Jonah 3:1

Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Jonah directly at a moment of renewed commission, occurring immediately before the specific directive to go to Nineveh. This follows Jonah’s initial flight and subsequent deliverance, marking a clear break from his first encounter with the divine message.

The words — The phrase דְבַר־יְהוָה (de.var-Yahweh) literally denotes "the word of Yahweh," while שֵׁנִית (sheNit) specifies "a second time." The verb וַיְהִי (va-yehi) functions here to indicate the event of the message being delivered or coming into effect.

The thread — This communication directly mirrors Jonah 1:1, where the word of the LORD first came to Jonah son of Amittai, establishing a structural pattern of repeated prophetic summons. The sequence of renewal after prior resistance also aligns with the restorative commissioning framework seen in John 21:15.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge that divine instruction remains active despite prior disobedience. It demands immediate readiness to receive and execute the forthcoming command without delay or justification.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.