Category Archives: Jonah

Why I Have a Love/Hate Relationship with the Book of Jonah

Posted on January 10, 2014 by

Those of you that read this blog on a regular basis know that I post a lot about the book of Jonah. I thought it might be helpful if I explain why. First, my Master of Theology thesis topic is … Continue reading →

Posted in Hebrew, Jonah, Old Testament Studies | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Why Jonah Fled: Thoughts from Malbim

Posted on December 30, 2013 by

Malbim, short for Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel, was a Jewish rabbi who lived from 1809-1879. Malbim was one of the first Jewish commentators to comment on the whole Old Testament since the Middle Ages. While Malbim’s comments on why … Continue reading →

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Abraham, Jonah, and Sodom: Abarbanel’s Take

Posted on December 29, 2013 by

In a previous post, Jonah and Nineveh or Nineveh and Sodom, I made the observation that the Septuagint may have strengthened connections between the Jonah narrative and the narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis. In light of this … Continue reading →

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What Happens When Dad Studies the OT?

Posted on December 21, 2013 by

Yesterday, Mary Beth and I went to Goodwill to pick up some books for baby Elijah. We came across The Story of Jonah: An Alice in Bibleland Storybook.  Of course, yours truly read through the story before buying. I wasn’t surprised … Continue reading →

Posted in Jonah, Life | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Why Jonah Fled: Isaac Abarbanel

Posted on December 17, 2013 by

This post is a continuation of the previous one. I have been reading Steven Bob’s Go to Nineveh: Medieval Jewish Commentaries on the Book of Jonah. So far I have read Bob’s translation and explanation of Rashi, Abraham Ibn Ezra, and … Continue reading →

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Rashi on Why Jonah Fled

Posted on December 17, 2013 by

Why did Jonah flee from the presence of the Lord, refusing to go to Nineveh? Jonah 4:2 makes it clear that he fled because he knew that God is a gracious and merciful God, that He would repent of his … Continue reading →

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The Literary Complexity of Jonah 1:4c

Posted on July 10, 2013 by

Yesterday, in my studies, I was struck by the level of complexity present in Jonah 1:4c. The clause reads וְהָ֣אֳנִיָּ֔ה חִשְּׁבָ֖ה לְהִשָּׁבֵֽר, “And the ship considered/thought about breaking apart.” Commentators seemingly across the board make the following claims about this three … Continue reading →

Posted in Hebrew, Jonah, Literary Analysis | Tagged | 5 Comments

LXX Translation of the Hebrew רעע in Jonah

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

The Septuagint translator handles God’s repentance with great caution. Up until Jonah 3:8, he consistently renders רעע, “evil, disaster, calamity”, with κακός, “evil, bad, trouble”. This stereotypical rendering breaks down in chapter three and four. The chart below contains all … Continue reading →

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Art in the LXX Jonah Psalm

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

Two clauses caught my attention as I began my work in Jonah 2 today. Turn with me in your Hebrew and Greek texts. Jonah 2:4 in the Hebrew text reads:  וְנָהָ֖ר יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי and the river surrounded me :Jonah 2:4 in … Continue reading →

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Septuagint Jonah 1:1-3 and 3:1-3 Compared

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Here is another snippet from my paper on the information structure of Septuagint Jonah. This part belongs in my discussion of the book’s macrostructure. Enjoy! [As a side note: I apologize in advance for the formatting of the Greek text. … Continue reading →

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