Jonah · Chapter 3

And it was -- a second time.

And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time. We already explained above, 1:1, the meaning of the second time.

The second time. In the matter of the mission to Nineveh:

"And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time." Abarbanel wrote: regarding our Sages' statement that the second time He spoke with him, not the third—this is forced from what is written in Seder Olam, that Jonah anointed Jehu in the year 3062 from the creation of the world, and lived until Zechariah, who reigned in the year 3264. He lived from the day he began to prophesy one hundred and two years. And we find no other prophecy for him during this time except for the two prophecies he prophesied concerning Nineveh. From this we know that prophecy ceased from him from then. And it was fitting that it be done, after he despised the prophecy and did not want to fulfill the word of the Lord. And it is astonishing that he contradicts himself later nearby, that Jonah's prophecy concerning Nineveh was six years before the destruction of Samaria, which was in the days of Hoshea son of Elah. And so he prophesied an additional ten years in the days of Menachem son of Gadi, two years in the days of his son Pekahiah, twenty years in the days of Pekah, and three of Hoshea—his prophetic period lasted 137 years. And was not the prophecy of Nineveh in his latter days? And how can he bring a proof from what God did not speak with him before this incident to say that He was about to take the prophecy from him? At that time he had not yet refused the mission. Furthermore, in the book of Nahum it is written that forty years from that time that Jonah prophesied was the destruction of Samaria, and there join to this eighty years and was the destruction of Nineveh. But from the destruction of Samaria until the destruction of Nineveh, which was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, was 114 years. And he also contradicts what it said that Jonah's prophecy was six years before the destruction of Samaria.

Arise -- this indicates that he did not go on a road that would take him far from Nineveh; if He sends him a second time, he will go.

Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it the preaching that I shall tell you. That I spoke to you already, and also now I am speaking to you, that you should cry against it, that it should be overthrown because of their evil.

That I speak to you. And that is what he cried out and said, yet forty days and Nineveh is overturned; and he did not need to explain, for by itself it would be understood:

Questions: Why did He change in this time and say, "Cry the cry that I speak to you," and not say as He said to him the first time? "Arise, go." In this time the decree was already sealed, therefore He did not say, "for their evil has come up before Me." Rather, He sent him in the way of prophecy, to announce to them what was decreed upon them: that Nineveh would be overthrown in yet forty days.

And he arose -- Rabbi Yeshua said: that the men of the ship went to Nineveh and related Jonah's matter, therefore they believed; and the word 'to God' I have already explained. A journey of three days -- [that is] around the city; and it is a journey of one day from end to end. Or: he did not go to proclaim [the message] except a journey of one day; that is why [it is stated so].

And Jonah arose. And went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of God, a three days' walk. A great city of God. Any matter that one wishes to greatly magnify, he attaches it to God -- a way of magnification. Like: 'the mountains of God,' 'the cedars of God,' 'a flame of the LORD' [shalhevetyah, Song of Songs 8:6], '[a land of] thick darkness' [ma'afelyah, Jeremiah 2:31].

A journey. According to the measure of a three-day journey:

La'Elohim. The way of Scripture: when it wishes to magnify something to the utmost, it attaches it to the word El; likewise "the cedars of El" (Psalms 80).

'And Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.' Because the first time He commanded him to proclaim to them words of rebuke so that they would repent of their sins, and this time He commanded him to prophesy to them the decree that had been decreed upon them, it was doubtful to him whether he should also fulfill the first command and inform them of the prophecy of the overthrow, and also rebuke them for their sins. Scripture clarifies that now he proclaimed only according to the word of the Lord that He had spoken to him now, for after He informed him of the decree, he reasoned that repentance would no longer avail them, and that the first word was nullified. 'Now Nineveh was a great city to God': he attributed it to God on account of its greatness, like 'the mighty mountains' and 'a flame of God.' Or, meaning: it was considered in God's eyes to be a great city, and therefore He had compassion on it, sparing it from destruction.

'Nehepechet' [overturned]: meaning destroyed. And it did not say 'destroyed,' because 'overturned' serves two expressions, bad and good: if they do not repent, it is destroyed; and if they repent, then it is turned around. This refers to the people of Nineveh, that they will turn from bad to good and repent. [Gloss of Rabbi Akiva.]

And he began -- Some say: That it shall be overturned -- that it was turned from its evil deeds -- and this derash is not correct; only the word [itself, taken literally], like: 'a moment I will speak.'

And Jonah began. For the city was a three days' walk from one end to the other. And Jonah began to enter the city for a day's walk. And in his walking in the city he was crying and saying: yet forty days, and Nineveh is overthrown -- meaning to say, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, for its deeds were like their deeds.

And he began. When he began to enter the city, having journeyed a day's walk, he cried out and said, behold, there remains yet a time of forty days, and after that Nineveh will be overturned -- meaning, like the overturning of Sodom and Gomorrah, from something to nothing:

Vayichal. From "beginning, commencement."

Questions: Why did Jonah wait to cry out until he had walked in the city a day's journey? "And Jonah began to come into the city a day's journey, and he cried out." Because he was in doubt when the forty days would begin, for it was a three-days' walk. And if he had cried out immediately, on the first day the dwellers at one end of the city would begin to count the forty days from that day, and the dwellers at the other end would begin to count from the third day. Therefore he waited until he walked a day's journey and cried out on the second day, and he calculated that from that day the counting would begin—it is the average day. And "yet forty"—in addition to this day, meaning forty with the last day. And by this his prophecy would be fulfilled in any case. And Abarbanel calculated here many calculations of how Jonah's prophecy was not fulfilled. And he explained that what it says "and Nineveh was overthrown" was fulfilled in any case: either that it would be overthrown in its deeds and its nature from evil to good, or that it would be overthrown literally. He also wrote that the thing was fulfilled, for he explained "forty days" namely forty years, and another calculation that its number is eighty. And meaning: yet forty, namely 120 years, for 120 years afterward it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. And I already wrote that there is a contradiction in these calculations. And in truth, there is no need for all this, for these divine prophecies are conditional: if they do not return from their evil way, Nineveh shall be overthrown, as it says, "At one moment I will speak concerning a nation... to pluck up and to break down... and if that nation returns..." And the question that Jonah should have explained that it would be overthrown only if they did not return in repentance—this is not a difficulty, for they already knew this from the very fact that He sent them a prophet to warn them. For if the decree was sealed without change, there would have been no need to announce this through a prophet, for a prophet is not sent except to turn the people in repentance and to annul the decree. And in truth, Jonah himself should have done this, for so he was commanded the first time. But he did not fulfill all the words, and did not proclaim except the decree that came to him in the second utterance, because his desire was that they err and not do repentance. And if we wish to say as the words of Abarbanel that the decree was fulfilled after years, it can be said that Jonah's mission was in the days of Menachem son of Gadi, and the decree was partially fulfilled on the kingdom of Assyria in the fifteenth year of Hezekiah, which was forty years after Jonah's mission, when the angel of the Lord went forth and overthrew the camp of Assyria—Nineveh was the head of his kingdom—and the sons of the king struck him with the sword. And the prophecy was partially fulfilled.

And they believed -- like: 'and the people believed.' And the meaning: 'in God' -- in the word of God.

And the men of Nineveh believed. For the men of the ship were in the city and testified concerning him, that they cast him into the sea, and all his affair as it was. Therefore they believed in his prophecy and returned in complete repentance. And they proclaimed a fast. Before the king's warning they did repentance of their own accord, and they afflicted themselves and wore sackcloth.

In God. Meaning, in the matter spoken in the name of God: And they proclaimed a fast. They declared a day of fasting:

"And the people of Nineveh believed in God." And the novel thing was that they believed immediately and did not demand a sign or miracle, and immediately began in prayer, in that they donned sackcloth for fasting and humility. And the common people did not stir themselves to repentance, for it did not enter their minds that they were sinners, for Jonah did not inform them of this, as stated above.

His mantle. The garment of his glory/honor:

And it reached -- this [happened] before the donning of the sackcloth. And he removed -- [his robe]. And he covered -- his flesh [with] sackcloth, for it is a transitive verb.

And the word came. The word that the prophet spoke and cried against the city. His mantle. The mantle of royalty that was upon him. And the Targum renders: his precious garment.

And the word came. The news reached the ears of the king, and he rose from his throne to sit upon the ground, and removed from himself the royal garment:

ʿEdartō. Targum: "his precious garment"; likewise "a mantle of Shinar" (Joshua 7) — it is from the root "mighty, majestic." Sak. A thick cloth.

"And it came." But when the thing came to the king, then he also stirred himself: either to humble himself in that he arose from his throne, and removed the royal robe from him, and instead of the robe he covered himself with sackcloth; and instead of the throne, he sat on ashes.

And he cried out. He commanded and proclaimed: On account of the king and his great ones. By the counsel of the king and his great ones, they commanded to proclaim:

And he had it proclaimed, 'by decree' -- from his counsel, knowledge, and understanding, like 'when he changed his manner.'

And he caused it to be proclaimed. He sent a herald through the city concerning repentance. And even though the people were being careful of their own accord, he added yet the affliction of the animals and the returning of stolen property. By the decree of the king. Meaning to say, it was from his counsel and his understanding; he and all his nobles agreed on this. And so too: 'and takes away the sense of elders' (Job 12:20), and 'when he changed his sense' (1 Samuel 21:14), and words like these [where ta'am means sense/understanding]. And the Targum: by the decree of the king.

And he caused it to be proclaimed. He commanded to proclaim with a voice of crying out, saying: by the counsel of the king and by the counsel of the great men of the kingdom it was decreed, saying: man and beast... And because of heartache, he commanded to withhold food from the beasts, so that the hearts of the men would be humbled: Let them not feed. This refers to the beast:

Vizaʾak. He proclaimed it aloud, with a voice of crying. Miṭʾam. The sense of counsel expressed with reasoning; likewise "and takes away the reasoning of the aged" (Job 12:20). Yaṭʾamū. From "a taste"; its sense is a small amount of eating. Meʾumah. Any thing at all. Yiraʿu. From "pasture, grazing."

"And he cried out." And besides this, he commanded a proclamation to be issued. From the king and his nobles and his counselors went forth the proclamation, saying: (a) Let neither man nor beast (namely, the beast found in the man's house) taste anything. (b) And neither the ox nor the sheep that graze in the field shall graze, and none of them shall drink water.

"And they called upon God with strength." They bound the mothers separately and the offspring separately, and said before Him: "Master of the Universe, if You do not have mercy on us, we will not have mercy on these."

Let them be covered, and let them cry out -- '[the] human' is whoever is of understanding, or whoever knows that he has done evil; or [it is used] like 'perhaps.' And the word 'veshav' (and return) -- concerning the honored Name.

"And they shall be covered"... "mightily." With all the heart. From his evil way. Other sins. And from the violence. It is equivalent to all of them [i.e., as grave as all the other sins combined], and because of it their decree was issued.

And let them be covered. This too was from the herald, who commanded that all should cover themselves in sackcloth, to show great humility; and that the men should call to God with all their heart, and each one should turn from his evil way and from the violence that they committed with their hands:

Bachaẓakah. I.e., with a whole heart.

"And let them be covered." Also in the covering of sackcloth the beasts were included. And he added: (a) Prayer, that they should call to God forcefully. (b) Repentance, that each man should return from his evil way and from theft. For concerning theft, confession and remorse are not sufficient until one returns the stolen goods that are in his hands to their owner.

"Who knows?" He will repent of the transgressions that are in his hand.

Who knows. Perhaps God will turn and repent when we return from our evil deeds. Or the meaning: whoever knows the ways of repentance, let him return, and God blessed be He will repent. And the Targum: whoever knows that there are sins in him, let him return from them, and may the Lord have mercy on us. And He will repent. Open [the patach], for it is a past-tense verb turned to the future because of the vav, and it is from the nifal construction.

Who knows? This too was from the herald, who said: whoever knows the ways of repentance, let him return to the Lord, and then God will relent and He will turn from the fury of His anger, and we will not perish from the world:

Venicham. The sense of changing one's mind and relenting.

"Who knows? God may turn and repent." Each one should return from the sin that he knows, in a way that they obligated themselves to do repentance even for the hidden things. And just as they themselves will repent, so God will relent from the decree. And by this he assured them that God would return from the heat of His anger, for from the fact that He sent them a prophet, they understood that there was a remedy for them in repentance.

"And God relented." He reconsidered the evil, to turn back from it.

And God saw -- that they would believe in Him. And so at Jethro: 'before God.' And He relented -- Scripture speaks in the language of human beings.

And God saw. Their deeds, that they turned back from their evil way. [This] includes all the evils. And from the violence -- they returned in complete repentance, as our Sages of blessed memory said: one who stole a beam and built it into a great building must demolish the entire building and return the beam to its owner. And God repented. For all His words that He said to do evil to the children of men are on condition: if they do not return. But if they return, He will forgive. And this measure is among His measures, blessed be He, as He said in the Torah. And so too Jeremiah said: a moment I will speak, and so forth. And so too Ezekiel said: and when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and so forth.

For they turned. For so they did, as the king said, and although it was not mentioned: And God relented. He repented of the decree:

"And God saw their deeds." Meaning, at first, when the people of Nineveh returned, it was only remorse but they did not return in deed, to rectify the past sin through action. But after the king's command, God saw all their deeds: that they returned in deed, that they returned the robbery and the extortion in actuality. Therefore God relented concerning the evil. And even though they did not return except from the sin of robbery, not from idolatry, nevertheless, after the decree was sealed for the robbery and this they rectified, He did not do the evil. Meaning, if the evil was prepared to come upon them naturally according to the cosmic arrangement, it would have come upon them even then, for until then they served idols and were under the cosmic arrangement—God would not override nature for idol worshippers. But since from the side of nature the evil was not destined to come upon them, and only God intended to do the evil through providential punishment—and when they returned from the sin of robbery, He did not do it, and left them to conduct themselves according to nature and the cosmic arrangement.