Jonah 3

1. And the word of the Lord was (better translated as came) to Jonah a second time saying’

2. Arise, Go to Nineveh, the great city and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.

3 .And Jonah arose and he went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. (And)? or Now Ninevah was a great city to God (or a city great to God in the sense of being important to him), a three days journey.

(The phrase “a very important city” is literally “a city great to God.”5 Most versions have rendered the word meaning “to God” (lēʾlōhîm) as an adverb such as “exceeding” or “very.” L. C. Allen sees

this phrase as a striking, biblical way of expressing a superlative by bringing it into relation with God. It is simply saying that Nineveh was “God-sized.”6 Although the word ʾelōhîm may serve in this way elsewhere in Scripture,7 Sasson claims that in such cases it is always paired with a noun, such as “prince of God” in Gen 23:6 or “mountains of God” in Ps 36:6 [Heb., v. 7]. He favors treating the phrase “as a circumlocution whereby ‘the large city’ is said to ‘belong’ to God.” It thus expresses “God’s dominion over the staunchest of Israel’s foes.”8 While a literal rendering “great to God” may be unnecessary, clearly God cared deeply about the Ninevites, whom he had created in his image.9 Therefore he sent this prophet with a message that would ultimately lead to their turning. NAC Amos, Obadiah, Jonah p.256.257.)

4.And he Jonah began to go unto the city, a one day journey, and he cried out saying, another 40 days and Nineveh will be demolished.

5 And the men of Nineveh believed in God. And they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest (of them) to the least of them.

6. And the word reached the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne and he removed his robe (of state (HAL)) from on him and he put on sackcloth and he sat on the ashes.

7. And he made a proclamation and he said in Nineveh :By decree of the king and his nobles” saying?

The man and the animal, the cattle and the goats let them not taste anything. Nor will they feed or drink water.

8. but they will be covered with sackcloth, man and beast with sackcloth and let them call to God with all their might.—?vehemently (mightily). Let man turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands.

9.Who knowing, God will relent(modal) and change his mind and he will turn from the blaze of his anger and we will not perish.

10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil ways

And God changed his mind over the disaster which he said he would bring to them and he did not do it.