Clarke's Bible Commentary - Jonah 3:4
Verse 4. Yet forty days] Both the Septuagint and Arabic read three days. Probably some early copyist of the Septuagint, from whom our modern editions are derived, mistook the Greek numerals m forty for g three; or put the three days' journey in preaching instead of the forty days mentioned in the denunciation. One of Kennicott's MSS., instead of µy[bra arbaim, forty, has µyŤlŤ sheloshim, thirty: but the Hebrew text is undoubtedly the true reading; and it is followed by all the ancient versions, the Septuagint and Vulgate excepted. thus God gives them time to think, reflect, take counsel, and return to him. Had they only three days' space, the denunciation would have so completely confounded them, as to excite nothing but terror, and prevent repentance and conversion.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey , etc.] As soon as he came to it, he did not go into an inn, to refresh himself after his wearisome journey; or spend his time in gazing upon the city, and to observe its structure, and the curiosities of it; but immediately sets about his work, and proclaims what he was bid to do; and before he could finish one day’s journey, he had no need to proceed any further, the whole city was alarmed with his preaching, was terrified with it, and brought to repentance by it: and he cried ; as he went along; he lifted up his voice like a trumpet, that everyone might hear; he did not mutter it out, as if afraid to deliver his message, but cried aloud in the hearing of all; and very probably now and then made a stop in the streets, where there was a concourse of people, or where more streets met, and there, as a herald, proclaimed what he had to say: and said, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown ; not by a foreign army besieging and taking it, which was not probable to be done in such a space of time, but by the immediate power of God; either by fire from heaven, as he overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, their works being like theirs, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, or by an earthquake; that is, within forty days, or at the end of forty days, as the Targum; not exceeding such a space, which was granted for their repentance, which is implied, though not expressed; and must be understood with this proviso, except it repented, for otherwise why is any time fixed? and why have they warning given them, or the prophet sent to them? and why were they not destroyed at once, as Sodom and Gomorrah, without any notice? doubtless, so it would have been, had not this been the case. The Septuagint version very wrongly reads, “yet three days”, etc. and as wrongly does Josephus make Jonah to say, that in a short time they would lose the empire of Asia, when only the destruction of Nineveh is threatened; though, indeed, that loss followed upon it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - God employs Jonah again in his service. His making use of us is a evidence of his being at peace with us. Jonah was not disobedient, a he had been. He neither endeavoured to avoid hearing the command, no declined to obey it. See here the nature of repentance; it is the change of our mind and way, and a return to our work and duty. Also the benefit of affliction; it brings those back to their place who ha deserted it. See the power of Divine grace, for affliction of itsel would rather drive men from God, than draw them to him. God's servant must go where he sends them, come when he calls them, and do what he bids them; we must do whatever the word of the Lord commands. Jona faithfully and boldly delivered his errand. Whether Jonah said more, to show the anger of God against them, or whether he only repeated thes words again and again, is not certain, but this was the purport of his message. Forty days is a long time for a righteous God to dela judgments, yet it is but a little time for an unrighteous people to repent and reform in. And should it not awaken us to get ready for death, to consider that we cannot be so sure that we shall live fort days, as Nineveh then was that it should stand forty days? We should be alarmed if we were sure not to live a month, yet we are careless thoug we are not sure to live a day.
Original Hebrew
ויחל 2490 יונה 3124 לבוא 935 בעיר 5892 מהלך 4109 יום 3117 אחד 259 ויקרא 7121 ויאמר 559 עוד 5750 ארבעים 705 יום 3117 ונינוה 5210 נהפכת׃ 2015
