by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, we studied the posting of a guard at our Lord\u2019s tomb because the Jewish authorities recalled that the Lord Jesus, when he was still alive, talked about the sign of Jonah (see Matthew 12:38-42 and its parallel Luke 11:29-32) referring to his claim of resurrection on the third day. So they feared that the disciples would steal the corpse and foist a deception that what had occurred was a raising from the dead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the sign of Jonah is mentioned, most would probably reflexively say that a whale or big fish swallowed the disobedient prophet Jonah and he stayed in its belly for 3 days and 3 nights. What creature did the swallowing? What were the original Hebrew and Greek words used in this story? If we believe in the truthfulness of God\u2019s word in the Bible, then it\u2019s time to briefly revisit this \u201csign of Jonah the prophet\u201d passage by studying the Old Testament (OT) Book of Jonah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Book of Jonah is one of the 12 prophetic books that make up what are called the Minor Prophets. The collection is called \u201cminor\u201d in the sense only that they were comparatively shorter writings compared to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or even Daniel; not because they were of lesser importance nor less inspired. The term came from the Latin \u201cprophetae minores\u201d where \u201cminores\u201d (minor) meant shorter. Scholars believed it originated with or during the time of Augustine when he noted that \u201cLatter Prophets\u201d section of the Nevi’im (Prophets) division of the Hebrew Bible included Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Twelve. In the Hebrew Bible, the collection of the Twelve Prophets was simply called Shneim Aser <\/em>(\u05e9\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05e9\u05e8) meaning \u201ctwelve\u201d in Hebrew or Trei Asar (\u05ea\u05e8\u05d9 \u05e2\u05e9\u05e8), also meaning \u201ctwelve\u201d in Aramaic. In the Septuagint (LXX), the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT, the collection of these 12 prophetic books was called \u03b4\u03c9\u03b4\u03b5\u03ba\u03b1\u03c0\u03c1\u03cc\u03c6\u03b7\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd<\/em> meaning \u201ctwelve prophets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The books of the Minor Prophets apparently concentrate around 3 important periods in OT history: the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians (722 BC); the fall of the southern Kingdom of Judah to Babylon (587\/586 BC), and the period of restoration after Medo-Persia conquered Babylon and allowed the Jewish exiles to return (538-430 BC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Book of Jonah is an anonymous work that contains the story about the prophet Jonah (Hebrew \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cYonah\u201d which means dove) son of Amittai. The name is found 19 times in the OT, all in the Book of Jonah except for 1 occurrence in 2 Kings 14:25. Jonah is thus connected with the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (793-753 BC) and dates his ministry after the time of Elisha and just before the time of Amos and Hosea. Some scholars hold to an uncertain composition date of the book while some have the view that the book was made in the post-exilic period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our immediate interest is the mention of the \u201csign of Jonah the prophet\u201d as mentioned by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 12:39-41 (see also its parallel Luke 11:29-30, 32). The source of this is Jonah 1:17 – 2:1, 10. In context, Jonah is commissioned by the LORD to go to Nineveh, the great city of Assyria and preach there so that the people there could repent. But Jonah instead tried to flee, got into a boat and attempted to sail west to Tarshish (Spain?). A storm struck at sea threatening the entire boat, its crew and all its passengers. The mariners and all prayed to their various gods, drew lots, and Jonah confessed that his fleeing the LORD was the cause of the calamity and asked the sailors to throw him out unto the sea. They ultimately did and the tempest ceased and the sea became calm. It is a familiar story after this: Jonah was swallowed up and he stayed in its belly praying for 3 days and 3 nights before being spit\/vomited out to dry land. He then gets commissioned a second time by the LORD and this time obeys. The Ninevites hear his warnings and repent. The LORD then relents from destroying Nineveh and gives his reluctant prophet an object lesson about God\u2019s grace, mercy, compassion and long-suffering character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Greek of Matthew 12:40, Jonah was in the belly of the \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> \u201ck\u00e9tos\u201d which could mean sea monster<\/mark>. Our Lord Jesus does not use the normal word for fish \u1f30\u03c7\u03b8\u03cd\u03c2<\/em> \u201cichthus\u201d here. In fact, my NASB Study Bible (2000) translates Matthew 12:40 as \u201c\u2026Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster<\/mark>.\u201d The International Standard Version (ISV) translates it as \u201csea creature<\/mark>.\u201d Matthew compared Jonah\u2019s stay in its belly for 3 days and 3 nights with the \u201cSon of Man in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights.\u201d Luke 11:29-30, 32 does not directly mention Jonah being swallowed up by something. Note also that Luke 11:30 uses the phrase \u201cas Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah 1:17 in the Hebrew says that the LORD appointed\/ordained a great fish (\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05a3\u05d2 \u05d2\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05b9\u0594\u05d5\u05dc<\/mark>) to swallow up Jonah and he stayed in the belly of the fish (\u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u0594\u05d2<\/mark>) three (3) days and three (3) nights. Jonah 2:1 continues with the prophet in the belly of the fish (\u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d2\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4<\/mark>). In Jonah 2:10, after the LORD heard the prophet\u2019s prayer, he spoke to the fish (\u05dc\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05a3\u05d2<\/mark>) to spit Jonah out unto dry land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The highlighted Masoretic Text (MT) Hebrew words above seem straightforward and speak of a great fish doing the swallowing of Jonah and the prophet staying in its belly for 3 days and nights. Hence, most English Bible translations use \u201cgreat fish\u201d or \u201cbig fish.\u201d However, when we turn to the Septuagint (LXX) version of Jonah, it uses the word used by Matthew 12:40. The LXX for Jonah 1:17 has \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9<\/mark> \u03bc\u03b5\u03b3\u03ac\u03bb\u1ff3<\/em> \u201cketei megale\u201d meaning a great sea monster\/creature where \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9<\/mark> <\/em>is a grammatical form of \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/mark><\/em>. If we compare Matthew 12:40 and Jonah 1:17 (LXX), we can see that Matthew 12:40 actually quotes Jonah 1:17 verbatim (\u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> is another grammatical form of the Greek noun \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/mark><\/em>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u1f26\u03bd \u1f38\u03c9\u03bd\u1fb6\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u1fc7 \u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03bb\u03af\u1fb3 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f21\u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03bd\u03cd\u03ba\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2<\/em> (Matthew 12:40);<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u1f26\u03bd \u1f38\u03c9\u03bd\u1fb6\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u1fc7 \u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03bb\u03af\u1fb3 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark> \u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f21\u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03bd\u03cd\u03ba\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2<\/em> (Jonah 1:17 LXX).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah 2:1 and 2:10 in the LXX also uses \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> and \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9<\/mark><\/em> forms, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We now know for sure that Matthew used the Septuagint version instead of the Hebrew. The LXX translators may have used an alternate Hebrew manuscript or offered a different interpretation. We are not sure at all what \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> is and from what Hebrew word it was translated. But whether it was an unidentified sea monster\/creature or some big fish, the Lord God has sovereign right to make use of any of his creation to accomplish what he wishes. Some scholars even say that Jonah\u2019s story was a metaphor. And that he actually died at the bottom of the sea and was resuscitated\/resurrected after 3 days and 3 nights! If it was a metaphor, then it truly became a foreshadowing of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in his time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last week, we studied the posting of a guard at our Lord\u2019s tomb because the Jewish authorities recalled that the Lord Jesus, when he was still alive, talked about the sign of Jonah (see Matthew 12:38-42 and its parallel Luke 11:29-32) referring to his claim of resurrection on the third…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,18,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-jesus","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=341"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":342,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341\/revisions\/342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}