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Jonah and the Whale

Background Information:
Jonah was the fifth of the Minor Prophets. He was from Galilee and his story takes place somewhere between 780 B.C. and 760 B.C. The name usually means "dove", but based on Jonah’s personality, it is not unlikely that the name is derived from the root “Yanah”, which means to mourn, or complain.

Basic Summary:
Jonah was called upon by God to travel to the town of Nineveh, a very dangerous town, and preach His word. Jonah was scared of God, however, and he ignored His request. Instead, he ran away from God and boarded a ship heading toward Tarshish. Shortly after the ship set sail, God sent a huge storm. The winds were strong and the crew feared for their lives and cried out to God to protect them, while Jonah was fast asleep downstairs. The crew threw dice, or cast lots, and discovered Jonah was to blame for the storm. They woke Jonah up and he confessed that he had fled from the Lord and that the crew should throw him overboard. As soon as they threw him out of the ship, the seas calmed. God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah whole. Jonah spent three days and three nights in the fish’s belly praying to God. After forgiving Jonah, God told the whale to spit Jonah out on dry land. God speaks to Jonah again and tells him to preach to Nineveh. Jonah obeys and the townspeople repent and pray to the Lord. Even though Jonah completed his task successfully, he leaves the town unhappy. He believes that the people of Nineveh were so evil and that God should’ve punished them instead of spared them. He tells God that he would rather die than live. God answers Jonah and tells him that he takes pity on the town and that is why Jonah was sent to help them.

Literature Allusions:
1. The novel Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, draws a close comparison to the story of Jonah. In chapter nine of the novel, Father Mapple, the preacher in the New Bedford Whaleman’s Chapel,...