The Bible — World English Bible

Jonah 3

In brief

In Jonah 3, God speaks to the prophet a second time and gives him the same mission again: go to Nineveh. This time Jonah obeys and announces that the city will be destroyed in forty days. The people believe God, fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The king himself leaves his throne to sit in the ashes and orders everyone to turn from their evil ways. God sees their change and relents from the disaster he had announced.

The chapter in 3 parts

  1. v. 1-4A second chance and a message of judgment
  2. v. 5-9Nineveh believes, fasts and repents
  3. v. 10God relents from the announced disaster

1Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying,

2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”

3So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.

4Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”

5The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.

6The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

7He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;

8but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.

9Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”

10God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.

Key verses

Verse 1-2
Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.”

God gives Jonah the same command as at the start, without reproach. The chapter opens on God's patience toward a servant who had run away.

Verse 5
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.

The miracle of the chapter: a whole pagan people believes God after a single message, from the greatest to the least.

Verse 8
but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.

The king does not only call for a fast. He calls them to turn from their evil way and from violence: true repentance shows in actions.

Verse 10
God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.

God sees that they turn from their evil way and relents. The text shows a God who responds to repentance, which prepares Jonah's reaction in the next chapter.

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What the sermons say

Nineveh Repents: God Will Not Despise a Broken HeartThe preacher walks through the whole chapter: a second chance, a faithful proclamation, Nineveh's saving despair, then the hope of verse 9. He concludes that forgiveness is possible for any enemy who returns to God.Read the summary →Jonah 4: God's Mercy Disturbs Your PreferencesThe message recalls verse 10: God saw their repentance and relented from the disaster. This is the starting point of Jonah's anger, which questions our preferences when faced with mercy.Read the summary →Jonah: What If God Is More Compassionate Than You'd Like?Through Nineveh's repentance, the preacher shows a God whose compassion goes beyond the borders of the Hebrew people, and asks whether our heart matches his prophetic voice.Read the summary →Jonah: When God Uses an Imperfect ServantThe sermon, centered on Jonah 1, opens onto chapter 3 to show that God can turn around a whole city through an imperfect servant.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Jonah 3

What is the message of Jonah 3?

God gives a second chance, and he grants forgiveness to those who return to him, even a people known for violence like Nineveh. The chapter also shows that a word from God faithfully announced can transform a whole city, even when carried by a reluctant messenger.

Why does God relent from destroying Nineveh?

Verse 10 gives the reason: God sees that the people turn from their evil way. Their repentance shows in actions, not only in words. When people turn away from evil, God can relent from the judgment he announced, which shows his mercy.

What does it mean that God repented in verse 10?

The expression does not mean that God admits a fault. It says that he changes his course of action in response to the change in the people of Nineveh. Christian traditions explain it in slightly different ways, but all agree that God responds to sincere repentance.

Articles quoting Jonah 3

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World English Bible translation — public domain.