a bad message, I just think it sales the story of Jonah short. Through some techniques learned in class, I began to look at the book of Jonah in a different way. I spent a lot of time looking for repetition, point of view, characterization, contrast, and gaps. The entire process was a rewarding experience. I had never taken the time until now to look at Jonah from a literary perspective. However, I now hold a different view of the Jonah story and hopefully throughout this paper I will be able to express some of what I learned from the Jonah experience.