Introduction and Background
The Book of Jonah is the fifth of the Minor Prophets (The Book of the Twelve).  It is unique among the “Latter Prophets” in being almost completely narrative.  Jonah, the son of Amittai, from Gath Hepher in Galilee (cf. II Kings 14:25, Joshua 19:13), prophesied during or shortly before the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 BC).  This makes it virtually certain that we should place the story of the book in the period of Assyrian weakness between the death of Adad-nirari III in 782 BC and the seizing of the Assyrian throne by Tiglath-pileser III in 745 BC.  During this time, Assyria was engaged in a life and death struggle with the mountain tribes of Urartu and its associates of Mannai and Madai in the north, who had been able to push their frontier to within less than a hundred miles of Nineveh.  The consciousness of weakness and possible defeat would go far to explain the readiness of Nineveh to accept the prophet’s message. 
H.L. Ellison – Jonah (Expositor’s Commentary)

Important dates around the book of Jonah

859                     Death of Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (known for his cruelty and domination)

853                     Battle of Qarqar: Shalmanezer III of Assyria defeats coalition including Ahab of Israel

841                     Jehu, king of Israel accepts Assyrian rule and pays tribute

826-745             Time of decline and internal struggle in Assyria

793-753             Reign of Jeroboam II in Israel – reestablishment of Israel’s borders in fulfillment of prophecy of Jonah (II Kings 14:25).  Events in book of Jonah most likely take place during this time (while Assyria is in decline)

745                     Tiglath-pileser III seizes throne of Assyria – Assyrian domination begins

734-732             Israel pillaged by Tiglath-pileser III (II Kings 15)

722                     Destruction and deportation of Northern Kingdom by Shalmanezer V of Assyria

Assyria
The Assyrians are known for their cruelty in war and mercilessness in victory.  They routinely treat their vanquished foes in brutal ways.  A quote from king Ashurnasirpal II bears this out:  I flayed as many nobles as had rebelled against me and draped their skins over the pile of corpses.  I cut off the heads of their fighters and used them to build a tower before their city.  I burnt their adolescent boys and girls.  I captured many troops alive: I cut off of some their arms and hands; I cut off of others their noses, ears, extremities.  I gouged out the eyes of many troops.  I made one pile of the living and one of the heads.  I hung their heads on trees around the city.  (Erika Bleibtreu, “Grisly Assyrian Record of Torture and Death” Biblical Archeology Review)

As the book of Jonah opens Assyria is not the threat it once was, but it remains the age-old enemy of Israel and a country that evokes only fear and loathing from its neighbors.

About the book
The book of Jonah is strangely short of descriptions and setting.  Nothing is said about Jonah’s background or what he is doing when the Lord’s command comes to him.  Even though the great fish is the part of the story everyone associates with the book, it only gets two short verses and neither describes it in any way.  Even Jonah’s time in Nineveh is summed up in only 10 verses and those include three verses that record the king’s proclamation.  Clearly the story is not Jonah or the fish or the city of Nineveh.  The story is God and His interactions with His creatures.  The book of Jonah was written so that its readers would expand the breadth and depth of their knowledge of God.

1:1-3
The word of the Lord comes to Jonah, son of Amittai (rabbinic tradition holds that Jonah is the widow’s son brought back to life by Elijah in I Kings 17).  We know from II Kings 14:25 that Jonah is from Gath Hepher, a town roughly 15 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.  Whether or not he is in Gath Hepher when God speaks to him is unknown.  Since Jonah is identified as a prophet in II Kings, it is reasonable to assume this is not the first time the word of the Lord has come to him.  As in so many places in the Old Testament, we do not know in what way the word of the Lord comes.

God tells him to go (arise, go = do it immediately) to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it because the wickedness of the city has risen to a point that He can no longer ignore.  The great city of Nineveh probably refers to a metropolitan area encompassing Nineveh proper and smaller cities around it – this explains the three-day journey in 3:3 and the population in 4:11.  (See Genesis 10:11-12 for further description of the area).

The text does not tell us here, but apparently Jonah is horrified by God’s command.  He explains his reaction later (4:2), but his initial response is to do the opposite of what God commands because he would rather let the Assyrians rot in hell than be the agent of their salvation (based on the background information covered in the introduction – also see Nahum 3:1-7 for God’s ultimate commentary on Nineveh and further elaboration on how the Jews probably regard the city).  Why enable the Assyrians to escape God’s wrath so they can live to torment Israel later?

Instead of traveling approximately 500 miles Northeast around the fertile crescent to Nineveh (the city is on the banks of the Tigris River, near modern-day Mosul in Iraq – 220 miles north of Baghdad), Jonah travels 60 miles Southwest to Joppa (rose up to flee = went immediately) and gets on a boat going the opposite direction.  The exact location of Tarshish is unknown (not to be confused with Tarsus – where Paul was from), but many scholars think it is on the coast of Spain.  This is similar to getting a call to go to New York and instead boarding a plane for Hawaii.

Note that the text says Jonah boards the ship to get away from the presence of the Lord.  Since he is a prophet, this is hard to reconcile.  Surely he does not think he can physically escape the presence of God?  Inferring that he thinks God’s influence is limited by the borders of Israel makes no sense because God just told him to go to Nineveh to warn them of God’s anger.  Also, he obviously is fully aware of Israel’s history and how God brought them out of Egypt.  Jonah will tell the sailors that he fears the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land – meaning His control is over ALL creation.  Jonah, then, does not think he is escaping God’s control.  Perhaps he thinks that outside of Israel and the presence of God (in the temple) his service as a prophet is no longer valid.  If this is true, when he leaves Israel he effectively resigns his office (and may assume that God will choose another for the mission).

1:4-16
He pays the fare and boards the ship.  The text does not say how far along the trip they are when the storm hits.  God decides to show Jonah that there is no escaping His presence OR His commands.  Jonah may be outside of Israel, but he is not outside his obligation to obey.  The storm is so bad the sailors cry out to their gods for help and begin to throw cargo (the main reason for the voyage) into the sea to lighten the load (and enable the ship to ride out the waves).  Amazingly, while the storm rages, Jonah sleeps in the hold below – oblivious to what is going on above (like Jesus in Matt 8:24).

The captain finally comes to Jonah and – after expressing amazement that he can sleep through all that is happening – tells him to call on his god so that perhaps HE can save them.

After nothing works and presumably all the cargo has been cast away and all the gods consulted, the sailors decide to cast lots to see who is the reason for the storm (probably everyone is down in the hold because there is no point to being on deck – they have done all they can do).  We do not fully understand what causes them to do this – why not assume it is simply a natural occurrence?  Perhaps the severity and relentlessness of the storm and the season (storms like this do not happen at this time of year?) cause them to decide it is supernatural.  The lots are cast and Jonah is singled out. 

Apparently the purpose of the lots is not to determine guilt but to identify the one who knows the reason for the storm.  When Jonah is identified the sailors demand that he tell them on whose account the storm is happening.  They also ask him what he does for a living and where he is from and who his people are.

Imagine what is going through Jonah’s mind as they begin to cast lots.  It is not too much of a stretch to assume he is pretty confident how the lots are going to fall.  He knows he is in trouble and his insane plan to escape is about to be exposed.  Not only that, he now has to explain who and what he is – “Yes, I am a prophet of the one true God and I am traveling on this ship in direct violation of my life’s mission and what I know to be true.”  Nothing is worse for the believer than to be convicted of ungodly behavior by the ungodly.

Jonah tells them the whole truth.  He already told them when he got on the ship that he was fleeing from his god.  What he did not tell them – but tells them now – is that his God is Yahweh, the One who made the sea and the dry land.  The sailors had not been scared when he came aboard and told them why he was traveling.  But now that they understand he is a Hebrew and his God made the sea, they are terrified and angry.

The sailors ask Jonah two questions – “How could you do this?” and “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”  They know that since he is the reason for the storm, they must do something TO HIM to appease the God who sent the storm.  [The ramifications of disobedience are never limited to the one who’s disobedient.]

Jonah continues with full disclosure.  He may be a fleeing and disobedient prophet, but he is a prophet nonetheless and understands what God demands.  He tells them directly, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea.”  He knows he is the reason for the storm and nothing less than him getting off the ship will calm the waves and the wind.  (Interesting to conjecture as to why he tells them to throw him in versus just jumping in himself – perhaps he knows he cannot summon the will to do it by himself).

There is no reason to think that Jonah believes this means anything other than death for him.  He knows God will not stop the storm until he is off the ship, and if he does not get off the ship everyone will die.  He is willing to sacrifice his own life so the lives of others will be saved.  Perhaps he assumes that he is dead either way; however, it still speaks well of him that he effectively resumes his office as prophet (although without really repenting) and speaks for God even to his own detriment.

The sailors do not want to follow Jonah’s instructions.  Perhaps thinking that they do not want to be accountable to such a powerful God for killing His servant, they row furiously for land (presumably thinking they can get Jonah off the ship without killing him by leaving him on the nearest land).  However, the storm rages even more fiercely and it becomes apparent that they will never reach land against the wind and waves.

At this point they pray to God themselves.  They cry out to Him and ask Him not to consider them guilty for killing Jonah.  They ask for His mercy in sparing their lives even as they effectively take the life of His prophet.

The sailors grudgingly and probably fearfully take Jonah and throw him overboard.  We do not know the timing, but apparently the sea immediately becomes calm.  In response, the pagan sailors fear God greatly [note the progression of fear by the sailors – they were in fear of the storm (1:5) – in fear of the reason for the storm (1:10) – and finally in fear of God (1:16)] and offer a sacrifice (probably not a burnt offering since they are on a ship – perhaps something thrown overboard, assuming anything is left) and make vows (likely promises to worship going forward).  Jonah – even in his presumed death – has fulfilled his office by turning the pagan sailors to God (although there is nothing in the text to lead us to believe they become monotheists and follow Yahweh from now on).

Jonah is off the ship and presumed dead.  The storm is over and the sea is calm.  No trace of Jonah is left and the ship proceeds on its way.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.  Psalm 139:7-12