JONAH
(Yonah)
Verse one specifically identifies Jonah as the author. The book was written approximately between 793 and 758 B.C. The name of Jonah in Hebrew means dove. Jonah’s disobedience and the repentance and revival of Nineveh are the key themes of the book. Jonah’s refusal to obey the call of Elohim causes his own death by being swallowed by a great fish which is then followed by Elohim’s mercy as he is repents and is delivered to then be obedient. It is said that the revival which Jonah brings to Nineveh could have be the greatest evangelistic efforts of all time and shows insight to how Elohim desires both repentance and salvation to everyone.
Aleph/Tav את Used in JONAH: et אֶת 0 times, אֶת־ et- 12 times, אֵת eet 0 times, אֶת־ Et- 0 times, אֵת Eet 0 times, אָתְּ aat 0 time, אַתְּ at 0 times, אַתְּ־ at- 0 times, = Total 12
Vav/Aleph/Tav ואת Wa‘at וְאַתְּ 0 times, Wa‘eet וְאֵת 0 times, Wa‘et- וְאֶת־ 2 times = 2 Grand Total 14
Aleph/Tav ALERT: The Book of Jonah is only 4 short chapters and has a total of 14 Aleph/Tav את Symbols. The first Aleph/Tav את Symbol shows the presence of Elohim has brought fear upon the men in the ship as they know the storm is a direct result of someone’s sin and in 1:5 they cast forth את the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it to them. After casting lots to see who is responsible, the lot falls on Jonah and they begin to question Jonah knowing he is responsible for the evil that has befallen them and they ask Jonah in verse 10 why has he זֹּאת this have you done and caused this evil upon us and Jonah replies in 1:9 And he said to them, I am a Hebrew; יהוה ואת the Elohim of heaven, I fear who has made את the sea ואת and the dry land…which causes the men to ask, what is this that you have done…and at Jonah’s request they cast him overboard in 1:15 So they picked up את Jonah and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared exceedingly את יהוה; and they offered a sacrifice to ליהוה and made vows. 17 And יהוה prepared a great fish to swallow up את Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah prays from the belly of the great fish in 2:7 When fainted within me, my soul את יהוה remembered my prayer that went up before you, into your holy temple. 10 And יהוה spoke to the fish and it vomited out את Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah repents and is told in 3:2 Arise go to Nineveh, that great city and preach to it את the message that I bid you…implying for Jonah to deliver the word of את Y’shua to Nineveh. Which causes the people of Nineveh to repent and turn away את Y’shua’s judgment in 3:10 And saw Elohim את their works that they turned from their evil way; and Elohim repented of the evil which He said He would do to them…implying the people humbled themselves and repented and did the proper works before Elohim את. Which upsets Jonah and he asks in 4:3 Therefore now, O יהוה, take, I beseech you, את my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Jonah is apparently suffering from an evil case of possibly something regarding his skin from being in the great fishes stomach and Elohim causes a plant to grow quickly and provide shade from the heat and then in 4:7 But Elohim prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day and it damaged את the gourd that it withered…which cause Jonah to become angry with Elohim which leads to 4:8 Elohim prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted and requested את in himself that he might die and said, it is better for me to die than to live. The lesson Jonah learns from the ordeal is 4:9 And Elohim said to Jonah, is it right for you to be angry about the gourd? 10 And יהוה said you have had regard for the gourd, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night and perished in a night: 11 And should not I have regard for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
The morale of the story at the end concerning the plant Elohim gives Jonah is this. Jonah was compassionate towards a plant, which provided him shade, but Jonah lacked compassion for a city of 120,000. Jonah only had compassion for the plant because of what it did for him. Jonah’s compassion was a selfish compassion for when compassion might cost him something, he was hard and judgmental and lacked love but our Elohim is not that way. Elohim’s compassion does not extend only to those who provide some benefit for Him but extends to those who have rejected Him. Y’shua demonstrates His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, He died for us and His compassion is an unselfish compassion. The Book of Jonah serves as a rebuke to Israel for not responding in repentance to the את word of Y’shua spoken by the prophets He sent. Israel was ignoring the prophets of Elohim at a time when heathen sailors and pagan cities repent of their sins when confronted with the awesome power of Elohim as Y’shua states in Matt 12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.