Original Word: Ἰωνᾶς
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Iónas
Pronunciation: ee-o-NAHS
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-o-nas')
KJV: Jonas
NASB: Jonah
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H3124 (יוֹנָה - Jonah))]

1. Jonas (i.e. Jonah), the name of two Israelites

Jonas.

Of Hebrew origin (Yonah); Jonas (i.e. Jonah), the name of two Israelites -- Jonas.

see HEBREW Yonah

Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Yonah
Definition
Jonah, an Isr. prophet
NASB Translation
Jonah (9).

STRONGS NT 2495: Ἰωνᾶς

Ἰωνᾶς, Ἰωνᾶ (Buttmann, 20 (17f)), ὁ (יונָה a dove), Jonah (or Jonas);

1. Jonah, the O. T. prophet, a native of Gath-hepher in the tribe of Zebulun. He lived during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel (2 Kings 14:25). The narrative of his miraculous experiences, constructed for a didactic purpose, is given in the book which bears his name (on the historic character of which cf. B. D. (especially Arh. edition) or McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia, under the word; also Ladd, Doctr. of Sacr. Script. i. 65ff): Matthew 12:39-41; Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29ff,.

2. Jonah (or Jonas), a fisherman, father of the apostle Peter: Matthew 16:17 (L T WH here Βαριωνᾶ, see βαριωνας); John 1:42 (43) (R G L marginal reading Tr marginal reading, and R G in) John 21:15,(16,17) (see Ἰωάννης, 3).

Identity and Old Testament Background

Jonah, son of Amittai, ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25) and is remembered chiefly for his reluctant mission to Nineveh recorded in the Book of Jonah. His flight, miraculous preservation in the great fish, proclamation to a pagan city, and the resulting city-wide repentance display the boundless reach of God’s mercy and the certainty of divine judgment when repentance is refused.

Occurrences in the New Testament

The name appears nine times, all on the lips of Jesus: Matthew 12:39, 40, 41; Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30, 32. These texts form two parallel blocks—Matthew 12 and Luke 11—and a brief reiteration in Matthew 16. Each occurrence contrasts Jonah with Jesus and sets Jonah’s experience as a prophetic sign.

The Sign of Jonah and the Resurrection of Christ

Matthew 12:40: “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jonah’s confinement and deliverance prefigure Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The historical event in Jonah becomes typology: God’s power to deliver from the depths anticipates the empty tomb. Christ offers this as the decisive proof of His authority, rendering additional “signs” unnecessary.

A Prophet to the Nations

Jonah’s preaching moved Gentile Nineveh to repent; Jesus stresses this in Matthew 12:41 and Luke 11:32. In both passages the men of Nineveh will “stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it.” The universal scope of the gospel is thus anchored in Old Testament precedent: God’s compassion extends beyond Israel, and repentance, not ethnicity, marks those who escape judgment.

Repentance, Judgment, and Mercy

Jonah’s message was a blunt warning—“Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” (Jonah 3:4). Yet the city’s response demonstrates that judgment can be averted through contrition. Jesus cites this history to expose the hardness of His contemporaries, who, despite seeing miracles surpassing Jonah’s sign, remained impenitent. The lesson presses every generation to respond swiftly to divine warnings.

Christological Supersession: One Greater Than Jonah

Luke 11:32 concludes, “and now One greater than Jonah is here.” Jonah foreshadowed; Jesus fulfills. Jonah preached reluctantly, Jesus willingly. Jonah emerged alive against his will; Jesus laid down His life and took it up again by His own authority. Jonah’s message spared a city temporarily; Jesus’ gospel secures eternal salvation. The progression from lesser to greater underscores the supremacy of Christ’s person and work.

Lessons for Contemporary Ministry

• Obedience: Jonah fled, yet God pursued. Ministers must heed God’s call without evasion.
• Compassion: The Lord’s pity for Nineveh uncovers His heart for all peoples; mission must remain outward-looking.
• The centrality of resurrection: Effective proclamation rests on the historic reality that Jesus rose, the ultimate “sign.”
• Urgency of repentance: Listeners who enjoy greater revelation than Nineveh bear greater responsibility.
• God’s sovereignty: He appoints storms, fish, plants, and worms to accomplish His purposes; likewise, He orchestrates circumstances today for redemptive ends.

Summary

Jonah’s name in the New Testament functions almost exclusively as a signpost to Jesus Christ—His death, burial, resurrection, and majestic superiority. The Ninevites’ response highlights God’s universal mercy and the non-negotiable call to repent. For the church, Jonah remains both a warning against hard-heartedness and a summons to carry the word of life to the ends of the earth.

Ιωνα Ἰωνᾶ Ιωνας Ἰωνᾶς Iona Ionâ Iōna Iōnâ Ionas Ionâs Iōnas IōnâsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts