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Introduction
to Jonah
INTRODUCTION TO JONAH
This
book, in the Hebrew copies, is called "Sepher Jonah", the Book of Jonah;
by the Vulgate Latin version "the Prophecy of Jonah": and in the
Syriac version "the Prophecy of the Prophet Jonah". His name
signifies a dove, derived from a root which signifies to oppress; because it is
a creature liable to oppression, and to become the prey of others. HillerusF1Onomastic.
Sacr. p. 429. derives the word from a root which signifies to be
"fair" and "beautiful", as this creature is This name is
very suitable to a prophet and minister of the Lord, who ought to be wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves; and who mourn over their own sins, and the
sins of others. Jonah did not always in, his conduct answer to his name,
particularly when he was so angry at the Lord's sparing the Ninevites, and so
impatient for the loss of his gourd. His father's name was Amittai, as in Jonah 1:1 and in 2 Kings 14:25; from
whence it also appears that he was of Gathhepher, a town in the tribe of
Zebulun, Joshua 19:13; and
was a part of Galilee, Isaiah 9:1; and so
R. Jochanan, in Abendana, affirms, that he was of the tribe of Zebulun, and of
Gathhepher, which was in that tribe; which confutes that notion of the
Pharisees in the times of Christ, that no prophet came out of Galilee, John 7:52. The JewsF2Hieron.
Proem. i Jon. have a tradition that his mother was the widow of Sarepta, whose
son Elijah raised from the dead, which was this prophet; and who is said to be
the son of Amittai, that is, "truth": because his mother thereby knew
and believed that the word of the Lord in the mouth of Elijah was truth, 1 Kings 17:23; but
his being a Hebrew contradicts him, Jonah 1:9; for
Sarepta was a city of Sidon, and he must have been a Sidonian if born of her,
and not a Hebrew: but, be this as it will, it is certain he was a prophet of
the Lord; and this book, which bears his name, and very probably was written by
him, its divine authority is confirmed by the testimony Christ, of whom Jonah
was a type; see Matthew 12:39; and
indeed the principal design of this book is to set forth in himself the type of
the death and resurrection of Christ, by his being three days in the whale's
belly, and then delivered from it; and to declare the grace and mercy of God to
repenting sinners, and to signify the calling of the Gentiles after the death
and resurrection of Christ; and is a very profitable book to instruct us about
the power and goodness of God; the nature of repentance, and the effects of it;
the imperfection and infirmities of the best of men in this life; and the call
and mission of the ministers of the word, and the necessity of their conformity
and attendance to it. Cyprian the martyr was converted from idolatry by hearing
this prophecy read and explained by Caecilius. If this prophet was the son of
the widow of Sarepta, or the person Elisha sent to anoint Jehu, according to
the tradition of the JewsF3Seder Olam Rabba, c. 18. p. 45, , he was
born in the times of Ahab, and lived in the reigns of Joram and Jehu; and,
according to Bishop LloydF4Chronological Tables. , he prophesied in
the latter end, of Jehu's reign; where Mr. WhistonF5Chron. Tables,
cent, 7. also places him, about 860 B.C.; or in the beginning of the reign of
Jehoahaz, when Israel was greatly oppressed by Hazael king of Syria, 2 Kings 13:22; at
which time he might prophesy of the victories and success of Jeroboam the
second, and grandson of Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 14:25; and,
if so, he is more ancient than Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Joel, and Micah, whose
contemporary he is generally thought to be Pseudo-EpiphaniusF6De
Prophet. Vit. c. 16. , as he gives a wrong account of the place of the birth of
this prophet, so of the place of his burial; which he makes to be in the land
of Saar, and in the cave of Kenan, the father of Caleb and Othniel; but it is
more likely that he died and was buried at Geth, where he was born; and where
JeromF7Ut supra. says his grave was, shown in his time, about two
miles from Zippore, in the way to Tiberias; with which account IsidoreF8De
Vita & Morte Sanct. c. 45. agrees; and so Benjamin TudelensisF9Itinerar.
p. 52. says, his sepulchre was on a hill near Zippore. Monsieur ThevenotF11Travels,
par 1. B. 2. c. 55. p. 213. says, not far from Nazareth the tomb of Jonah is
now to be seen, to which the Turks bear a great respect.
Commentator
John Gill (November 23, 1697-October 14,
1771) was an English Baptist, a biblical scholar, and a staunch Calvinist.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
In his youth, he attended Kettering Grammar School, mastering the Latin
classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued
self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow
Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve, Gill heard a
sermon from his pastor, William Wallis, on the text, "And the Lord called
unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message
stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven
years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost
nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern
assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was
subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel,
Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719. In 1757, his congregation needed larger
premises and moved to a Carter Lane, St. Olave's Street, Southwark. His
pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin
Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the
Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly
supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748, Gill was awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar
and a prolific author. His most important works are:
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist
theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of
debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist, which
would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued
that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself, which would make him merely a
precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James Version
Bible, NKJV
The
NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
One-hundred-and-thirty respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay
Christians worked for seven years with the goal of updating the vocabulary and
grammar of the King James Version, while preserving the classic style of the of
the 1611 version.
The
task of updating the English of the KJV involved many changes in word order,
grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. One of the most significant features of the
NKJV was its removal of the second person pronouns "thou",
"thee", "ye," "thy," and "thine." Verb
forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example, "speaks" rather
than "speaketh").
Young’s
Literal Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young, who also compiled
Young’s Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that
attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek
and Hebrew writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as
published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Obvious errors in
spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the
online edition of the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.