1. How can hermeneutics be applied to the Book of Jonah? Historical interpretation can ask some key questions. In the area of geography, what was happening in the northern kingdom? Jonah was from that kingdom, and he was an 8th century BC prophet during the reign of Jeroboam II. Things were going very well economically, but Jeroboam II was leading his kingdom in idolatry. Next, what was happening outside the northern kingdom? Syria was to the north, and they were becoming very strong. They wanted to become an empire, and they wanted to put other countries under tribute. Assyria attacked Syria because they also wanted to be an empire, and they were trying to drag the northern kingdom into the war. This war was called the Syro-Ephramite War.

Historically speaking, where was Jonah from? He was from the northern kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam II. Because of the spiritual condition of the land, there was a need for a prophet at this time. Where was Joppa? It was a port city on the Mediterranean Sea (Tel-Aviv). Where was Nineveh? Nineveh was landlocked and to the northeast, nowhere near Joppa. A knowledge of this history and geography clearly shows Jonah's disobedience. Nineveh, in Assyria, was to the east, but Jonah had gone to Joppa to the west.

2. Perform a literary analysis on the Book of Jonah. The book genre is historical, prophetic, praise (in a song in Jonah 2) and narrative. The story of Jonah is believed to be true because proper names were used, making it less likely to be a parable. The book contains some of the ancestery of Jonah, and Jonah is also mentioned in II Kings 14:25 in such a way that he can be placed in a historical setting. In Matthew 12:41, Jesus talked about Jonah.

The structure of the book is: (a) there is not a detailed account of his prophesy (absolutism), but the people still repented and lived, (b) the book does not end with chapter three. Jonah was angry over their repentance, possibly because he was fearful of the nation's possible move against Israel. Jonah was so upset that he wanted to die. He built a place outside the city to watch its destruction. Then, God raised up a gourd, which provided even better shelter, and Jonah destroyed his and moved into God's. Then, God destroyed the gourd. Jonah was very upset, ad we are allowed to see that.

3. State the application of this book. In this book, God reveals that he has a one on one relationship with people, and then, He shows his desire to reach everyone. This book also shows Jonah's attitude and relationship with God. We never learn if Jonah learned his lesson or changed his attitude. Consequently, this might help us make the decision for him in our own lives.

4. Name some good reference books. Some good books are: (1) Back Toward The Future, by Walter Kaiser, Jr. (good lay level text), (2) A Guide to Biblical Prophesy, by Henderson (serious prophesy book but not too technical), and (3) The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, (the Isaiah series, not devotional, not purely technical, and good book at the seminary level (NICOT)).

5. Discuss the meaning of repent in Jonah 3:10. In Jonah 3:10, "repent" can mean to change one's mind. It could have meant that God had made a mistake, or it could have meant that He was going to do things differently because of human actions and circumstances. In this verse, God merely changed courses. He had not made a mistake. He can change His mind when dealing with people, and in a translation comparison, it is interesting to note that the NIV used the words "changed His mind."

				Tom of Bethany

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