Introduction to the Book of Jonah Part 1 (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday November 23, 2025

Jonah Series: Introduction to the Book of Jonah Part 1

Lesson # 1

The book of Jonah is a “prophetic narrative” with a didactic purpose, i.e. it intends to teach and its story is developed in two parallel cycles, which call attention to a series of comparisons and contrasts.

It is not an allegory.

Douglas Stuart writes that an allegory is a “kind of extended analogy, sometimes including extended metaphors, in which the meaning of the story is not to be found in the concepts and actions presented, but in concepts and actions outside the story, to which the story points analogically. It would be an unusual allegory indeed that waited to the end (the fourth chapter in the case of Jonah) to reveal the point of its hero’s actions. Allegories are distinctly constructed so as to point beyond themselves at each stage. The figures in an allegory are patently symbolic and fictional, and the audience must realize this at once if the allegory is to be effective. Jonah does not fit this pattern, either.” (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 31, page 436).

The book of Jonah teaches that God is a God of deliverance and that He is omnipotent, sovereign, gracious and compassionate who loves both Jew and Gentiles.

The Teacher’s Bible Commentary, “The book of Jonah was written to teach readers of all times that the universal God is impartial in his dealings, patient with the worst offenders, and ready to grant forgiveness to all who repent. It provides an Old Testament foundation for Christian missions.” (Page 556)

The book of Jonah is the fifth book of the Minor Prophets, which are called the Book of the Twelve in the Hebrew Bible.

Traditionally, the authorship of the book of Jonah has been ascribed to the prophet himself but some modern scholars have rejected this for several reasons.

First of all, they claim that the book itself does not claim that Jonah is the author but this can be rejected since the introductory formula in Jonah 1:1 is parallel to that used in Hosea, Joel, Micah and Zephaniah and closing that is used in other prophetic books of whose authorship there is little or no debate.

Another reason put forth by modern scholars in rejection of Jonah as the author of the book that bears his name is that the book refers to the prophet in the third person.

However, again the introductory formula demonstrates this to be common practice that is found in the works attributed to Moses, Xenophon and Julius Caesar.

In the Torah, Moses always refers to himself in the third person and Xenophon in his Anabasis and Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars does so as well.

Some modern scholars reject Jonah as the author of the book that bears his name contending that it is later than the eighth century and thus it cannot be by Jonah ben Amittai.

So to accept Jonah as the author would necessitate a date in the eighth century.

However, 2 Kings 14:25 relates Jonah to the reign of Jeroboam II, thus making the events in the book of Jonah as taking place during Jeroboam’s reign (793-753 B.C.), thus refuting the idea that the book of Jonah was composed later than the eighth century.

This would make the date of the book of Jonah somewhere in the mid-eighth century B.C. perhaps around 760 B.C.

Some like Stuart contend that it is “highly unlikely” that Jonah was the author of the book that bears his name “in that the story is so consistently critical of Jonah.” (Douglas Stuart, Word Biblical Commentary, volume 31, page 432).

However, in Exodus, Moses records himself murdering an Egyptian and in Numbers, he records himself as disobeying the Lord.

The gospel of Mark, which is attributed to Peter, records the latter denying the Lord three times and Paul calls himself the chief of all sinners in 1 Timothy 1:15.

“Jonah” is the Hebrew proper name yônâ (יוֹנָה), which means “dove.”

Jonah does not live up to his name since with respect to Nineveh, he was a “hawk” in that he wanted God to make war against Nineveh and not peace and for good reason.

Jonah 1:1 and 2 Kings 14:25 identified Jonah as “the son of Amittai” (בֶן־אֲמִתַּ֖י), whose name means “truthful.”

The prophet’s home was in Gath-hepher, which is in Zebulun (Joshua 19:13) situated 2.5 miles northeast of Nazareth in Galilee (Note the error of the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 7:52).

He was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, whose predecessors were Elijah and Elisha.

The Gospels record the Lord Jesus Christ making mention of the prophet Jonah in Matthew 12:29-41; 16:4 and Luke 11:28-32, which indicates that Jonah was a much revered prophet in the days of our Lord.

2 Kings 14:25 records that Jonah lived during the reign of Jeroboam II in approximately 793-753 B.C.

So according to 2 Kings 14:23-25 Jonah lived when Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom of Israel was king.

The Prophet Jonah’s prediction that Israel’s boundaries would extend under Jeroboam II came true and so Jonah was the most prestigious prophet of his day.

Now, our Lord’s statements recorded in Matthew 12:29-41; 16:4 and Luke 11:28-32 and the historical statement in 2 Kings 14:23-25 make clear that the book of Jonah was about an historical character and events.

Outline

I. The Disobedience of Jonah (1-2)

A. The divine commission of the prophet (1:1-2)

B. The disobedience of the prophet (1:3)

C. The consequences of the prophet’s disobedience (1:4-2:10)

1. The storm (1:4-16)

2. The great fish (1:17)

3. Jonah’s prayer for deliverance and of thanksgiving (2:1-9)

4. God delivers Jonah (2:10)

II. The Obedience of Jonah (3-4)

A. The recomissioning of the prophet (3:1-2)

B. The obedience of the prophet (3:3-4)

C. The conversion of the Ninevites (3:5-10)

1. The action of the people (3:5)

2. The action of the king (3:6-9)

3. The action of God (3:10)

D. The sorrow of the prophet (4)

1. The displeasure of Jonah (4:1-5)

2. The explanation of the Lord (4:6-11)