Fascinating Facts About Jonah the Prophet: The Fish, Nineveh, and Hidden Midrashim

Who Was Jonah the Prophet?

The prophet Jonah was the son of the widow who sustained Elijah, and whom Elijah later revived from the dead. (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, ch. 33)

Others say that Jonah was the dead man revived by Elisha after being cast into his grave.

Why Is “Nineveh” Hinted in Jonah’s Name?

The word “Nineveh” (Ninveh) contains the letters of “Yonah” plus the Hebrew letter nun.

This hints to the prophecy that Nineveh would be overturned in forty days, plus the additional ten days it took Jonah to arrive there.

Why Did Jonah Pay Immediately Upon Boarding the Ship?

The verse emphasizes that Jonah “paid its fare” to teach that, out of his intense desire to flee, he paid before even departing.

According to the Talmud, Jonah was wealthy and paid the fare for the entire ship — 4,000 gold dinars — so he could travel alone.

Why Did Jonah Flee From God?

According to the Midrash, Jonah had previously been sent to warn Jerusalem that it would be destroyed. When the people repented and the decree was canceled, people mocked Jonah as a false prophet.

Jonah’s intentions were actually pure and humble. He reasoned from the example of Moses: “If Moses hesitated to go to Pharaoh on behalf of righteous Israel, then certainly I — being sent to rebuke wicked people — should hesitate as well.”

Why Was the Storm So Unique?

The verse says God cast a “great wind” upon the sea.

The commentators explain that the sailors tried steering toward shore so the ship would crash against rocks rather than sink in the depths, but the storm prevented them from approaching land.

Another Midrash says the sea was storming only around Jonah’s ship, while nearby ships sailed peacefully. The sailors could literally see other vessels traveling calmly while only they were trapped in chaos.

How Could Jonah Sleep During the Storm?

Jonah fell asleep from overwhelming sorrow and emotional anguish.

Why Did the Sailors Interrogate Jonah?

The sailors questioned Jonah extensively because they wondered whether he descended from wicked parents whose sins were being visited upon their children.

Another explanation notes that the unusual word “ba’asher” hints to Joseph, who fled from Potiphar’s wife. Since the Red Sea split for Joseph’s descendants, the sailors wondered whether Jonah too possessed such merit that the sea might calm because of him.

How Reluctant Were the Sailors to Throw Jonah Overboard?

The sailors desperately tried to avoid casting Jonah into the sea.

First:

• They threw the cargo overboard.

• Then they attempted rowing back to shore.

Even when Jonah told them to throw him in, they hesitated:

• They lowered him only to his knees — and the sea calmed.

• They pulled him back aboard — and the storm resumed.

• Then to his waist.

• Then to his neck.

Each time the sea calmed temporarily and then raged again when they brought him back aboard, until finally they fully cast him into the sea and the waters became still.

What Happened Inside the Fish?

The great fish showed Jonah:

• The place where the Red Sea split.

• The sons of Korach praying beneath the sea.

Jonah remained in the fish for three days and nights without praying.

God then said: “I gave him a spacious place inside a male fish so he would not suffer, yet he does not pray?”

So God sent a pregnant female fish, where Jonah experienced terrible suffering:

• Extreme heat

• Burning of his clothing and hair

• Fleas and insects tormenting him

Only then did Jonah finally pray, because God desires the prayers of the righteous.

Jonah’s Wife

One commentary notes that Jonah’s wife was exceptional because she would make pilgrimage journeys to Jerusalem even though women were not obligated in that mitzvah.

What Creature Swallowed Jonah?

Some explain that the fish was a unique sea creature that swallows its young to protect them from danger and later spits them out elsewhere.

Others identify it as the legendary Leviathan.

One source even describes the Leviathan as having 350 tooth-like structures on each side of its mouth.

How Long Did Jonah Live?

According to one tradition, Jonah lived 102 years after beginning his prophetic mission.

How Great Was Nineveh?

Nineveh was considered the largest city in the world at the time.

Why Did the King of Nineveh Repent?

The king of Nineveh was inspired to repent after hearing the sailors’ account of the miracle that happened to Jonah.

The Extraordinary Repentance of Nineveh

The king decreed a three-day fast.

To awaken mercy and heartfelt prayer:

• Men and women were separated.

• Mothers were separated from their children.

• Even animals were separated from their young.

The cries and anguish were so intense that God relented from the decree.

However, according to the Midrash, after forty days the people eventually returned to even worse behavior than before.

Jonah’s Deep Emotional Pain

After God spared Nineveh, Jonah became overwhelmed with sorrow and emotional suffering. According to Abarbanel, he became physically ill from grief and wished to die.

How Did Jonah Know God Is Merciful?

Jonah already knew from experience that God is compassionate and relents from punishment when people repent.

He had previously delivered prophecies of destruction against Jerusalem, only to see God cancel the decrees after the people repented.

What Happened to Jonah at the End of His Life?

One mystical tradition teaches that Jonah entered Gan Eden alive, just like Elijah.