Bible HebrewNineveh Turns Jonah 3:1–10
The second call, a five-word message, and a city that turns. Follow the verb שׁוּב, “turn, return”.
Jonah 3:1
וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־יוֹנָה שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר
Wayhī dhəvar-yəḥawwe ʾel-yōnā shēnīth lēmōr
“Then the word of yəḥawwe came to Jonah a second time, saying:”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and came |
| דְבַר | dhəvar | the word of |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| שֵׁנִית | shēnīth | a second time |
| לֵאמֹר | lēmōr | saying |
- שֵׁנִית: שֵׁנִית, “a second time”, is a feminine ordinal number used as an adverb. Apart from it, the verse repeats 1:1 almost word for word.
Jonah 3:2
קוּם לֵךְ אֶל־נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה וִּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ אֶת־הַקְּרִיאָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר אֵלֶיךָ
Qūm lēkh ʾel-nīnəwē hāʿīr haggədhōlā wiqrā ʾēlehā ʾeth-haqqərīʾā ʾăsher ʾānōkhī dōvēr ʾēlekhā
“Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the message that I am telling you.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| קוּם | qūm | arise |
| לֵךְ | lēkh | go |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| נִינְוֵה | nīnəwē | Nineveh |
| הָעִיר | hāʿīr | the city |
| הַגְּדוֹלָה | haggədhōlā | the great |
| וִּקְרָא | wiqrā | and proclaim |
| אֵלֶיהָ | ʾēlehā | to her |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| הַקְּרִיאָה | haqqərīʾā | the proclamation |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| אָנֹכִי | ʾānōkhī | I |
| דֹּבֵר | dōvēr | (am) speaking |
| אֵלֶיךָ | ʾēlekhā | to you |
- אֵלֶיהָ: In 1:2 the command was to call out עָלֶיהָ, “against her”. Here it is אֵלֶיהָ, “to her”.
- הַקְּרִיאָה: הַקְּרִיאָה, “the proclamation”, comes from the same root as וּקְרָא, “and call”: “call to her the call”. The noun occurs only here.
- דֹּבֵר: A participle, דֹּבֵר: “(I am) speaking”. The message is still to come.
Jonah 3:3
וַיָּקָם יוֹנָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־נִינְוֶה כִּדְבַר יְהוָה וְנִינְוֵה הָיְתָה עִיר־גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים מַהֲלַךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים
Wayyāqom yōnā wayyēlekh ʾel-nīnəwe kidhvar yəḥawwe wənīnəwē hāythā ʿīr-gədhōlā lēlōhīm mahălakh shəlōsheth yāmīm
“So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, as yəḥawwe had said. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' walk across.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּקָם | wayyāqom | and arose |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| וַיֵּלֶךְ | wayyēlekh | and went |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| נִינְוֶה | nīnəwe | Nineveh |
| כִּדְבַר | kidhvar | according to the word of |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| וְנִינְוֵה | wənīnəwē | now Nineveh |
| הָיְתָה | hāythā | was |
| עִיר | ʿīr | a city |
| גְּדוֹלָה | gədhōlā | great |
| לֵאלֹהִים | lēlōhīm | to God |
| מַהֲלַךְ | mahălakh | a walk of |
| שְׁלֹשֶׁת | shəlōsheth | three |
| יָמִים | yāmīm | days |
- וַיָּקָם: וַיָּקָם יוֹנָה again, as in 1:3. This time it is followed by וַיֵּלֶךְ, “and he went”, to where God sent him.
- וְנִינְוֵה: וְ + a name + a perfect (הָיְתָה): the story pauses to describe. “Now Nineveh was…”.
- לֵאלֹהִים: עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים, literally “a great city to God”. It can mean “great even to God”, or it can be a way of saying “very great” (compare “mountains of God” for very high mountains in Psalm 36:7). Translations go both ways.
- שְׁלֹשֶׁת: מַהֲלַךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים, “a walk of three days”: a chain of construct forms. שְׁלֹשֶׁת is the construct of שְׁלֹשָׁה.
Jonah 3:4
וַיָּחֶל יוֹנָה לָבוֹא בָעִיר מַהֲלַךְ יוֹם אֶחָד וַיִּקְרָא וַיֹּאמַר עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת
Wayyāḥel yōnā lāvō vāʿīr mahălakh yōm ʾeḥādh wayyiqrā wayyōmar ʿōdh ʾarbāʿīm yōm wənīnəwē nehpākheth
“Jonah began to go into the city, one day's walk, and he called out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh will be overturned!””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּחֶל | wayyāḥel | and began |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| לָבוֹא | lāvō | to go |
| בָעִיר | vāʿīr | into the city |
| מַהֲלַךְ | mahălakh | a walk of |
| יוֹם | yōm | day |
| אֶחָד | ʾeḥādh | one |
| וַיִּקְרָא | wayyiqrā | and he called out |
| וַיֹּאמַר | wayyōmar | and said |
| עוֹד | ʿōdh | yet |
| אַרְבָּעִים | ʾarbāʿīm | forty |
| יוֹם | yōm | days |
| וְנִינְוֵה | wənīnəwē | and Nineveh |
| נֶהְפָּכֶת | nehpākheth | overturned |
- וַיָּחֶל: Hiphil of חלל, “begin”, followed by an infinitive: “he began to go”.
- עוֹד: Jonah's whole message in Hebrew is five words: עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְנִינְוֵה נֶהְפָּכֶת.
- יוֹם: After numbers above ten, the noun is often singular: אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, “forty day”.
- נֶהְפָּכֶת: Niphal participle of הפך, “overturn”, feminine for the city: “being overturned”. הפך can also mean “be changed, turned around”, so the word can be read two ways: destroyed, or transformed.
Jonah 3:5
וַיַּאֲמִינוּ אַנְשֵׁי נִינְוֵה בֵּאלֹהִים וַיִּקְרְאוּ־צוֹם וַיִּלְבְּשׁוּ שַׂקִּים מִגְּדוֹלָם וְעַד־קְטַנָּם
Wayyaʾămīnū ʾanshē nīnəwē bēlōhīm wayyiqrəʾū-ṣōm wayyilbəshū śaqqīm miggədhōlām wəʿadh-qəṭannām
“And the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּאֲמִינוּ | wayyaʾămīnū | and believed |
| אַנְשֵׁי | ʾanshē | the people of |
| נִינְוֵה | nīnəwē | Nineveh |
| בֵּאלֹהִים | bēlōhīm | in God |
| וַיִּקְרְאוּ | wayyiqrəʾū | and they proclaimed |
| צוֹם | ṣōm | a fast |
| וַיִּלְבְּשׁוּ | wayyilbəshū | and they put on |
| שַׂקִּים | śaqqīm | sackcloth |
| מִגְּדוֹלָם | miggədhōlām | from their greatest |
| וְעַד | wəʿadh | and to |
| קְטַנָּם | qəṭannām | their least |
- וַיַּאֲמִינוּ: Hiphil of אמן, “be firm”: “hold as firm, trust, believe”. With בְּ: “believed (in)”.
- אַנְשֵׁי: אַנְשֵׁי, the construct plural of אִישׁ: “men of” = “the people of”.
- שַׂקִּים: שַׂק is the rough cloth of sacks, worn in mourning. English “sack” comes from this word, through Greek and Latin.
- מִגְּדוֹלָם: מִן … וְעַד, “from … to”, with adjectives + “their”: “from their great to their small”, meaning everyone.
Jonah 3:6
וַיִּגַּע הַדָּבָר אֶל־מֶלֶך נִינְוֵה וַיָּקָם מִכִּסְאוֹ וַיַּעֲבֵר אַדַּרְתּוֹ מֵעָלָיו וַיְכַס שַׂק וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל־הָאֵפֶר
Wayyiggaʿ haddāvār ʾel-melekh nīnəwē wayyāqom mikkisʾō wayyaʿăvēr ʾaddartō mēʿālāw waykhas śaq wayyēshev ʿal-hāʾēfer
“When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגַּע | wayyiggaʿ | and reached |
| הַדָּבָר | haddāvār | the word |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| מֶלֶך | melekh | the king of |
| נִינְוֵה | nīnəwē | Nineveh |
| וַיָּקָם | wayyāqom | and he arose |
| מִכִּסְאוֹ | mikkisʾō | from his throne |
| וַיַּעֲבֵר | wayyaʿăvēr | and removed |
| אַדַּרְתּוֹ | ʾaddartō | his robe |
| מֵעָלָיו | mēʿālāw | from on him |
| וַיְכַס | waykhas | and covered himself |
| שַׂק | śaq | (with) sackcloth |
| וַיֵּשֶׁב | wayyēshev | and sat |
| עַל | ʿal | on |
| הָאֵפֶר | hāʾēfer | the ashes |
- וַיִּגַּע: נָגַע means “touch”: the news “touched” the king, that is, reached him.
- מֶלֶך: מֶלֶךְ is in the construct state, “king of”, so it has no article even though it means “the king of Nineveh”.
- וַיָּקָם: Four wayyiqtol verbs in a row move the action quickly: he rose, took off, covered himself, sat.
- וַיַּעֲבֵר: Hiphil of עבר, “pass”: “cause to pass (off himself)” = “take off”.
Jonah 3:7
וַיַּזְעֵק וַיֹּאמֶר בְּנִינְוֵה מִטַּעַם הַמֶּלֶךְ וּגְדֹלָיו לֵאמֹר הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה הַבָּקָר וְהַצֹּאן אַל־יִטְעֲמוּ מְאוּמָה אַל־יִרְעוּ וּמַיִם אַל־יִשְׁתּוּ
Wayyazʿēq wayyōmer bənīnəwē miṭṭaʿam hammelekh ūghədhōlāw lēmōr hāʾādhām wəhabbəhēmā habbāqār wəhaṣṣōn ʾal-yiṭʿămū məʾūmā ʾal-yirʿū ūmayim ʾal-yishtū
“He had it proclaimed in Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: Let no person or animal, herd or flock, taste anything. Let them not graze, and let them not drink water.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּזְעֵק | wayyazʿēq | and he had it cried out |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and said |
| בְּנִינְוֵה | bənīnəwē | in Nineveh |
| מִטַּעַם | miṭṭaʿam | by the decree of |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ | hammelekh | the king |
| וּגְדֹלָיו | ūghədhōlāw | and his nobles |
| לֵאמֹר | lēmōr | saying |
| הָאָדָם | hāʾādhām | the people |
| וְהַבְּהֵמָה | wəhabbəhēmā | and the animals |
| הַבָּקָר | habbāqār | the herd |
| וְהַצֹּאן | wəhaṣṣōn | and the flock |
| אַל | ʾal | not |
| יִטְעֲמוּ | yiṭʿămū | let them taste |
| מְאוּמָה | məʾūmā | anything |
| אַל | ʾal | not |
| יִרְעוּ | yirʿū | let them graze |
| וּמַיִם | ūmayim | and water |
| אַל | ʾal | not |
| יִשְׁתּוּ | yishtū | let them drink |
- וַיַּזְעֵק: Hiphil of זעק, “cry out”: “he caused (it) to be cried out”, a public announcement.
- מִטַּעַם: טַעַם means “taste”, and from that “judgment” or “decree”. The same root comes back in this verse: יִטְעֲמוּ, “let them taste”.
- אַל: אַל + a jussive, three times: “let them not taste … not graze … not drink”. This is the normal way to forbid something.
- וּמַיִם: The object comes first: “and water, let them not drink”.
Jonah 3:8
וְיִתְכַּסּוּ שַׂקִּים הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְיִקְרְאוּ אֶל־אֱלֹהִים בְּחָזְקָה וְיָשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמִן־הֶחָמָס אֲשֶׁר בְּכַפֵּיהֶם
Wəyithkassū śaqqīm hāʾādhām wəhabbəhēmā wəyiqrəʾū ʾel-ʾĕlōhīm bəḥāzəqā wəyāshuvū ʾīsh middarkō hārāʿā ūmin-heḥāmās ʾăsher bəkhappēhem
““Let people and animals be covered with sackcloth, and let them call to God with all their strength. Let each one turn from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְיִתְכַּסּוּ | wəyithkassū | and let cover themselves |
| שַׂקִּים | śaqqīm | (with) sackcloth |
| הָאָדָם | hāʾādhām | the people |
| וְהַבְּהֵמָה | wəhabbəhēmā | and the animals |
| וְיִקְרְאוּ | wəyiqrəʾū | and let them call |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| בְּחָזְקָה | bəḥāzəqā | with strength |
| וְיָשֻׁבוּ | wəyāshuvū | and let them turn |
| אִישׁ | ʾīsh | each one |
| מִדַּרְכּוֹ | middarkō | from his way |
| הָרָעָה | hārāʿā | the evil |
| וּמִן | ūmin | and from |
| הֶחָמָס | heḥāmās | the violence |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that (is) |
| בְּכַפֵּיהֶם | bəkhappēhem | in their hands |
- וְיִתְכַּסּוּ: Hithpael (reflexive) of כסה: “cover themselves”. The decree includes the animals.
- וְיִקְרְאוּ: וְ + an imperfect continuing a command works like a jussive: “and let them call… and let them turn”.
- וְיָשֻׁבוּ: שׁוּב, “turn, return”, is the key verb of this chapter: the people are to turn (verse 8), perhaps God will turn (verse 9), and they do turn (verse 10).
- מִדַּרְכּוֹ: דֶּרֶךְ, “way, road”, is used for the way a person lives. It is feminine, so its adjective is הָרָעָה.
- בְּכַפֵּיהֶם: כַּף is the palm of the hand; the dual כַּפַּיִם is “both hands”. “Violence in their hands” is violence they have done.
Jonah 3:9
מִי־יוֹדֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחַם הָאֱלֹהִים וְשָׁב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְלֹא נֹאבֵד
Mī-yōdhēaʿ yāshūv wəniḥam hāʾĕlōhīm wəshāv mēḥărōn ʾappō wəlō nōvēdh
““Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger, and we will not perish.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| מִי | mī | who |
| יוֹדֵעַ | yōdhēaʿ | knows |
| יָשׁוּב | yāshūv | may turn |
| וְנִחַם | wəniḥam | and relent |
| הָאֱלֹהִים | hāʾĕlōhīm | God |
| וְשָׁב | wəshāv | and turn |
| מֵחֲרוֹן | mēḥărōn | from the burning of |
| אַפּוֹ | ʾappō | his anger |
| וְלֹא | wəlō | and not |
| נֹאבֵד | nōvēdh | we will perish |
- מִי: מִי יוֹדֵעַ, “who knows?”, expresses hope without certainty. Joel 2:14 has the same words.
- וְנִחַם: נִחַם (Niphal of נחם) means “be sorry, change one's mind, relent”; elsewhere it means “be comforted”.
- מֵחֲרוֹן: חֲרוֹן אַף, “burning of the nose”: אַף means “nose” and also “anger”, pictured as a hot, flaring nose.
- וְלֹא: The king ends with the captain's words from 1:6: וְלֹא נֹאבֵד, “and we will not perish”.
Jonah 3:10
וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי־שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת־לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה
Wayyar hāʾĕlōhīm ʾeth-maʿăśēhem kī-shāvū middarkām hārāʿā wayyinnāḥem hāʾĕlōhīm ʿal-hārāʿā ʾăsher-dibber laʿăśōth-lāhem wəlō ʿāśā
“God saw what they did, that they had turned from their evil way, and God relented concerning the harm he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּרְא | wayyar | and saw |
| הָאֱלֹהִים | hāʾĕlōhīm | God |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם | maʿăśēhem | their deeds |
| כִּי | kī | that |
| שָׁבוּ | shāvū | they turned |
| מִדַּרְכָּם | middarkām | from their way |
| הָרָעָה | hārāʿā | the evil |
| וַיִּנָּחֶם | wayyinnāḥem | and relented |
| הָאֱלֹהִים | hāʾĕlōhīm | God |
| עַל | ʿal | concerning |
| הָרָעָה | hārāʿā | the harm |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| דִּבֶּר | dibber | he had said |
| לַעֲשׂוֹת | laʿăśōth | to do |
| לָהֶם | lāhem | to them |
| וְלֹא | wəlō | and not |
| עָשָׂה | ʿāśā | he did |
- שָׁבוּ: The perfect שָׁבוּ, “they turned”, answers the decree's וְיָשֻׁבוּ, “let them turn” (verse 8).
- הָרָעָה: רָעָה twice in one verse: “their evil way” and “the harm” he had threatened. One word names both what they did and what was coming to them.
- וַיִּנָּחֶם: וַיִּנָּחֶם, the Niphal of נחם as a wayyiqtol: what the king hoped for in verse 9 (וְנִחַם) happens.
- דִּבֶּר: דִּבֶּר is the Piel perfect of דבר, “speak”. The Piel is the usual stem for this verb.
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