Jonah 3:4
Verse
Context
The Ninevites Repent
3This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.4On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
Sermons
David Wilkerson
C.H. Spurgeon
Winkie Pratney
Chuck Smith
Dai PattersonDai Patterson
Percy RaySummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Yet forty days - Both the Septuagint and Arabic read three days. Probably some early copyist of the Septuagint, from whom our modern editions are derived, mistook the Greek numerals μ forty for γ three; or put the three days' journey in preaching instead of the forty days mentioned in the denunciation. One of Kennicott's MSS., instead of ארבעים arbaim, forty, has שלשים sheloshim, thirty: but the Hebrew text is undoubtedly the true reading; and it is followed by all the ancient versions, the Septuagint and Vulgate excepted. thus God gives them time to think, reflect, take counsel, and return to him. Had they only three days' space, the denunciation would have so completely confounded them, as to excite nothing but terror, and prevent repentance and conversion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
a day's journey--not going straight forward without stopping: for the city was but eighteen miles in length; but stopping in his progress from time to time to announce his message to the crowds gathering about him. Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown--The commission, given indefinitely at his setting out, assumes now on his arrival a definite form, and that severer than before. It is no longer a cry against the sins of Nineveh, but an announcement of its ruin in forty days. This number is in Scripture associated often with humiliation. It was forty days that Moses, Elijah, and Christ fasted. Forty years elapsed from the beginning of Christ's ministry (the antitype of Jonah's) to the destruction of Jerusalem. The more definite form of the denunciation implies that Nineveh has now almost filled up the measure of her guilt. The change in the form which the Ninevites would hear from Jonah on anxious inquiry into his history, would alarm them the more, as implying the increasing nearness and certainty of their doom, and would at the same time reprove Jonah for his previous guilt in delaying to warn them. The very solitariness of the one message announced by the stranger thus suddenly appearing among them, would impress them with the more awe. Learning from him, that so far from lightly prophesying evil against them, he had shrunk from announcing a less severe denunciation, and therefore had been east into the deep and only saved by miracle, they felt how imminent was their peril, threatened as they now were by a prophet whose fortunes were so closely bound up with theirs. In Noah's days one hundred twenty years of warning were given to men, yet they repented not till the flood came, and it was too late. But in the case of Nineveh, God granted a double mercy: first, that its people should repent immediately after threatening; second, that pardon should immediately follow their repentance.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey,.... As soon as he came to it, he did not go into an inn, to refresh himself after his wearisome journey; or spend his time in gazing upon the city, and to observe its structure, and the curiosities of it; but immediately sets about his work, and proclaims what he was bid to do; and before he could finish one day's journey, he had no need to proceed any further, the whole city was alarmed with his preaching, was terrified with it, and brought to repentance by it: and he cried; as he went along; he lifted up his voice like a trumpet, that everyone might hear; he did not mutter it out, as if afraid to deliver his message, but cried aloud in the hearing of all; and very probably now and then made a stop in the streets, where there was a concourse of people, or where more streets met, and there, as a herald, proclaimed what he had to say: and said, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown; not by a foreign army besieging and taking it, which was not probable to be done in such a space of time, but by the immediate power of God; either by fire from heaven, as he overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, their works being like theirs, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, or by an earthquake; that is, within forty days, or at the end of forty days, as the Targum; not exceeding such a space, which was granted for their repentance, which is implied, though not expressed; and must be understood with this proviso, except it repented, for otherwise why is any time fixed? and why have they warning given them, or the prophet sent to them? and why were they not destroyed at once, as Sodom and Gomorrah, without any notice? doubtless, so it would have been, had not this been the case. The Septuagint version very wrongly reads, "yet three days", &c. and as wrongly does Josephus (q) make Jonah to say, that in a short time they would lose the empire of Asia, when only the destruction of Nineveh is threatened; though, indeed, that loss followed upon it. (q) Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 2.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:4 Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed! Jonah’s message apparently did not include a contingency clause—e.g., “But if you repent, God will not destroy you” (note the king’s uncertainty in 3:9). Jonah knew, however, of God’s desire for people to repent rather than be destroyed (3:10; 4:2).
Jonah 3:4
The Ninevites Repent
3This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.4On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
A Cry Against the Wicked Youth of America
By David Wilkerson9.9K1:17:00Wicked YouthGEN 18:20PRO 1:24ISA 7:2JON 3:4MAL 4:11JN 5:19In this sermon, the preacher talks about a man, a Hebrew, who is running through the streets proclaiming that there are only 40 days left before everyone will die because of their wickedness. The king and the court take this message seriously, realizing that God will not allow them to continue in their wickedness. The preacher highlights the current state of society, with young people dying from suicide, violence, and drug overdoses, blaming it on the influence of cheating and unloving parents, broken families, and corrupt churches. The preacher emphasizes that the street preacher was not preaching about the love of God or offering a beautiful plan for life, but rather warning of impending judgment. The sermon concludes by stating that God's judgment is a result of the people's corruption and sin, just as it was in the case of Israel.
Additions to the Church
By C.H. Spurgeon3.6K51:30JON 3:4MAT 28:19JHN 14:15ACT 2:37ACT 2:41EPH 4:4The sermon transcript discusses the importance of welcoming and watching over new converts in the church. It emphasizes the need for all members, not just pastors, to take responsibility in caring for and guiding new believers. The speaker encourages the existing members to be a source of support and friendship for the newcomers, and to set a positive example for them. The sermon concludes by highlighting the potential for growth and impact that comes with the addition of new converts to the church.
Youth Aflame
By Winkie Pratney2.4K57:40JON 3:4MAT 5:14JHN 8:12ACT 1:8In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about a movie he watched where a man had to make a life-or-death decision to ride a rocket into space. He relates this to the idea that God may call some people to go to "the regions beyond" without any guarantee of return. The speaker then mentions a childhood experience where he had to defend himself against a bully using a lunchbox. He goes on to talk about two young men in history, George Whitfield and John Wesley, who were both called by God and had significant impacts through their preaching. The speaker concludes by sharing how he personally experienced a transformation in his own life and married a woman who inspired him to live for Jesus Christ.
(Through the Bible) Acts 17
By Chuck Smith1.7K58:44PSA 139:5JON 3:4ACT 17:27In this sermon, the preacher discusses the preaching of Jonah to the Ninevites, where there was no message of repentance, hope, grace, or salvation. Jonah preached a message of doom and gloom, stating that destruction would come in 40 days. Surprisingly, the people repented and hoped for God's mercy, even though there was no promise of it. The preacher then emphasizes the eminence of God, his prevailing presence everywhere in the universe, as described by David in the Psalms. The sermon concludes by highlighting the importance of feeding the spirit instead of the flesh, and the two common responses to the gospel: mocking and procrastination.
Jonah - Part 1
By Dai Patterson90700:002KI 14:25JON 3:4MAT 12:41ACT 13:36In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the power of God's word in preaching the gospel. He questions the professionalization of sermonizing and highlights the need for the power of God to be present in preaching. The speaker speculates that Jonah's sermon in Nineveh may have been only eight words long, but it had a profound impact as salvation came to a vast multitude. The sermon also touches on the importance of serving one's generation and the need for individuals to recognize their own limitations and rely on God's strength.
Jonah - Part 4
By Dai Patterson84700:00GEN 7:16JON 3:4JON 3:10MAT 6:33MAT 24:36In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Jonah and his anger. He highlights three instances in chapter 4 where Jonah is angry. The preacher emphasizes that it is the ordinary things in life that can blind people to their true spiritual need. He also mentions the importance of being watchful and prepared for the second coming of Jesus, emphasizing that it is the ordinary, mundane things that can distract people from recognizing the signs of the end times. The preacher concludes by discussing Jonah's simple yet powerful message to Nineveh and the importance of faithfully delivering the message that God gives.
Hearts Desire
By Percy Ray8131:02:53PSA 16:11PRO 4:23ISA 12:3JON 3:4MAT 6:33ROM 10:1ROM 10:4In this sermon, the preacher addresses the different motivations people have for attending church. Some come to find excuses for not serving God, while others are simply concerned with when the service will end. The preacher emphasizes the importance of having a genuine desire for the salvation of others, just as Paul expressed his longing for his people to be saved. He shares a personal experience of the power of God manifesting during a moment of praise and worship, resulting in many people getting saved. The preacher also highlights the role of personal testimonies in inspiring others to seek salvation and urges believers to share their experiences with those who have not yet encountered God's goodness.
Life Lessons From the Life of Jonah
By Israel Wayne56639:37PSA 103:8DAN 4:34JON 3:4JON 4:1MAT 12:39
This sermon delves into the sovereignty of God through the life lessons of Jonah, exploring the questions God asks individuals to challenge their assumptions and understand His nature. It emphasizes the need to grasp the balance of God's justice, love, mercy, and holiness to comprehend His sovereignty fully, urging gratitude and mercy towards others. The narrative of Jonah's reluctance, anger, and God's compassion towards Nineveh serves as a profound illustration of God's sovereignty and mercy.
Jonah 3:4
By Chuck Smith0RepentanceHope in Christ2CH 7:14ISA 55:7JON 3:4MAT 12:41LUK 15:7ROM 2:4HEB 4:162PE 3:91JN 1:9REV 3:15Chuck Smith emphasizes the urgency of repentance, drawing parallels between the Ninevites' response to Jonah's singular warning and today's need for believers to recognize their own sins and divisions. He highlights that while the Ninevites had only one monotonous message of destruction, modern believers have a message filled with hope and promises for the repentant. Smith urges that, despite the judgment that may come, there is still hope for redemption through Christ, who offers forgiveness and blessings to those who turn back to Him. He calls for a recognition of the greater message of grace available today compared to the past.
No One Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Harm Himself - Part 2
By St. John Chrysostom0PSA 139:23ISA 41:10DAN 1:10DAN 3:16JON 3:4MAT 18:23JHN 14:1ROM 8:311CO 10:131PE 5:8John Chrysostom preaches about the importance of not harming oneself, emphasizing that no external force or circumstance can harm a person who remains vigilant and sober in the Lord. He uses examples from the Bible, such as the three children in the fiery furnace, to illustrate how even in the face of captivity, exile, and severe trials, those who remain faithful to God emerge victorious and unharmed. Chrysostom highlights the power of true doctrine and unwavering faith in overcoming challenges, showcasing how those who do not betray themselves can turn Heaven-sent wrath and adversity into opportunities for greater glory and spiritual growth.
The Famine Has Begun (Excerpt)
By David Wilkerson0Spiritual FaminePreachingJER 1:5AMO 8:11JON 1:2JON 3:4MAT 28:19ROM 10:141CO 1:21TIT 1:3HEB 4:122PE 2:5David Wilkerson emphasizes the critical role of preaching in God's plan to address the spiritual famine in society, highlighting that God has always sent prophets and preachers to deliver His message. He draws parallels from biblical examples, such as Noah and Jonah, to illustrate that God’s method for warning and redeeming nations is through the proclamation of His Word. Wilkerson warns that our current generation is in dire need of powerful, convicting preaching, as it faces greater moral decay than past societies. He asserts that the only solution to this spiritual crisis is the anointed preaching of the Gospel, not political or social efforts. Ultimately, he calls for a return to bold, uncompromising preaching to awaken hearts before judgment comes.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Yet forty days - Both the Septuagint and Arabic read three days. Probably some early copyist of the Septuagint, from whom our modern editions are derived, mistook the Greek numerals μ forty for γ three; or put the three days' journey in preaching instead of the forty days mentioned in the denunciation. One of Kennicott's MSS., instead of ארבעים arbaim, forty, has שלשים sheloshim, thirty: but the Hebrew text is undoubtedly the true reading; and it is followed by all the ancient versions, the Septuagint and Vulgate excepted. thus God gives them time to think, reflect, take counsel, and return to him. Had they only three days' space, the denunciation would have so completely confounded them, as to excite nothing but terror, and prevent repentance and conversion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
a day's journey--not going straight forward without stopping: for the city was but eighteen miles in length; but stopping in his progress from time to time to announce his message to the crowds gathering about him. Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown--The commission, given indefinitely at his setting out, assumes now on his arrival a definite form, and that severer than before. It is no longer a cry against the sins of Nineveh, but an announcement of its ruin in forty days. This number is in Scripture associated often with humiliation. It was forty days that Moses, Elijah, and Christ fasted. Forty years elapsed from the beginning of Christ's ministry (the antitype of Jonah's) to the destruction of Jerusalem. The more definite form of the denunciation implies that Nineveh has now almost filled up the measure of her guilt. The change in the form which the Ninevites would hear from Jonah on anxious inquiry into his history, would alarm them the more, as implying the increasing nearness and certainty of their doom, and would at the same time reprove Jonah for his previous guilt in delaying to warn them. The very solitariness of the one message announced by the stranger thus suddenly appearing among them, would impress them with the more awe. Learning from him, that so far from lightly prophesying evil against them, he had shrunk from announcing a less severe denunciation, and therefore had been east into the deep and only saved by miracle, they felt how imminent was their peril, threatened as they now were by a prophet whose fortunes were so closely bound up with theirs. In Noah's days one hundred twenty years of warning were given to men, yet they repented not till the flood came, and it was too late. But in the case of Nineveh, God granted a double mercy: first, that its people should repent immediately after threatening; second, that pardon should immediately follow their repentance.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey,.... As soon as he came to it, he did not go into an inn, to refresh himself after his wearisome journey; or spend his time in gazing upon the city, and to observe its structure, and the curiosities of it; but immediately sets about his work, and proclaims what he was bid to do; and before he could finish one day's journey, he had no need to proceed any further, the whole city was alarmed with his preaching, was terrified with it, and brought to repentance by it: and he cried; as he went along; he lifted up his voice like a trumpet, that everyone might hear; he did not mutter it out, as if afraid to deliver his message, but cried aloud in the hearing of all; and very probably now and then made a stop in the streets, where there was a concourse of people, or where more streets met, and there, as a herald, proclaimed what he had to say: and said, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown; not by a foreign army besieging and taking it, which was not probable to be done in such a space of time, but by the immediate power of God; either by fire from heaven, as he overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, their works being like theirs, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, or by an earthquake; that is, within forty days, or at the end of forty days, as the Targum; not exceeding such a space, which was granted for their repentance, which is implied, though not expressed; and must be understood with this proviso, except it repented, for otherwise why is any time fixed? and why have they warning given them, or the prophet sent to them? and why were they not destroyed at once, as Sodom and Gomorrah, without any notice? doubtless, so it would have been, had not this been the case. The Septuagint version very wrongly reads, "yet three days", &c. and as wrongly does Josephus (q) make Jonah to say, that in a short time they would lose the empire of Asia, when only the destruction of Nineveh is threatened; though, indeed, that loss followed upon it. (q) Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 2.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:4 Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed! Jonah’s message apparently did not include a contingency clause—e.g., “But if you repent, God will not destroy you” (note the king’s uncertainty in 3:9). Jonah knew, however, of God’s desire for people to repent rather than be destroyed (3:10; 4:2).