King James Bible

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Jonah

3

:

4

And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
And Jonah Jonah Noun H3124 יֹונָה֙ yo·v·nah
began begin Verb H2490 וַיָּ֤חֶל vai·ya·chel
to enter abide Verb H935 לָבֹ֣וא la·vo·v
into the city Ai Noun H5892 בָעִ֔יר va·'ir,
a a Adjective H259 אֶחָ֑ד e·chad;
day's age Noun H3117 יֹ֣ום yo·vm
journey journey Noun H4109 מַהֲלַ֖ךְ ma·ha·lach
and he cried bewray Verb H7121 וַיִּקְרָא֙ vai·yik·ra
and said answer Verb H559 וַיֹּאמַ֔ר vai·yo·mar,
Yet again sub H5750 עֹ֚וד o·vd
Yet forty forty Noun H705 אַרְבָּעִ֣ים ar·ba·'im
Analysis:

Forty: Transition or change

Often people will speak of the number forty as a generational number. There is no evidence for such an interpretation from the Scripture. The number 40 expresses a change or transition. The examples for such a view are seen throughout both the Old and New Covenants. 

  • It rained for 40 days in the days of Noah (see Genesis 7:12). These rains brought about a transition; HaShem would begin the world again with the family of Noah. 
  • Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (see Exodus 34:28). Although this was the second time Moses went up to the mountain, it was this time that the Law was actually given to the Children of Israel and a transition was made to Israel being commanded to observe the Law.
  • Yeshua was tested in the mountains of Judah for 40 days and 40 nights (see Matthew 4:2) and afterwards He began His ministry. Hence, a transition was made from when Yeshua did not minister to the time when He began to fulfill His Father's will in a formal way.
  • After the resurrection, Yeshua appeared for 40 days (Acts 1:3) and He ascended into the heavens. Yeshua's earthly ministry had finished and there was a transition to His disciples carrying on His work.
  • In the account of Absalom, the reader is told that at the end of 40 years (see 2 Samuel 15:7), Absalom requested permission to go to Hebron from his father. Although he said that he wanted to pay his vows, this was said so he could depart and begin his rebellion against David, his father. Why is 40 years mentioned? To what does the 40 years refer? Some commentaries say the 40 years was from when Saul began the monarchy. Whether this is true or not is undetermined. However, what is for sure is that there was a transition in the leadership of Israel. The number 40 appears in verse 7 to assist the reader in identifying this change in leadership.

Numerous other examples could be provided, but these few sufficiently demonstrate the meaning and use of the number 40 in the Scriptures. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

days age Noun H3117 יֹ֔ום yo·vm,
and Nineveh Nineveh Noun H5210 וְנִֽינְוֵ֖ה ve·ni·ne·veh
Analysis:

Nine: Work, deed, outcome, result…

The number nine is understood in Judaism to express the concept of work, deed, outcome or result. A common illustration that is offered is a woman is pregnant for nine months and then the outcome / result of this pregnancy is manifested. Although the number appears several times in the Old Covenant, in general it is used to simply express an allotment of time; that is, something that happened in the ninth year. It is when one considers the appearance of the number nine in the New Covenant that the interpretation for the number becomes clear. In the book of Luke, Yeshua ministers to ten lepers. As these ten lepers obey Yeshua's command to go and show themselves to the priests, they were healed. Only one of those who were healed went back to thank Yeshua. The nine apparently continued on towards the priests. The point is that the one leper who returned to Yeshua really was the only one who was changed; the nine were only healed outwardly. Biblically, leprosy is not the disease that most of the world usually assumes, a natural skin ailment that is highly contagious. In the Bible, leprosy is also highly contagious, but its cause is pride and unkind speech. Hence, it was the one who returned to Yeshua that really had been healed not only outwardly, but inwardly too, as he did not think of only being pronounced clean by the priests, but first he wanted to thank Yeshua. Thanksgiving is an act of humility and not pride. The nine who were healed and did not return to Yeshua, only focused on the outcome of the miracle. In other words, they only looked to the deed or the work of Yeshua and not the spiritual aspects of their situation.

When studying the number six, we also spoke about the number nine. Please note that many English translations, even some of the more literal ones, still make interpretations for the reader which are not warranted. This is often the case when hours (time of day) are mentioned. The ninth hour is actually three in the afternoon. Therefore, instead of leaving the text in its original manner, many translations prefer to change the ninth hour to three in the afternoon without informing the reader of the literal rendering. In doing so, the translation robs the reader of being able to benefit from the significance that a proper understanding of numbers adds to the text.

In the example given in our study of the number six, it is stated that there was darkness over the earth from approximately the sixth hour until the ninth (see Matthew 27:45). It was interpreted that the use of the numbers six and nine together expressed that Yeshua being on the Cross was the deed / work (9) that made the grace of God (6) possible. Likewise, in the next verse (Matthew 27:46), Yeshua cries out at about the ninth hour, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me." This statement speaks about the outcome / result of sin. Not Yeshua's sin (God forbid), as He was without sin! However, Scripture states that this One Who knew no sin; that God made Him sin for us, so we could become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). The point is that Scripture mentions the ninth hour to reveal the outcome of Yeshua becoming sin on our behalf, i.e. His death. Sin and death are inherently related in the Bible, so it is also at the ninth hour the outcome / consequence of sin, is manifested. It is clear that Yeshua dying at the ninth hour was not a random happening. It pointed to the work of the Messiah, dying for the sins of the world. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

Read more about: Nineveh
shall be overthrown become Verb H2015 נֶהְפָּֽכֶת׃ neh·pa·chet.

Locations

Nineveh

NINEVEHnin'-e-ve (nineweh; Nineue, Nineui; Greek and Roman writers, Ninos): I. BEGINNINGS, NAME, POSITION1. First Biblical Mention2. Etymology of the Name3. Position on the TigrisII. NINEVEH AND ITS SURROUNDINGS1. Its Walls2. Principal Mounds and Gateways3. Extent and Population within the Walls4. Extent outside the Walls5. Calah, Resen and Rehoboth-Ir6. Kho... View Details

Parallel Verses

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King James Bible And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Hebrew Greek English And Then Jonah began to enter into go through the city a one day's journey, walk; and he cried, cried out and said, Yet "Yet forty days, days and Nineveh shall will be overthrown."
New American Standard Bible 1995 And Then Jonah began to enter into go through the city a one day's journey, walk; and he cried, cried out and said, Yet "Yet forty days, days and Nineveh shall will be overthrown."