Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 1. The setting of the vision 1:1-3
  "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions--which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . --consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the...
• 4. The conclusion of the vision 3:12-15
  "Ezekiel's vision of God's glory had provided the needed perspectivefor his task (1:4-2:7). The messagehe was to deliver was provided by God (2:8-3:11). Then he needed motivationto direct him to the task. That motivation was ...
• Yahweh's inescapable punishment 9:1-4
  9:1 In the final vision that Amos recorded, he saw Yahweh standing beside an altar. The altar at Bethel is probably in view since Bethel was the worship site in view in most of this book and since Amos' encounter with Amaziah...
• Outline
  I. The disobedience of the prophet chs. 1-2A. Jonah's attempt to flee from God 1:1-3B. Jonah's lack of compassion 1:4-6C. Jonah's failure to fear his sovereign God 1:7-10D. The sailors' compassion and fear of God 1:11-16D. Jo...
• A. Jonah's attempt to flee from God 1:1-3
  The story opens with God commissioning His prophet and Jonah rebelling against His will.1:1 The book and verse open with a conjunction (Heb. wa, Eng. "Now"). Several versions leave this word untranslated because it makes no s...
• B. Jonah's lack of compassion 1:4-6
  1:4 Jonah subjected himself to dangers that Israel and the entire ancient Near East viewed as directly under divine control when he launched out on the sea. The sea to them was the embodiment of the chaotic forces that humans...
• E. Jonah's deliverance by God 1:17-2:1
  For the second time in this incident God took the initiative to move His prophet to carry out His will (cf. v. 1). This time Jonah turned to the Lord.1:17 The identity of the great fish remains a mystery since the only record...
• F. Jonah's psalm of thanksgiving 2:2-9
  The following prayer is mainly thanksgiving for deliverance from drowning. It is not thanksgiving for deliverance from the fish. Jonah prayed it while he was in the fish. Evidently he concluded after some time in the fish's s...
• G. Jonah's deliverance from the fish 2:10
  Again the writer glorified Yahweh by attributing control of this formidable sea creature to Him (cf. 1:17). The first and the second chapters both close on this note. The Hebrew text says, "The Lord spoke to the fish"(cf. 1:1...
• II. The obedience of the prophet chs. 3--4
  The second half of this book records Jonah's obedience to the Lord following his initial disobedience (chs. 1-2). However, he was not completely obedient in his attitudes even though he was in his actions....
• I. Heading 1:1
  What follows is the word that Yahweh gave to Zephaniah during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.). This "word"includes all that the Lord told the prophet that He also led him to record for posterity (cf. Hos. 1:1...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• Guilty Silence And Its Reward
  Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me. 3. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the...