1

1 Now the word of the LORD came After he had preached a long time in Israel: and so Ezekiel, after he had prophesied in Judah for a time, had visions in Babylon; (Eze_1:1). unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, The Argument - When Jonah had long prophesied in Israel and had little profited, God gave him specific charge to go and denounce his judgments against Nineveh, the chief city of the Assyrians, because he had appointed that those who were of the heathen, should convert by the mighty power of his word. And this was so that within three day's preaching, Israel might see how horribly they had provoked God's wrath, who for the space of so many years, had not converted to the Lord, for so many prophets and such diligent preaching. He prophesied under Jonah, and Jeroboam; (2Ki_14:25).

2 Arise, go to For seeing the great obstipation of the Israelites, he sent his Prophet to the Gentiles, that they might provoke them to repentance, or at least make them inexcusable: for Nineveh was the chief city of the Assyrians. Nineveh, that For as authors write, it contained in circuit about forty-eight miles, and had 1500 towers, and at this time there were 120,000 children in it; (Jon_4:11). great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonah rose up to By which he declares his weakness, that would not promptly follow the Lord's calling, but gave place to his own reason, which persuaded him that he would not profit these people at all, seeing he had done such little good among his own people; (Jon_4:2). flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Which was the haven, and port to take shipping there, also called Joppa. Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the From that vocation to which God had called him, and in which he would have assisted him. presence of the LORD.

4 But the Lorde sent out a great winde into the sea, and there was a mightie tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah was gone down As one that would have cast off this care and concern by seeking rest and quietness. into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy As they had called on their idols, which declares that idolaters have no rest nor certainty, but in their troubles seek what they do not even know. God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast Which declares that the matter was very extreme and in doubt, which was God's way of getting them to test for the cause: and this may not be done except in matters of great importance. lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8 Then said they vnto him, Tell vs for whose cause this euill is vpon vs? what is thine occupation? and whence commest thou? which is thy countrey? and of what people art thou?

9 And he answered them, I am an Ebrewe, and I feare the Lord God of heauen, which hath made the sea, and the dry lande.

10 Then were the men exceedingly afrayde, and said vnto him, Why hast thou done this? (for the men knewe, that he fled from the presence of the Lorde, because he had tolde them)

11 Then saide they vnto him, What shall we doe vnto thee, that the sea may be calme vnto vs? (for the sea wrought and was troublous)

12 And he said vnto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea: so shall the sea be calme vnto you: for I knowe that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.

13 Neuerthelesse, the men rowed to bring it to the lande, but they coulde not: for the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.

14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, This declares that the very wicked in their time of need flee to God for help, and also that they are touched with a certain fear of shedding man's blood, whereas they know no manifest sign of wickedness. We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

15 So they tooke vp Ionah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from her raging.

16 Then the men They were touched with a certain repentance of their past life, and began to worship the true God by whom they saw themselves as wonderfully delivered. But this was done for fear, and not from a pure heart and affection, neither according to God's word. feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the Thus the Lord would chastise his Prophet with a most terrible spectacle of death, and by this also strengthened and encouraged him of his favour and support in this duty which was commanded him. belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God Being now swallowed up by death, and seeing no remedy to escape, his faith broke out to the Lord, knowing that out of this very hell he was able to deliver him. out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly For he was now in the fishes belly as in a grave or place of darkness. of hell cried I, [and] thou heardest my voice.

3 For thou haddest cast me into the bottome in the middes of the sea, and the floods compassed me about: all thy surges, and all thy waues passed ouer me.

4 Then I said, I am This declared what his prayer was, and how he laboured between hope and despair, considering the neglect of his vocation, and God's judgments for it: but yet in the end faith gained the victory. cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5 The waters compassed me about vnto the soule: the depth closed me rounde about, and the weedes were wrapt about mine head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my You have delivered me from the belly of the fish and all these dangers, as it were raising me from death to life. life from corruption, O LORD my God.

7 When my soule fainted within me, I remembred the Lorde: and my prayer came vnto thee, into thine holy Temple.

8 They that observe lying Those that depend upon anything except on God alone. vanities forsake their own They refuse their own felicity, and that goodness which they would otherwise receive from God. mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thankesgiuing, and will pay that that I haue vowed: saluation is of the Lorde.

10 And the Lorde spake vnto the fish, and it cast out Ionah vpon the dry lande.

3

1 And the word of the LORD came unto This is a great declaration of God's mercy, that he receives him again, and sends him forth as his Prophet, who had before shown such great weakness. Jonah the second time, saying,

2 Arise, goe vnto Nineueh that great citie, & preach vnto it the preaching, which I bid thee.

3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding {{See Jon_1:2}} great city of three days' journey.

4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's He went forward one day in the city and preached, and so he continued until the city was converted. journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5 So the people of Nineveh For he declared that he was a Prophet sent to them from God, to make known his judgments against them. believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

6 For worde came vnto the King of Nineueh, and he rose from his throne, and he layed his robe from him, and couered him with sackecloth, and sate in ashes.

7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor Not that the dumb beasts had sinned or could repent, but that by their example man might be astonished, considering that for his sin the anger of God hung over all creatures. beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and He exhorted that the men should earnestly call to God for mercy. cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.

9 For partly from the threatening of the prophet, and partly from his own conscience, he doubted whether God would show them mercy.Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

10 And God saw their That is, the fruits of their repentance, which proceeded from faith, which God had planted by the ministry of his Prophet. works, that they turned from their evil way; and {{See Jer_18:8}} God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.

4

1 But it displeased Because by this he would be taken as a false prophet, and so the name of God, which he preached, would be blasphemed. Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Read (Jon_1:3). Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life Thus he prayed from grief, fearing that God's name by this forgiveness might be blasphemed, as though he sent his Prophets forth to make known his judgments in vain. from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live.

4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be Will you judge when I do things for my glory, and when I do not? angry?

5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, For he doubted as yet whether God would show them mercy or not, and therefore after forty days he departed out of the city, to see what God would do. till he might see what would become of the city.

6 And the LORD God prepared a Which was a further means to cover him from the heat of the sun, as he remained in his booth. gourd, and made [it] to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

7 But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, & it smote the gourd, that it withered.

8 And when the sunne did arise, God prepared also a feruent East winde: and the sunne beat vpon the head of Ionah, that he fainted, and wished in his heart to die, and said, It is better for me to dye, then to liue.

9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be This declares the great inconveniences into which God's servants fall when they give place to their own affections, and do not in all things willingly submit themselves to God. angry, [even] unto death.

10 Then said the Lorde, Thou hast had pitie on the gourde for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it growe, which came vp in a night, and perished in a night,

11 And should Thus God mercifully reproves him who would pity himself and this gourd, and yet would keep God from showing his compassion to so many thousand people. not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that Meaning that they were children and infants. cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and [also] much cattle?