יוֹנָה

2 Kings 14:25 יוֹנָ֤ה Jonah

This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

Here: The same prophet as in the book of Jonah (Jonah 1:1 gives the same father's name). This is the only place outside that book where he appears.

Jonah 1:1 יוֹנָ֥ה Jonah

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,

Here: A personal name that is also the ordinary word for 'dove.' Hebrew hearers would have heard the bird in the name. Whether the story plays on that is debated.

Jonah 1:3 יוֹנָה֙ Jonah

Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Here: The prophet son of Amittai (1:1; 2 Kings 14:25). His name means "dove", a bird Hosea 7:11 uses as a picture of Israel flitting about senselessly. Some readers hear that echo, but the text does not point it out.

Jonah 1:5 וְיוֹנָ֗ה and Jonah

The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

Here: The name means 'dove.' Putting the name first breaks the chain of action and swings the camera: 'Meanwhile, Jonah...' It sets up a sharp contrast with the frantic crew.

Jonah 1:7 יוֹנָֽה׃ Jonah

“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

Here: The verse ends on his name. Jonah has not spoken a word to the crew yet. The lot names him before he names himself.

Jonah 1:15 יוֹנָ֔ה Jonah

Then they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm.

Jonah 1:17 יוֹנָ֑ה יוֹנָה֙ Jonah

Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.

Here: The runaway prophet, whose name means 'dove'. He is now the passive object of God's action.

Jonah 2:1 יוֹנָ֔ה Jonah

From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God,

Here: The prophet's name, which also means 'dove'. Here he finally does what the pagan ship captain begged him to do in 1:6 ('Get up, call to your god!'), and what he had not done on board.

Jonah 2:10 יוֹנָ֖ה Jonah

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah 3:1 יוֹנָ֖ה Jonah

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:

Jonah 3:3 יוֹנָ֗ה Jonah

This 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.

Jonah 3:4 יוֹנָה֙ Jonah

On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”

Jonah 4:1 יוֹנָ֖ה Jonah

Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.

Jonah 4:5 יוֹנָה֙ Jonah

Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.

Here: The prophet himself is named as the one doing everything in the verse. God says nothing here and Nineveh does nothing; only Jonah acts.

Jonah 4:6 לְיוֹנָ֗ה יוֹנָ֛ה <to> Jonah, Jonah

So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.

Jonah 4:8 יוֹנָ֖ה Jonah

As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Here: The prophet himself is named, so the blow lands on him personally.

Jonah 4:9 יוֹנָ֔ה Jonah

Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”