Myth and Mimesis in the Psalm of Jonah

The question of whether the psalm of Jonah 2 is integrative or disruptive in its narrative context greatly effects one's interpretation of the book of Jonah as a whole. While the older historical-critical scholars have almost universally concluded that the psalm of Jonah was a disruptive addition to an otherwise coherent narrative, more recent canonical interpreters have tended to argue for its integrative nature. Utilizing the canonical method of interpretation, this article freshly evaluates the issues and argues for the integrative nature of the psalm of Jonah in its narrative context by exploring: 1) comparative vocabulary between psalm and narrative in Jonah; 2) the phenomenon of Hebrew poetry inserted into narrative; 3) the psalm's contribution to the theme of irony in Jonah; 4) the psalm of Jonah in the broader context of the Book of the Twelve; and 5) a rethinking of the problem of Jonah's conflicted character between psalm and narrative.

JSOT 35/3 (2011): 359-374

The book of Jonah has inspired scholarly investigation in diverse perspectives, such as debating its literary category (fable, parable, allegory), analyzing its narrative art (narrator, character roles, modes of speech, scenes), comic interpretation (satire, parody, farce), and ¿nally de¿ning the book of Jonah as an anthology of biblical religious thought (obedience, forgiveness, repentance, providence). This article examines the last perspective, namely, the theological, and, in particular, the concept of providence through several motifs: the sea, the ship, the great ¿sh and behemah ('beast'). The occurrence of these motifs in Psalm 104 (vv. 14, 24-26) and almost all of them in Psalm 8 (vv.

A Dove to the Land of War, 2018

This article contains chapter 2 of the book 'A Dove to the Land of War : The Book of Jonah Translated Word for Word and Explained'.The prophet Jonah is best known for the storm at sea and his stay in the big fish which – after three days – spits him out on dry land. Less well-known is his prayer in the fish, his later performance in the big city of Nineveh and his skirmish with a tabernacle, a miracle-tree, a worm, a scorching east wind and not in the last place with God. But what is the connection between all those incoherent images? They only seem to be gathered to tell an exciting story. And yet it’s evident from the language, the style and the composition, that the book of Jonah has been written very carefully. In this chapter a literary analysis is presented which reveales the literary character of the Book of Jonah as a very constructed short story with a complex structure. Questions are raised not about what really happened to Jonah, but what the writer of this small Bible book could have meant with his imaginative text. Those questions will be answered in the following chapters of the book. Connections with other stories in the Bible and rabbinical literature will be explained by considering the story of Jonah a Midrash-story which updates certain themes from the Torah and the Prophets in the time of the Persian occupation of the land of Israel after the Babylonian exile. An e-book and a paperback edition are for sale at Amazon.com.

Neophilologus, 1973

Among the Archpoet of Cologne's nine complete works, the "Fama tuba" (Grimm, c. II): is unique in its employment of an extended literary allusion. Up to this time, however, critical discussion of this poem has been chiefly directed toward its supposed biographical evidence, while very little has been said about its artistic execution and meaning ~. This paper is intended to correct that deficiency by focusing attention upon the technical use made of the Jonah-figure. In particular, it will explore the following propositions. First, the Jonah myth is employed for comic effect and becomes a device which separates the work itself from whatever personal situation may have formed the background of composition. Furthermore, Jonah is also a means of introducing and maintaining a deeper level of irony which undercuts and corrects the apparent submission of the poem's protagonist. When the Archpoet introduces the biblical allusion at line 19, he calls direct attention to the device itself. Jonah is afiguram satis bonam (20) which will conceal the author's own name and person. It would seem that the author means to draw a distinction between himself and the speakeras-Jonah. This speaker is a created character whose monologue forms the substance of the poem. He, and not the Archpoet, is the "repentant sinner". The artificiality of the extended metaphor is emphasized, and the reader is warned that the speaker's entreaties need not be taken too seriously. The speakei, in his role as repentant sinner, draws an extremely clever parallel between himself and the ancient prophet. As the Hebrew fled from the wrath of his God, so this servant has fled from the anger of his patron. The misfortune in which he now finds himself is a direct consequence of his master's displeasure, even as the storm and the whale were supernaturally ordained visitations upon Jonah. Yet the whale was subject to divine command; likewise, the speaker's present distress can be relieved by one word of pardon. There is a g:eat deal of deliberate parody in the application of the Jonah myth 3. The initial events of the story are summarized in four impertinent lines: Ionam deprehensum sorte reum tempestatis orte, condempnatum a cohorte rnox absorbent ceti porte. (35-38) The great fish is a particular source of fun. The monstrous size of his jaws is caricatured in a later passage: 9 si ceto des mandatum, cetus cuius os est latum more suo dans hiatum vomet vatem decalvatum...

Summary: The book of Jonah is far more than an unusual sea-story. It’s a story about a God who hurls a wind down to the earth in such a way as to stir up a previously undisturbed sea, so as to lead its sailors to hurl/cast lots and subsequently hurl Jonah overboard, just in time to be swallowed by a fish and spewed out on the dry land three days later, all of which has been convened so as to foreshadow Israel’s long history, ultimately to be lived out by God’s own Son in his (Jonah-like) death, resurrection, and acceptance among the Gentiles. Key words: Jonah, Noah, plant, worm, Noah, dove, Peter, Gentiles. Date: Mar. 2021.

Religions, 2018

Jonah 1:13 has a delaying function in the narrative, introducing a pause between Jonah's demand to be thrown in the sea (1:12) and the event's occurrence (1:15). Most commentators discuss only the events of 1:13 and their causes. In this article, I suggest an interpretation of Jonah 1:13 based on the imagery of the narrative. An analysis of the use of metaphors and symbols does not replace the message of the verse; such an analysis simply augments it with motives of the seamen's conversion. Beside the narrative level, there is a hidden level suggesting a deeper understanding of the story where symbols and metaphors have a consolidating function. Distance, directions, and movement in Jonah 1 describe acts with religious connotation. At the same time, the physical action of rowing is a symbolic anticipation of the seamen's conversion. It contains a message about the inner itinerary that leads to the transformation of the sailors. Thereby, I suggest that Jonah 1:13 not only reveals YHWH's plan with Jonah but it also focuses on the sailors and their conversion.