The big picture
Jonah 3 opens in verse 1 with “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from…”, and closes in verse 10 with “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the…” Repeated or prominent terms include Nineveh, city, evil, Jonah, sackcloth. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jonah · King James Version · 10Jonah 3:1-5
1–5: The word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
Jonah 3:1–5 opens with “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,” and reaches “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jonah entering the immense city and announcing the coming judgment; Nineveh’s people, leaders, and households responding with fasting and repentance, with particular weight carried by Nineveh, city, Jonah.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,” Naming Jonah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jonah 3:1-5
King James Version1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD . Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5So 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.
Jonah 3:6-10
6–10: For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne…
Jonah 3:6–10 opens with “For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from…” and reaches “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jonah entering the immense city and announcing the coming judgment; Nineveh’s people, leaders, and households responding with fasting and repentance, with particular weight carried by evil, turn, beast.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Jonah 3:6-10
King James Version6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jonah 3:1 begins with “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Jonah 3:8 forms a natural hinge: “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is…”
The final note
Jonah 3:10 leaves the reader with “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Nineveh, city, evil, Jonah, sackcloth, turn help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does blame move through the conversation?
The man points to the woman and indirectly to God; the woman points to the serpent. Neither response repairs trust.
Where does mercy appear?
Continued life, the promise involving offspring, and clothing accompany the expulsion.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.