Jonah 3:5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jonah 3:5-10

Here is I. A wonder of divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh, upon the warning given them of their destruction approaching. Verily I say unto you, we have not found so great an instance of it, no, not in Israel; and it will rise up in judgment against the men of the gospel?generation, and condemn them; for the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas, but behold, a greater than Jonas is here, Matt. 12:41. Nay, it did condemn the impenitence and obstinacy of Israel at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 3:5

So the people of Nineveh believed God ,.... Or "in God" F18 באלהים "in Deum", V. L. : in the word of the Lord, as the Targum; they believed there was a God, and that he, in whose name Jonah came, was the true God; they believed the word the prophet spake was not the word of man, but, the word of God; faith came by hearing the word, which is the spring of true repentance, and the root of all good works. Kimchi and R. Jeshuah, in Aben Ezra, suppose that the men of the ship, in which... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jonah 3:5

The people of Nineveh believed God - They had no doubt that the threatening would be fulfilled, unless their speedy conversion prevented it; but, though not expressed, they knew that the threatening was conditional. "The promises and threatenings of God, which are merely personal, either to any particular man or number of men, are always conditional, because the wisdom of God hath thought fit to make these depend on the behavior of men." - Dr. S. Clarke's Sermons, vol. i. Proclaimed a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jonah 3:5

Verse 5 One thing, escaped me in the third verse: Jonah said that Nineveh was a city great to God. This form of speech is common in Scripture: for the Hebrews call that Divine, whatever it be, that is superior or excellent: so they say, the cedars of God, the mountains of God, the fields of God, when they are superior in height or in any other respect. Hence a city is called the city of God, when it is beyond others renowned. I wished briefly to allude to this subject, because some, with too... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:1-10

Part III . JONAH 'S PREACHING IN NINEVEH ; THE REPENTANCE OF THE NINEVITES . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:4-10

A heathen city in sackcloth. Let us try to realize the scene. An Eastern city sleeps in the rosy morning light. Its moated ramparts tower a hundred feet in air, and, dotted with fifteen hundred lofty towers, sweep around it a length of over sixty miles. Already the gates are open for the early traffic, and conspicuous among the crowd a stranger enters. The stains of travel are on his dress, and he looks with curious awe at the figures of winged colossal bulls that keep silent symbolic... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:5

Believed God; believed in God, which implies trust and hope; Vulgate, crediderunt in Deum. They recognized Jonah as God's messenger; they recognized God's power as able to execute the threat, and they had confidence in his mercy if they repented. This great result has seemed to some incredible, and has occasioned doubts to be east upon the history. But, as we have seen in the Introduction, Jonah's mission occurred probably at a time of national depression, when men's minds were disposed... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:5

National repentance. No doubt repentance is an individual exercise of heart; yet when the bulk of a community is pervaded by similar sentiments, it may be a national exercise also. Such seems to have been the case with the population of Nineveh; Jonah's witness was believed by one and by another, until belief became general; and, as penitence, fear, and supplication spread from man to man, the city seemed moved by one common impulse, leading the whole population to the feet of God. I. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:5-9

§ 3. The Ninevites hearken to the cry of Jonah, believe in God, and repent. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jonah 3:5-9

The repentance of Nineveh. "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them," etc. Here is Jonah in Nineveh alone against the world. Oh, the moral grandeur of the sight!—resting on God alone—"according to his faith it was to him"—marvellous success of his preaching, through Divine power working in him and through him. Observe the contrast to Noah and to Lot. He is like John the Baptist—a torch, setting... read more

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