Jonah 3:5
"So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

So the people of Nineveh believed God,.... Or "in God" (r): in the word of the Lord, as the Targum; they believed there was a God, and that he, in whose name Jonah came, was the true God; they believed the word the prophet spake was not the word of man, but, the word of God; faith came by hearing the word, which is the spring of true

repentance, and the root of all good works. Kimchi and R. Jeshuah, in Aben Ezra, suppose that the men of the ship, in which Jonah had been, were at Nineveh; and these testified that they had cast him into the sea, and declared the whole affair concerning him; and this served greatly to engage their attention to him, and believe what he said: but this is not certain; and, besides, their faith was the effect of the divine power that went along with the preaching of Jonah, and not owing to the persuasion of men; and proclaimed a fast; not of themselves, but by the order of their king, as follows; though Kimchi thinks this was before that: and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them; both, with respect to rank and age, so universal were their fasting and mourning; in token of which they stripped themselves of their common and rich apparel, and clothed themselves with sackcloth; as was usual in extraordinary cases of mourning, not only with the Jews, but other nations. (Jonah would be a quite a sight to behold. The digestive juices of the fish would have turned his skin to a most unnatural colour and his hair was most like all gone. Indeed, anyone looking like that would attract your attention and give his message more credence, especially after he told you what had happened to him. A God who creates storms, prepares large fish to swallow a man and preserves him in the fish, would not likely have too much trouble destroying your city. Editor) (r) "in Deum", V. L.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (11 words)

H0539 אָמַן
Definition:

1,5;Esther 2:7,2as substantivefoster-fatherNumbers 11:12(J)Isaiah 49:23.3אֹמֶנֶתfoster-mother, nurseRuth 4:16;2 Samuel 4:4.4אֹמְנוֺתpillars, supporters of the door2 Kings 18:16. Participlepassivea.הָא 1,5;Esther 2:7,2as substantivefoster-fatherNumbers 11:12(J)Isaiah 49:23.3אֹמֶנֶתfoster-mother, nurseRuth 4:16;2 Samuel 4:4.4אֹמְנוֺתpillars, supporters of the door2 Kings 18:16. Participlepassivea.הָא

Possible Meanings:
  • trust (semantic_range)
H0376 אִישׁ
Definition:

23+; constructGenesis 25:27+; suffixאִישִׁיGenesis 29:32+, etc.; pluralאִישִׁיםPsalm 141:42t. (Phoenicianאשם); usuallyאֲנָשִׁיםGenesis 12:20+, from √אנשׁq. v.; constructאַנְשֵׁיJudges 6:27+; suffixאֲנ 23+; constructGenesis 25:27+; suffixאִישִׁיGenesis 29:32+, etc.; pluralאִישִׁיםPsalm 141:42t. (Phoenicianאשם); usuallyאֲנָשִׁיםGenesis 12:20+, from √אנשׁq. v.; constructאַנְשֵׁיJudges 6:27+; suffixאֲנ

Possible Meanings:
  • man (semantic_range)
H5210 נִינְוֵה
Definition:

11,12 (J),2 Kings 19:36=Isaiah 37:37;Nahum 1:1;Nahum 2:9;Nahum 3:7;Zephaniah 2:13;Jonah 1:2;Jonah 3:3a;Jonah 3:4,5,6,7, calledהָעִיר הַגְּדוֺלָהJonah 3:3a 3bJonah 4:11(compare 3aJonah 3:4f.);ᵐ5Νινευη, 11,12 (J),2 Kings 19:36=Isaiah 37:37;Nahum 1:1;Nahum 2:9;Nahum 3:7;Zephaniah 2:13;Jonah 1:2;Jonah 3:3a;Jonah 3:4,5,6,7, calledהָעִיר הַגְּדוֺלָהJonah 3:3a 3bJonah 4:11(compare 3aJonah 3:4f.);ᵐ5Νινευη,

Possible Meanings:
  • Nineveh (semantic_range)
H0430 אֱלהִים
Definition:

33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power 33; on number of occurrences ofאֵל,אֱלוֺהַּ,אֱלֹהִיםcompare also Nesl. c,)1pluralin number.a.rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power

Possible Meanings:
  • divine ones (semantic_range)
  • angels (semantic_range)
  • gods (semantic_range)
H7121 קָרָא
Definition:

9+, 3 feminine singular consecutiveוְקָרָזתIsaiah 7:14(Ges§ 74g); 2 masculine singularקָרָאתָJudges 12:1+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִקְרָאGenesis 2:19+; suffixיִקְרְאוֺJeremiah 23:6,אֵהוּ-Isa 9+, 3 feminine singular consecutiveוְקָרָזתIsaiah 7:14(Ges§ 74g); 2 masculine singularקָרָאתָJudges 12:1+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִקְרָאGenesis 2:19+; suffixיִקְרְאוֺJeremiah 23:6,אֵהוּ-Isa

Possible Meanings:
  • call (semantic_range)
  • read out (semantic_range)
  • aloud (semantic_range)
  • call (semantic_range)
  • proclaim (semantic_range)
H6685 צוֹם
Definition:

5fasting, fast; —׳צabsolute2 Samuel 12:16+, constructZechariah 8:19(4 t.); suffixצֹמְכֶםIsaiah 58:3; pluralצוֺמוֺתEsther 9:31; —fast, as accusative of congnate meaning with verb2 Samuel 12:16; public 5fasting, fast; —׳צabsolute2 Samuel 12:16+, constructZechariah 8:19(4 t.); suffixצֹמְכֶםIsaiah 58:3; pluralצוֺמוֺתEsther 9:31; —fast, as accusative of congnate meaning with verb2 Samuel 12:16; public

H3847 לָבַשׁ
Definition:

1(twice in verse),לָבַשׁJob 7:52t.,וְלָבַשׁ(consecutive)Leviticus 6:33t.; suffixוּלְבָשֵׁם(consecutive)Leviticus 16:4; 3feminine singularלָֽבְשָׁהJudges 6:342t., etc. (Ezekiel 42:14 read probablyוְלָֽ 1(twice in verse),לָבַשׁJob 7:52t.,וְלָבַשׁ(consecutive)Leviticus 6:33t.; suffixוּלְבָשֵׁם(consecutive)Leviticus 16:4; 3feminine singularלָֽבְשָׁהJudges 6:342t., etc. (Ezekiel 42:14 read probablyוְלָֽ

Possible Meanings:
  • be clothed (semantic_range)
  • clothe (semantic_range)
H8242 שַׂק
Definition:

4sack, sackcloth(see SchwZAW xi (1891), 173who conjectures Egyptian origin; Late Hebrewסַקsackcloth(rare); Assyrianša‡‡u,sack(DlHWB 687 a),sackcloth(WklAltor. Forsch, vi. 44); Ethiopic= Biblical Hebre 4sack, sackcloth(see SchwZAW xi (1891), 173who conjectures Egyptian origin; Late Hebrewסַקsackcloth(rare); Assyrianša‡‡u,sack(DlHWB 687 a),sackcloth(WklAltor. Forsch, vi. 44); Ethiopic= Biblical Hebre

Possible Meanings:
  • leg (semantic_range)
H1419 גָּדוֹל
Definition:

13 279t.;גָּדֹלDeuteronomy 26:822t.; constructגְּדוֺלEzekiel 17:3,7;Jeremiah 32:19,גְּדָלֿProverbs 19:19,גְּדָו֯לֿPsalm 145:8;Nahum 1:3; suffixגְּדוֺלָםJeremiah 6:132t.; pluralגְּדוֺלִיםExodus 7:411t. 13 279t.;גָּדֹלDeuteronomy 26:822t.; constructגְּדוֺלEzekiel 17:3,7;Jeremiah 32:19,גְּדָלֿProverbs 19:19,גְּדָו֯לֿPsalm 145:8;Nahum 1:3; suffixגְּדוֺלָםJeremiah 6:132t.; pluralגְּדוֺלִיםExodus 7:411t.

Possible Meanings:
  • great (semantic_range)
  • loud (semantic_range)
  • do great things (semantic_range)
  • greatness (semantic_range)
H5704 עַד
Definition:

20,24;Psalm 104:23;Psalm 147:6;Job 7:4;Job 20:5, and inעֲדֵי עַדIsaiah 26:4;Isaiah 65:18;Psalm 83:18;Psalm 92:8;Psalm 132:12;Psalm 132:14:compareאֱלֵי,עֲלֵי),prepositionas far as, even to, up to, unti 20,24;Psalm 104:23;Psalm 147:6;Job 7:4;Job 20:5, and inעֲדֵי עַדIsaiah 26:4;Isaiah 65:18;Psalm 83:18;Psalm 92:8;Psalm 132:12;Psalm 132:14:compareאֱלֵי,עֲלֵי),prepositionas far as, even to, up to, unti

Possible Meanings:
  • until (semantic_range)
H6996 קָטָן
Definition:

Or qaton {kaw-tone'}; fromquwt; abbreviated, i.e. Diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance) -- least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantit Or qaton {kaw-tone'}; fromquwt; abbreviated, i.e. Diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance) -- least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantit

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