The Book of Jonah – KJV Summary, Key Events & Book Facts

Jonah is the thirty-second book of the Bible, the thirty-second book of the Old Testament, and the fifth of the Minor Prophets. In the King James Version (KJV), Jonah contains 4 chapters and 48 verses. The book follows Jonah son of Amittai after God commands him to preach against Nineveh. Jonah flees toward Tarshish, is cast into the sea during a divinely sent storm, spends three days and nights in a great fish, receives a second commission, and finally preaches to Nineveh. The city's repentance exposes Jonah's resistance to God's mercy and leads to the book's final lesson concerning divine compassion.

Summary of Jonah

The word of the LORD comes to Jonah son of Amittai with a direct command to arise, go to Nineveh, and cry against its wickedness. Instead, Jonah goes down to Joppa and boards a ship headed toward Tarshish, attempting to flee from the presence of the LORD.

God sends a great wind upon the sea. The storm becomes so violent that the sailors fear for their lives, throw cargo overboard, and call upon their gods. Jonah, meanwhile, is asleep below deck. When lots are cast to determine the cause of the disaster, the lot falls upon Jonah.

Jonah identifies himself as a Hebrew who fears the LORD, the God of heaven who made the sea and dry land. He admits that he is fleeing from God and tells the sailors that the storm will cease if they cast him into the sea. The sailors initially try to row back to land, but when they cannot, they pray to the LORD and finally throw Jonah overboard. The sea immediately becomes calm, and the sailors fear the LORD exceedingly, offering sacrifice and making vows.

The LORD prepares a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah remains inside it three days and three nights. From the fish's belly Jonah prays, remembering his descent into the depths and acknowledging that God heard his cry. His prayer ends with thanksgiving and the declaration that salvation is of the LORD. God then speaks to the fish, which vomits Jonah onto dry land.

The word of the LORD comes to Jonah a second time with essentially the same command: go to Nineveh and preach the message God gives him. This time Jonah obeys. He enters the great city and announces that in forty days Nineveh will be overthrown.

The response is remarkable. The people of Nineveh believe God, proclaim a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. The king leaves his throne, covers himself with sackcloth, sits in ashes, and commands both people and animals to fast. Everyone is told to cry mightily unto God and turn from evil and violence.

God sees that the Ninevites turn from their evil way and does not bring the announced destruction upon them. Instead of rejoicing, Jonah becomes exceedingly angry. He reveals that this is precisely why he fled toward Tarshish: he knew God was gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.

Jonah goes east of the city and builds a booth, waiting to see what will happen. God prepares a gourd that grows over Jonah and gives him shade, and Jonah is exceedingly glad for it. The next morning God prepares a worm that destroys the plant and then sends a vehement east wind. Jonah again becomes angry enough to wish for death.

God uses the gourd to expose Jonah's heart. Jonah feels pity for a plant he did not create and that existed only briefly, yet he resents God's compassion toward Nineveh, a vast city containing more than 120,000 people who cannot discern between their right and left hands, as well as much cattle. Jonah therefore ends with a question rather than a conventional conclusion, leaving the reader to consider whether God's servants will share His concern for people they would rather see judged.