The Bible, King James version, Book 32: Jonah — Themes and Context

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In Category - Theology

Authors: Anonymous Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. Jonah Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 4,441

Reading time 20 min

Text sections 1

The source record for The Bible, King James version, Book 32: Jonah — Themes and Context measures this digital text at 4,441 words, 20 min estimated reading time, and 1 detected text section.

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #8032

This editorial note examines the compressed narrative voice and shifting pace in the King James Version of Jonah, focusing on how the text's abrupt transitions between divine command, human evasion, and storm-driven crisis create a distinctive rhythm. Observations are drawn from the opening verses and the shipboard scene.

Editorial Edition Score 4.3/5

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This eBook was produced by David Widger with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992 and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.

32:001:001 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

32:001:002 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

32:001:003 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

32:001:004 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

32:001:005 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

32:001:006 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

32:001:007 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

32:001:008 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

32:001:009 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

32:001:010 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

32:001:011 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

32:001:012 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

32:001:013 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

32:001:014 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

32:001:015 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

32:001:016 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

32:001:017 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

32:002:001 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

32:002:002 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

32:002:003 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

32:002:004 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

32:002:005 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

32:002:006 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

32:002:007 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

32:002:008 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

32:002:009 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

32:002:010 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

32:003:001 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

32:003:002 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

Continue Reading →

The book of Jonah opens with a sequence of rapid commands: the word of the LORD comes, Jonah is told to arise and go, and almost immediately he flees. The King James Version renders this with a series of short, declarative clauses that accelerate the narrative: "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah... Arise, go to Nineveh... But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish." The repetition of "went down" (to Joppa, into the ship, into the sides of the ship) creates a descending motion that mirrors Jonah's attempt to escape divine presence. This downward trajectory is abruptly interrupted by the LORD sending a great wind, shifting the scene from land to sea and from individual action to collective crisis.

Compressed Commands and Immediate Flight

The opening verses establish a pattern of divine imperative followed by human counter-movement. The LORD's instruction to Jonah is terse: "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it." The response is equally swift: "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." The text does not explain Jonah's motives; it simply reports his action. This lack of interiority creates a gap that the reader must fill. The phrase "from the presence of the LORD" recurs, emphasizing that Jonah's flight is not merely geographical but theological. The narrative pace is brisk, with each verse advancing the plot without elaboration.

The Storm Scene: Collective Voices and Individual Silence

Once at sea, the narrative expands. The mariners are given multiple lines of dialogue, each revealing their fear and their attempts to appease their gods. They cry out, cast lots, and question Jonah in a rapid series of queries: "What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?" Jonah's reply is brief: "I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD." The contrast between the mariners' frantic activity and Jonah's passive sleep—"he lay, and was fast asleep"—heightens the tension. The shipmaster's rebuke, "What meanest thou, O sleeper?" underscores Jonah's detachment. The storm itself is described with the repeated phrase "the sea wrought, and was tempestuous," a rhythmic refrain that mirrors the waves' persistence.

Sacrifice and Sudden Calm

The resolution of the storm scene is abrupt. Jonah tells the mariners to cast him into the sea, and they do so after a failed attempt to row to land. The sea immediately ceases from its raging. The mariners then fear the LORD exceedingly and offer a sacrifice. This swift transition from chaos to calm, from pagan fear to worship, mirrors the earlier shift from divine command to flight. The text does not dwell on Jonah's fate; it simply records his being cast forth and the sea's stillness. The narrative economy is striking: the entire episode from storm to sacrifice occupies only a few verses, leaving the reader to contemplate the implications of Jonah's willing sacrifice and the mariners' conversion.

Readers attentive to narrative pace will notice how the King James Version's paratactic style—its reliance on "and" and "but" to link clauses—creates a sense of inevitability. The book's brevity (only four chapters) means that every word carries weight. Pay particular attention to the repeated directional words: "down" (Jonah goes down to Joppa, down into the ship, down into the sides) and "up" (the LORD sends a wind, the mariners take up Jonah). These spatial cues reinforce the theme of descent and ascent that runs through the entire narrative.

I have always marveled at how the storm in Jonah arrives so suddenly, the divine word and the human panic colliding in a few breathless verses. It reminds me of an old, quieter wisdom I found among the misty groves of Celtic religion in pre-Christian times — Text and Context, where nature itself speaks with that same abrupt, holy insistence, yet one settles into it differently—the way sea spray settles on stone.

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William Hess - 1 month ago

While the story of Jonah is compelling, this edition is simply too bare. The KJV language can be difficult for modern readers, and without any annotations or introductions, the context is missing. The book is very short, and the digital formatting doesn't offer any enhancements. If you're looking for a simple text, it's fine, but if you want to understand the book's significance, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Kaitlin Garcia - 2 weeks ago

The Book of Jonah is a compact but profound story, and this KJV version presents it with clarity and power. The narrative of Jonah's reluctance, the whale, and God's mercy is portrayed vividly through the poetic King James prose. It's a timeless lesson on obedience and redemption that remains relevant. This digital edition is well formatted and easy to read, making it a great resource for study or reflection.

Kristina Campbell - 2 weeks ago

The Book of Jonah is a classic story, and this edition faithfully presents the KJV text. I appreciate its brevity and clear narrative. However, the lack of additional resources, such as maps or historical background, diminishes its value as a study aid. The story is straightforward, but a bit of explanation would have enhanced the experience. Still, it's a decent, no-nonsense version for quick reading.