Jonah 3.6-The King of Nineveh Repented When He Heard Jonah's Message (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 15, 2026
Jonah Series: Jonah 3:6-The King Of Nineveh Repented When He Heard Jonah’s Message
Lesson # 32
Jonah 3:6 records that when Jonah’s message to the Ninevites from the Lord reached the king, he arose from his throne, removed his royal robe, clothed himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.
Jonah 3:1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (NIV84)
Verse 6 is a temporal clause, which joins two points of time that occur roughly simultaneously with each other.
The first is the king receiving Jonah’s message to the people of Nineveh from the Lord that the city would be overthrown at the end of forty days.
The second that is simultaneous with the first is the king arising from his throne and laying aside his robe, covering himself with sackcloth and sitting on the ashes.
“The news” is the noun dā∙ḇār (דָּבָר) (דָּבָר), which means “message” referring to the prophet Jonah’s message to the Ninevites from the Lord and the content of this message is related in verse 4 and declares that at the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overturned.
It does not mean “news” referring to the events recorded in verse 5 that the Ninevites believed in God and declared a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
But rather it simply refers to Jonah’s message recorded in verse 4 since the events recorded in verse 5 are simply a summary statement that every aspect of Ninevite society including the king believed in God as a result of Jonah’s message.
That the king is included is indicated by the two prepositional phrases at the end of verse, “from the greatest to the least.”
Verses 6-9 provide the reader with specific details with emphasis upon the king’s actions in response to Jonah’s message.
Some contend that the common people of Nineveh were the first to hear Jonah’s message from the Lord with the king hearing about the news of the common people believing in God and declaring a fast and putting on sackcloth.
However, the protocol would call for the king or at least his administrators hearing the message from Jonah first and then the common people.
As we have noted in verses 3 and 4, to enter Nineveh, Jonah, like any other diplomat or emissary would have had to follow accepted protocol.
The first day would mark Jonah’s arrival in the city, followed by a customary day of visiting, business, and rest; then the third day is for departure.
This suggestion would accord with the ancient oriental practice of hospitality whereby the first day is for arrival, the second for the primary purpose of the visit and the third for return.
The first and third days of Jonah’s visit would involve meetings and explanations, perhaps even formal hearings.
As Douglas Stuart suggests Jonah “may even have presented gifts to city officials upon his arrival, as was the custom in the case of official state visits, though his contacts may have been less formal and less highlevel.”
Therefore, Jonah did not simply stroll into Nineveh proclaiming judgment against its inhabitants but rather would have had to follow accepted protocol.
This would explain why in Jonah 3:6-7 the king of Nineveh issued a proclamation to his subjects to repent.
The king along with his political and military leadership would have been the first to hear of this message of judgment from the Lord.
Also, indicating that the king of Nineveh was one of the first or maybe even the first of his officials to hear Jonah’s message is that verse 5 as we noted is a summary statement.
The events recorded in verse 5 are simply a summary statement that every aspect of Ninevite society including the king believed in God as a result of Jonah’s message.
That the king is included is indicated by the two prepositional phrases at the end of verse, “from the greatest to the least.”
Verses 6-9 provide the reader with specific details with emphasis upon the king’s actions in response to Jonah’s message.
Verse 5 says that the people of Nineveh declared a fast, which is something that the common people would not have the authority to do, only the king would have that authority, which he exercises as recorded in verses 7-9.
So the decree by the king to the people of Nineveh to fast and put on sackcloth was the reason why the people did so since the king heard the message from Jonah first, which corresponds to the protocol of the day and the king was the only one in Nineveh with the authority to do such a thing.
The book of Jonah does not identify who the king of Nineveh was that humbled himself in response to the Lord’s message that was communicated by the prophet Jonah to the Ninevites.
However, it appears to be Aššur-dān III (773–756) since he was a contemporary of Jeroboam II of Israel (793-753) during whose reign Jonah ben Amittai prophesied in the north (2 Kings 14:25).
The expression “king of Nineveh” does not refer to the king of Assyria but more than likely it refers to the head of not only the city of Nineveh but also the province to which it belonged since cuneiform evidence seems to suggest that no distinction is made between city and province in designating a governor.
The custom common in that area of the world in that day was to give provincial capitals the same name as the province.
Nowhere in the book of Jonah is the nation of Assyria ever mentioned but only Nineveh.
Also, cuneiform documents never use this phrase to designate the reigning Assyrian monarch.
Second, the Old Testament never uses this title elsewhere but instead refers to “the king of Assyria” (e.g., Is 36:13).
When Jonah’s message reached the ears of the king of Nineveh, he believed in God.
Not only did he believe that God would fulfill His Word to Nineveh but also he cast himself upon the mercy of God.
This is indicated by the statement in verse 5 that the people of Nineveh believed in God from the greatest to the least.
These actions on the part of the king of Nineveh demonstrated his faith in God.
It demonstrated that he was placing his confidence upon God in the sense that he was casting himself upon the mercy of God whereas before he did not.
So the king of Nineveh believed in God in the sense that he was casting himself upon God’s mercy for forgiveness.
These actions demonstrated his repentance before Him as well as a change of attitude on his part.
Specifically, he was changing his attitude and conduct toward the inherent law written into his soul by God, which is basically the Ten Commandments (Romans 2:14-15).
This change of attitude and conduct is demonstrated by his arising from his throne and laying aside his robe, putting on of sackcloth and sitting on the ashes.
