Book of jonah encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Literary features the book of jonah is a literary masterpiece. However, it is the exclusive attributes of god which are revealed as the central function for the book of jonah. The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book. The man jonah was the main character of the book, he was the son of amittai jonah 1. The modernday jonah at the center of joshua max feldmans brilliantly conceived retelling of the book of jonah is a young manhattan lawyer named jonah jacobstein. Though scholars do not often argue whether jonah was a historical biblical figure, scholars continue to debate the literary genre of the book and the related question of its historical character. The book of revelation is a highly structured work that combines elements of almost all the literary forms in the bible, including figurative language, parallelism, typology and symbols, epic, narrative, lyric and narrative poetry, and praise.
The literary devices used and the artistic structure of the story attest to the correctness of this presupposition. The book of jonah is a subversive story about a rebellious prophet who. The author employs structure, humor, hyperbole, irony, double entendre, and literary figures like merism to. Studies in literary techniques in the book of jonah. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Therefore, didactic, satiric novella is considered to be an adequate genre definition for the book of jonah. Pdf the literary genre of the book of jonah researchgate. Each has a call from god and a response from jonah 1. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish. The first is jonahs inability to reconcile yhwhs concern for nations hostile to israel with his election of israel.
By analysing the structure, various literary techniques, and character roles in the book of jonah, this study shows that the author constructed his book very artfully to invigorate its purpose. How long did it take for jonah to walk through the city of nineveh. Its treatment of that mission is thus similar to the accounts of the ministries of elijah and elisha found in 1,2 kings. Events, persons, or statements in the old testament are seen as types prefiguring or superseded by antitypes, events or aspects of christ or his revelation described in the new testament. Youngblood designed for pastors, teachers, and bible students, this series on jonah brings to light the universal scope of gods sovereignty and mercy. The key to understanding the message of jonah is recognizing its genre. Summary of the book of jonah the story of the bible. Historically, how was jonah classified in terms of literary genre. Farrellythefollowingisonepossiblechiasticstructure ofthebook ofjonah. Indeed, the prophet and his surroundings provide wonderful examples from which the reader can learn. The book of jonah is about an event that jesus said took place in history. Though simple enough for a child to grasp, the book of jonah is an extremely subtle and complex work full of wonderful literary artistry mixed with many layers of meaning.
Use of irony in the book, nonetheless, is acknowledged. However, to my knowledge this is the first attempt to present an overall literary analysis of the book as a whole. Jonah and the whale almost serves as a cipher or cliffsnotes kind of summary for the book, despite the facts that 1 the book never calls the animal in question a whale but simply a fish or big fish, and 2 the fish episode is hardly what the book of jonah is primarily about. The format of the hms series is similar to that of the zecnt series. Jonah 1 and 4 both show the literary form of narrative prose. Indeed, the very phrase reading according to genre sounds odd itself, entirely too.
The following structure is based on a careful analysis of the content of jonah in the hebrew text. The book of jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself. The artistic devices used and the structure of the story attest to the correctness of. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Additionally, a literary work can incorporate different genres, just as the book of jonah incorporates the psalm in chapter 2. If you are looking for something specific to jonah, i have found three works to be indispensable. Various students have classified jonah in widely different literary genres. Peter van t riet a dove to the land of war the book of jonah translated word. In a pair of articles on literary structure and the book of jonah, ernst wendland argues for what makes a chiasm valid, with a test case in the book of jonah. Additionally, a literary work can incorporate different genres, just as the book of. In modern literature, a novel may include a poem or a letter from one of its characters to another, as occurs frequently in alice walkers the color purple.
Jonah encounters pagans who are forced to consider the influence of his god 1. A literary look at zephaniah zephaniah is concerned with matters relative to the day of the lord as a time of judgment for sinful men and of purification for a redeemed people. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. The book of jonah is cast throughout in the form of narrativethe only one of our twelve which is so. You can find his reflections on chiasms here they demonstrate how much the biblical authors, in this case jonah or another prophet wellacquainted. Set in the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. Intro to jonah biblica the international bible society. Best jonah commentaries updated for 2020 best bible. Like nahum, the book of zephaniah proceeds in a 3 for justification of. Products jonah, second edition jonah, second edition. The literary and historical aspects of the book of jonah tell an intriguing narrative. Nevertheless, focus on the whale highlights the genre. A look at how jonah 2 fits with the book as a whole.
Jonahs experiences form the main contents and purpose of the book. He sees six devices that form the books structure and message. Youngbloods stated main contribution is to the literary context of jonah. The lord shows in the gospel the symbolism of this passage, and it is superfluous to. The narratives conclusion reveals an even deeper problem. There are six parts to each section division using jonah 2 as an example. Jonah is forced into a confrontation with god because of his attitudes 1. This fact, combined with the extraordinary events which the narrative relates, starts.
Watch our overview video on the book of jonah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. What is the books literary genrestyle parody, satire, humor, etc. I will be making some brief posts on features of the hebrew text of the passages we work through in class primarily literary and rhetorical features. Traditionally, it has been listed as history except ch. Phyllis tribles rhetorical criticism, jack sassons jonah, and jonathan magonets form and meaning. The reasons certain skeptics offer such alternative suggestions is likely because they take offense at the miracle revealed within the book. The second is jonahs inability to reconcile yhwhs justice with his mercy. Jonah therefore is the only prophet of the ot revealing the grace of god towards the heathen. Peter intro to biblebook of jonah flashcards quizlet. While the story line is so simple that children follow it readily, the story is marked by as high a degree of literary sophistication as any book in the hebrew bible. Literary analysis of jonah chiasmus in jonah has been noted by numerous biblical scholars.
For example, jonah may be seen as the type of christ in that. Starting with a detailed analysis of word usage repetition of words and phrases, the structure of individual chapters and of the book as a whole, the use of quotations from elsewhere in the bible, it examines the relationship between these elements and the ideas the story itself conveys. Thus on the surface the text is really a prophetic narrative such as we have in the book of kings e. It also relies heavily on such literary devices as irony. Lewiss opinion, the literary genre of biblical books, in particular, the gospels. This study presents the book of jonah as part of the unfolding, unified. While the following discussion does not purport to be a comprehensive literary analysis of the book, it offers a partial analysis which nevertheless has bearing upon the overall story. Starting with a detailed analysis of word usage repetition of words and phrases, the structure of individual chapters and of the book as a whole, the use of quotations from.
With careful analysis and interpretation of the hebrew text, professor and scholar kevin youngblood traces the flow of argument in the book of jonah, showing that how a biblical. A major literary debut, an epic tale of love, failure, and unexpected faith set in new york, amsterdam, and las vegas. Typology in christian theology and biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the relationship of the old testament to the new testament. Jonah, some scholars say, is a parable, an allegory, or a midrash a jewish form of commentary via storytelling. Studies in literary techniques in the book of jonah jonathan magonet. In the book of jonah, two problems keep the prophet from fully enjoying and freely sharing divine mercy. Nomadic hebrews roam the fertile crescent in the age of biblical patriarchsmatriarches. Chief among these are the questions regarding its literary form and its historicity. A number of problems of importance emerge in the study of jonah.
It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. This work is an investigation of the literary style of the biblical book of jonah. Unlike most other prophetic parts of the ot, this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. As our church begins to study jonah, i share the outlines from his second article.