Jonah 3 (KJV With Strong's) - Bible Truth Library

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Jonah 3

Jonah 3:2 KJV (With Strong’s)

Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

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Nineveh,

Preaching

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Ministry on This Verse

Nineveh.Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was situated on the eastern bank of the river Tigris, opposite the present Mosul, about 280 miles north of Babylon, 400 N. E. of Damascus, in latitude 36 degrees 20' N. longitude 73 degrees 10' E.

It was not only a very ancient, (Ge 10:11,) but also a very great city. Strabo says that it was much larger than Babylon, the circuit of which he estimates at 385 furlongs; and, according to Diodorus Siculus, it was an oblong parallelogram, extending 150 furlongs in length, 90 in breadth, and 480 in circumference, i.e., about 20 miles long, 12 broad, and 60 in compass.

This agrees with the account given here of its being "an exceeding great city of three days' journey," i.e., in circuit; for 20 miles a day was the common computation for a pedestrian.

It was surrounded by large walls 100 feet high, so broad that three chariots could drive abreast on them, and defended by 1,500 towers 200 feet in height.

See notes on Nahum.

Jonah 3:3• ³So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. (Jonah 3:3)

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Jonah 1:2• ²Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. (Jonah 1:2)

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Zeph. 2:13‑15• ¹³And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
¹⁴And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
¹⁵This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. (Zeph. 2:13‑15)

preach.

Jer. 1:17• ¹⁷Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. (Jer. 1:17)

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Jer. 15:19‑21• ¹⁹Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
²⁰And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
²¹And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. (Jer. 15:19‑21)

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Ezek. 2:7• ⁷And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. (Ezek. 2:7)

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Ezek. 3:17• ¹⁷Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. (Ezek. 3:17)

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Matt. 3:8• ⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (Matt. 3:8)

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John 5:14• ¹⁴Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. (John 5:14)

• Once more Jonah was commissioned by Jehovah to go to Nineveh (ch. 3:1). Similarly, Peter, when restored from backsliding, was divinely appointed to carry a great message from God to men (Acts 2). Jonah knew not what his message was to be when he set out. He proceeded “under sealed orders,” as men say. “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” The spirit of obedience having returned to him (at least in measure) Jonah did not venture to reason with his Lord. (“The Second Commission” by W.W. Fereday)

• The only perfect servant and messenger was the Lord Jesus. When the anxious sisters sent from Bethany to tell Him, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick,” the evangelist records, “when He heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.” Why the delay? Because He had as yet no word from the Father, but when the word came, even the warnings of His disciples that trouble awaited Him in Judea, could not hold Him back. (John 11). (“The Second Commission” by W.W. Fereday)

• The failure of man, even the failure of God’s own servants, cannot deter the Lord in His purposes of grace. (“Jonah 3: Jonah Preaches” by G.C. Willis)

• Such is the grace of God. Not only did the Lord save His servant from death, but He patiently taught him the lessons that he needed, and then, saved and pardoned and equipped more fully than before through these new lessons, once more the Lord sent him on the very mission that he had formerly refused. (“Jonah 3: Jonah Preaches” by G.C. Willis)

• It was something like Psa. 103:7—“He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” The first message told of god’s “ways,” and gave the reason for His “acts.” The second time there was no such explanation given, and simple, implicit obedience is what is called for. This was right. It was in simple, implicit obedience that the prophet had failed: and the second opportunity offered to him is a test of whether he would obey, without being told the reason. (“Jonah 3: Jonah Preaches” by G.C. Willis)

J. N. Darby Translation

Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preachd unto it the preaching that I shall bid thee.

JND Translation Notes

As "cry," ch. 1.2.

W. Kelly Translation

Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.