Jonah 3:3
New International Version
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

New Living Translation
This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.

English Standard Version
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.

Berean Standard Bible
This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.

King James Bible
So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

New King James Version
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.

New American Standard Bible
So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk.

NASB 1995
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.

NASB 1977
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.

Amplified Bible
So Jonah went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk [about sixty miles in circumference].

Christian Standard Bible
Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely great city, a three-day walk.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk.

American Standard Version
So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey.

Contemporary English Version
Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh. The city was so big that it took three days just to walk through it.

English Revised Version
So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jonah immediately went to Nineveh as the LORD told him. Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through it.

Good News Translation
So Jonah obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to walk through it.

International Standard Version
So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh to do what the LORD had ordered. Now Nineveh was a very large city, requiring a three-day journey to cross through it.

Majority Standard Bible
This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.

NET Bible
So Jonah went immediately to Nineveh, as the LORD had said. (Now Nineveh was an enormous city--it required three days to walk through it!)

New Heart English Bible
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.

Webster's Bible Translation
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

World English Bible
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Jonah rises, and he goes to Nineveh, according to the word of YHWH. And Nineveh has been a great city before God, a journey of three days.

Young's Literal Translation
and Jonah riseth, and he goeth unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. And Nineveh hath been a great city before God, a journey of three days.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jonah will rise and go to Nineveh according to the word of Jehovah. And Nineveh was a great city to God, the going of three days.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive, according to the word of the Lord: now Ninive was a great city of three days' journey.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Jonah rose, and he went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of three days’ journey.

New American Bible
So Jonah set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it.

New Revised Standard Version
So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city in the presence of God, of three days journey.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yonan stood and he went on to Nineva, according to the word of LORD JEHOVAH, and Nineva the city was great to God, a three days’ journey
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' journey.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jonas arose, and went to Nineve, as the Lord had spoken. Now Nineve was an exceeding great city, of about three days' journey.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonah Preaches to the Ninevites
2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.” 3This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey. 4On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”…

Cross References
Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Jonah 1:2
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”

Nahum 1:1
This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

Zephaniah 2:13
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.

Genesis 10:11-12
From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, / and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.

2 Kings 19:36
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Isaiah 37:37
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Jeremiah 50:17-18
Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” / Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

Ezekiel 31:3
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds.

Matthew 16:4
A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, / but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.

Romans 10:12-13
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, / for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.


Treasury of Scripture

So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.

arose.

Genesis 22:3
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Matthew 21:28,29
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard…

2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

an exceeding great city.

Genesis 30:8
And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

Psalm 36:6
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

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Jonah 3
1. Jonah, sent again, preaches to the Ninevites.
5. Upon their repentance,
10. God relents.














So Jonah arose
The phrase "So Jonah arose" signifies Jonah's immediate obedience to God's command. The Hebrew root for "arose" is קוּם (qum), which often implies not just physical rising but also a readiness to act. This marks a significant turning point in Jonah's narrative, contrasting his previous disobedience. It reflects a heart that has been transformed by God's mercy, emphasizing the importance of repentance and obedience in the believer's life.

and went to Nineveh
"Nineveh" was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, known for its great size and wickedness. The historical context of Nineveh as a powerful and feared city underscores the magnitude of Jonah's mission. The Hebrew word for "went" is הָלַךְ (halak), which conveys a sense of journeying with purpose. Jonah's willingness to go to Nineveh demonstrates his submission to God's will, despite his personal feelings towards the city.

according to the word of the LORD
This phrase highlights Jonah's actions being in direct response to God's command. The "word of the LORD" is a powerful concept throughout Scripture, representing divine authority and truth. The Hebrew term for "word" is דָּבָר (dabar), which can also mean matter or thing, indicating the weight and significance of God's instructions. Jonah's compliance with God's word serves as a model for believers to prioritize divine guidance over personal inclinations.

Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city
The description of Nineveh as an "exceedingly great city" emphasizes its vastness and importance. The Hebrew phrase גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים (gedolah le'Elohim) can be translated as "great to God," suggesting that its significance is not just in size but also in its importance to God's plan. This highlights God's concern for all nations and peoples, regardless of their spiritual state, and His desire for their repentance and salvation.

a three-day journey in extent
The phrase "a three-day journey in extent" indicates the city's large size, requiring three days to traverse. This detail underscores the enormity of Jonah's task and the comprehensive nature of God's message. The number three often symbolizes completeness in the Bible, suggesting that Jonah's mission was thorough and divinely ordained. It serves as a reminder of the vastness of God's mercy and the scope of His redemptive plan for humanity.

(3) Now Nineveh was . . .--The past tense here certainly seems to imply that at the time in which the author wrote the city was no longer in existence, but the force of a Hebrew tense is not to be estimated by the analogy of modern languages.

An exceeding great city.--Literally, A city great to God; an expression equivalent to a divinely great city, and taken, as Ewald thinks, from the language of the people, like the Arabic "to Allah," in the saying "to Allah (i.e., divine) is he that composed this." In the Hebrew poetic and prophetic writings a finer form is found, e.g., "mountains of God," "cedars of God" (Psalm 36:6; Psalm 80:10), "trees of Jehovah" (Psalm 104:16), but in Genesis 10:9 a precisely similar proverbial use shows itself, also belonging to the Mesopotamian region, "Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."

Of three days' journey.--Hitzig takes this as giving the diameter of the city, but most commentators refer it to the circumference. The circuit of the walls was the most obvious measurement to give of an ancient city. Herodotus variously reckons a day's journey at about eighteen or twenty-three miles (v. 53, iv. 101), and the circuit of the irregular quadrangle composed of the mounds of Koujunjik, Nimrud, Karamless, and Khorsabad, now generally allowed to represent ancient Nineveh, is about sixty miles. This agrees sufficiently with the obviously vague and general statement of the text.

Verse 3. - Arose, and went. He was now as prompt to obey as formerly to flee. Was; i.e. when Jonah visited it. Nothing can be argued from the past tense here as to the date of the composition of the book. It is a mere historical detail, and cannot be forced into a proof that Jonah wrote after the destruction of Nineveh. An exceeding great city; literally, a city great to God; πόλις μεγάλη τῷ Θεῷ (Septuagint); great before God - in his estimation, as though even God must acknowledge it. So Nimrod is called (Genesis 10:9) "a mighty hunter before the Lord;" and Moses, in Acts 7:20, is said to have been" beautiful to God." The expression may also mean that God (Elohim, God as Governor of the world) regarded this city with interest, as intended in the Divine counsels to perform an important part. For he is not the God of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles (Romans 3:29). Of three days' journey; i.e. in circumference - about sixty miles (see note on Jonah 1:2). Or the writer may mean that it took Jonah three days to visit the various quarters of this huge place. The area of the vast quadrangle containing the remains of the four cities comprised under the name Nineveh is estimated by Professor Rawlinson at two hundred and sixteen square miles. We ought, however, to omit Khorsabad from this computation, as it was not founded till Sargon's time, B.C. 710.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
This time Jonah
יוֹנָ֗ה (yō·w·nāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3124: Jonah -- an Israelite prophet

got up
וַיָּ֣קָם (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

and went
וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Nineveh
נִֽינְוֶ֖ה‪‬ (nî·nə·weh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5210: Nineveh -- capital of Assyr

in accordance with the word
כִּדְבַ֣ר (kiḏ·ḇar)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the LORD.
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Now Nineveh
וְנִֽינְוֵ֗ה (wə·nî·nə·wêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5210: Nineveh -- capital of Assyr

was
הָיְתָ֤ה (hā·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

an exceedingly
לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

great
גְּדוֹלָה֙ (gə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

city,
עִיר־ (‘îr-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

a three-day
שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת (šə·lō·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

journey [to cross].
מַהֲלַ֖ךְ (ma·hă·laḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4109: A walk, a passage, a distance


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OT Prophets: Jonah 3:3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh (Jon. Jh)
Jonah 3:2
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