Original Word: יוֹנָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yonah
Pronunciation: yo-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (yo-naw')
KJV: Jonah
NASB: Jonah, Jonah's
Word Origin: [the same as H3123 (יוֹנָה - dove)]

1. Jonah, an Israelite

Jonah

The same as yownah; Jonah, an Israelite -- Jonah.

see HEBREW yownah

Word Origin
from the same as yonah
Definition
an Isr. prophet
NASB Translation
Jonah (18), Jonah's (1).

II. יוֺנָה proper name, masculine prophet, according to 2 Kings 14:25 he was הַנָּבִיא son of אֲמִתַּי, from גַּת הַחֵפֶר and predicted the recovery of Israel's territory which Jeroboam II effected; he is also the principal figure of the Book of Jonah: 2 Kings 1:1 (בֶּןאֲֿמִתַּי), 2 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 1:5; 2 Kings 1:7; 2 Kings 1:15; 2 Kings 2:1 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 2:2,11; 2 Kings 3:1,3,4; 2 Kings 4:1,5,6 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 4:8,9.

III. הַיּוֺנָה see יָנָה Participle

Name and Symbolism

Yonah, rendered “Jonah” in English translations, carries the basic sense of “dove.” The dove in Scripture often signifies peace (Genesis 8:11), gentle innocence (Matthew 10:16), and the Spirit’s activity (Matthew 3:16). Jonah’s ministry exposes a striking irony: the prophet bearing a name linked with peace initially flees from the very commission that would extend peace to the violent city of Nineveh.

Canonical Occurrences

The name appears nineteen times, once in 2 Kings 14:25 and eighteen times in the book that bears Jonah’s name (Jonah 1:1–4:9). In every case the reference is to the eighth-century northern prophet, son of Amittai. Each mention contributes to a cohesive portrait of a real historical figure whose life and message are divinely interwoven with Israel’s and Assyria’s destinies.

Historical Setting

2 Kings 14:25 situates Jonah in the reign of Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.). “He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher”. Jonah thus stands alongside contemporaries such as Amos and Hosea, witnessing both God’s patience with Israel’s idolatry and His wider concern for Gentile nations.

Prophetic Ministry to Israel

Jonah’s oracle recorded in 2 Kings centers on territorial restoration, demonstrating God’s mercy toward an undeserving northern kingdom. The fulfillment under Jeroboam II verifies Jonah as a genuine prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22) and provides the historical backdrop for the narrative in the Book of Jonah, where the prophet himself struggles to accept that God’s compassion extends beyond Israel.

Flight, Discipline, and Restoration (Jonah 1–2)

When commanded, “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it” (Jonah 1:2), Jonah sails in the opposite direction, embodying Israel’s broader tendency to resist God’s missionary purpose. The violent storm, the casting of lots, and Jonah’s descent into the sea underscore divine sovereignty. “The LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). Inside the fish he prays a psalm of thanksgiving culminating in the confession, “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). God then commands the fish, and Jonah is delivered (Jonah 2:10).

Preaching to Nineveh and the City’s Repentance (Jonah 3)

After Jonah is recommissioned, “Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh” (Jonah 3:3). His seemingly terse proclamation—“Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!” (Jonah 3:4)—results in city-wide repentance, from king to livestock. The episode demonstrates the efficacy of simple, Spirit-empowered preaching and God’s readiness to relent when sinners humble themselves (Jeremiah 18:7-8).

Jonah’s Anger and God’s Object Lesson (Jonah 4)

Jonah reacts: “But to Jonah this greatly displeased and he became angry” (Jonah 4:1). God’s appointment of a plant, a worm, and a scorching east wind (Jonah 4:6-8) illustrates His sovereign right to show compassion. The book closes with a divine question that leaves readers confronting their own attitudes toward God’s mercy: “Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, with more than one hundred twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish between their right and left, as well as many animals?” (Jonah 4:11).

Christological Significance

Jesus authenticated both the historicity of Jonah and the typological significance of his three days in the fish: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Jonah thus serves as a prophetic sign pointing to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and to the global reach of the gospel.

Geographical Note: Gath-hepher

Jonah hailed from Gath-hepher in Galilee (2 Kings 14:25). This refutes later Jewish claims that no prophet arises from Galilee (John 7:52) and underscores the consistency of the biblical record.

Key Themes and Theology

• God’s Sovereignty: The storm, the lot, the fish, the plant, the worm, and the wind all obey His command.

• Universal Mercy: God seeks repentance from Gentile Nineveh as earnestly as from covenant Israel.

• Human Resistance: Jonah mirrors Israel’s reluctance to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6).

• True Repentance: Nineveh’s response demonstrates that heartfelt humility can avert judgment (Jonah 3:10).

• Resurrection Hope: Jonah’s deliverance prefigures Christ’s victory over death, affirming the gospel’s central miracle.

Legacy in Jewish and Christian Tradition

Synagogue lectionaries read Jonah on Yom Kippur, reminding worshipers of God’s forgiving nature. Early church fathers cited Jonah as a type of Christ and as a model for missions. The narrative continues to challenge believers to join God in His compassionate pursuit of all peoples.

Practical Applications for Ministry

1. Proclaim the Word faithfully, trusting its power rather than eloquence or volume.
2. Guard against nationalism or prejudice that would limit the scope of evangelism.
3. Remember that discipline is restorative; God’s chastening storms aim to re-align hearts.
4. Rest in the assurance that no sinner or city is beyond God’s reach.

Yonah’s nineteen Old Testament appearances trace the arc of a reluctant prophet transformed by sovereign grace, leaving a timeless summons to participate joyfully in God’s redemptive mission.

וְיוֹנָ֗ה ויונה יוֹנָ֑ה יוֹנָ֔ה יוֹנָ֖ה יוֹנָ֗ה יוֹנָ֛ה יוֹנָ֤ה יוֹנָ֥ה יוֹנָֽה׃ יוֹנָה֙ יונה יונה׃ לְיוֹנָ֗ה ליונה lə·yō·w·nāh leyoNah ləyōwnāh veyoNah wə·yō·w·nāh wəyōwnāh yō·w·nāh yoNah yōwnāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts