dlc reading jonah b

8/11/2019 Dlc Reading Jonah b

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Reading Jonahin ebrew

DDuu aa nn ee LL.. CC hh r r iiss ttee nn ss ee nn


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BIBAL Study ProgramPost-Certificate Studies

Published by BIBAL Corporation845 Bodega Way, Rodeo, CA 94572

Phone: 510-377-7000 Fax: 801-650-9283

[email protected] www.bibal.net

Copyright 2005 by Duane L. Christensen

All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission of the

publisher except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Cover image courtesy of the artist David Donskoy.


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Table of Contents

Preface: The Inductive Approach to Learning the Hebrew Language iv

The Book of Jonah: Verse-by-Verse Notes and Comments 1

Introductory Remarks on the Text and Translation of Jonah 34

Hebrew Text of the Book of Jonah 35

Jonah 1:18 35

Jonah 1:916 36

Jonah 2:111 37

Jonah 3:110 38

Jonah 411 39

Literary Structure of the Book of Jonah 41

Simple Chiastic Structure by Four-Part Chapter Division 41

Concentric Structure of Jonah by Five-Part Canto Division 41

Two Concentric Sentences in the Book of Jonah 41

Concentric Structure of the Five Canto Divisions 42

The Book of Jonah in a Four-Level Nested Menorah Pattern 43

The Adjective Great as a Structuring Device in the Book of Jonah 44

Transliteration of the Book of Jonah 45

Translation of the Book of Jonah 50

Jonah 1:18 50Jonah 1:916 51

Jonah 2:111 52

Jonah 3:110 53

Jonah 411 54

Addendum: Ancient Harmonics and the Book of Jonah (by Ernest McClain) 55

Appendices 60

Table 1: The Consonants 60

Table 2: The Vowels 61Table 3: Transliteration of Vowel Points 63

Table 4: Writing the Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet 62

Vocabulary Lists 64

Verbs in Jonah 64

Nouns, Other Substantives and Other Words in Jonah 67


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Preface: The Inductive Approach to Learning the Hebrew Language

Though most language teachers readily admit that the inductive approach is a moreenjoyable method, relatively few are convinced that it actually works. Nonetheless, we allknow that this is how children learn language before they ever attend their first classes inschool. And experience shows that a great deal can be learned in relatively short periods oftime by simply plunging inimmersing oneself in a given language so as to interact with theentire language system as a whole.

This brief course takes the student through the 48 verses of Jonah, which include a totalof 688 Hebrew wordsbut only 272 different lexical items. We will go through this delightfulnarrative poem several times, each time with different goals in mind. And at the end of the

journey, hopefully, we will all have a deeper knowledge of the language of the Tanakh(Hebrew Bible). The book of Jonah is a useful text for this purpose because the contentitself is interesting and the reading of the book plays a significant role in the Jewishcalendaras the afternoon reading for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

This book includes a listing of 272 lexical items in the book of Jonah in two separatelists: 89 verbs and 183 nouns, adjectives, and other words and particles. The easiest way tolearn the meaning of each word is to understand its use within the context of the story itself.

And the best way to do that is to hear the words spoken in rhythmic form and to repeatthose words out loudover and over again. Learning a language is an aural event; and welearn through repetition and oral recitation. As we will see, the story of Jonah is written inpoetic form and the sounds of the words are important as we discover one surprise afteranother in terms of actual meaning.

Mastering the verbal system of the Hebrew language is a difficult task and beyond thescope of this reading course. Our goal here is merely to learn to recognize the basic verbalroots and to know the meaning of these roots. It is not necessary at this point to understand

the details of the entire verbal system in its seven primary conjugational types: Qal, Niphal,Piel, Pual, Hiphil, Hophal, and Hithpael. That will come in due course as the student movesmore deeply into the grammar of the Hebrew language.

Our goals in this course are modest in nature. When the content of the book of Jonah ismastered, as presented in this book, the student will know 3% of the vocabulary of theTanakh (Hebrew Bible), which has 8674 items as listed in Strongs Concordance . Hopefullythis basic vocabulary and the exposure to the poetic nature of an important text will providea solid foundation on which to build. The interested student is invited to explore theresources posted on our website, which provide the opportunity to become fluent in theliterature and language of the Tanakh. Here you will find the transliteration of extensivebiblical texts, along with an annotated translation that guides the student in terms of the

rhythmic structure of the original text. All disjunctive accents (the teamim ) are clearlymarked in the English translation; and the prosodic structure of each text is explored indepth. Attention is drawn to repetition in words and phrases and to many poetic devices ofthe Hebrew language that make it come to life in surprising ways.

Dr. Duane Christensen, PresidentBIBAL (Berkeley Institute of Biblical Archaeology and Literature) Corporation


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Reading Jonah in Hebrew

2004 BIBAL Corporation, All Rights Reserved Version 1.1

1

I. Jonah: Verse-by-Verse Notes and Comments

Jonah 1:1-16

1:1 1:2

transliteration: wa-y-h . And it was. The consonant a w wAwhas the vowel Pa tax andan additional vertical mark below the text called a Gavy or meteg . This short perpendicularstroke, which is placed under a consonant and to the left of the vowel sign, has more than onefunction. Here it calls attention to something out of the ordinary; namely a short vowel before themain stress (on the final syllable) in an open syllable. Such a syllable would normally be closed

by the doubling of the next consonant, as in the opening word of verse 3 wayyA qom = qC y w,where the dot ( daghesh ) indicates that the letter yOd is doubled. Note the accent above theword after the final vowel in , which is called PaHX . This is an important disjunctive accent,which explains the slash mark (/) at this point in the English translation presented in this book.Disjunctive accents divide a given line into separate syntactic accentual-stress units andconstitute the key to understanding the musical phrasing of that line.

transliteration: D-bar-yhwh , the word of Y HWH (came). The divine-name hwhy was probably not pronounced in ancient Israel from the outset. The pointing of this wordindicates that we are to read the word 'dOnA y(Lord) instead. The two words, which are in theso-called construct state, are tied together with a horizontal mark called maqqeph . We are onlyin the beginning stages in explaining the many meanings of the ineffable divine-name hwhy.Here we learn that the story we are about to read/hear is no ordinary story. It begins with thespoken words of G-d to a reluctant prophet. Note the accent above the letter waw in the nameh why, which is called zaqep qaXan . This is another important disjunctive accent marking the endof a syntactic accentual-stress unit.

transliteration: 'el-y-nA h ben-'-miT-Ta y . to Jonah ben-Amittai. The onlyother reference to this prophet is found in 2 Kings 14:25. In that setting we learn that Jonah theson of Amittai was a prophet in the days of the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (ca.786746 BCE). The city of Nineveh did not become the capital of Assyria, however, until thereign of Sennacherib (ca. 704681 BCE), a half-century later.

transliteration: lE'-mO r , (saying). The verbal form here is an infinitive construct fromthe root rm', say. This word is roughly equivalent to the quotation marks in English and thusoften not translated. The previous word yK ti m ' , Amittai, however, ends with a disjunctive accent(Xipx ), which is placed to the left of the vowel a Pa tax , and thus we need something in theEnglish translation to carry the final major disjunctive accent ( sillq ) that marks the end of theverse. And so we have a total of four syntactic accentual-stress units in the first verse.


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transliteration: q m lE k 'el-n-n-wEh , Arise! Go to Nineveh. Note the accentat the very beginning of the word q , which is called TlHA gdl . This disjunctive accent suggeststhat this opening word completes the opening thought of v. 1, with a disjunctive pause beforemoving on to the following accentual-stress unit: lEk 'el-n-n-wE h , go to Nineveh. The imperativehere is from the verbal root lh , go, walk. This particular verb is highly irregular such thatseparate forms are best learned as individual vocabulary items. In this instance, the opening rootletter he has dropped out.

An important parallel passage to Jonah 1:2 is found in Deut 10:11, where the same wordsappear addressed to Moses: l q, arise, go [on your journey]. This 2-word phrase appearsonly nine times in the whole of the Tanakh, and two of these are here in Jonah 1:2 and 3:2. Insome respects, the book of Jonah can be read as a midrash on Deut 10:1112. Jonah is acurious reversal of the figure of Moses. Both prophets (cf. Deut 18:18; 34:1012) receive thesame call. Jonahs actions are a parody, of sorts, on the meaning of the command to fearYHWH your G-d, which, in essence, is summarized in the familiar words of Deut 10:13tokeep the commandments of Y HWH and his statutes that I command you today.

The meteg at the beginning of the word hwny n (Nineveh) adds to the disjunctive nature of theconcluding accent ( Tbr ) at the end of the word h_ wnyn. There is a secondary accent on the firstsyllable and a decisive pause at the end of the word n-n-wE h . The word Nineveh, whichoccurs 9 times in the book of Jonah (1:2; 3:2, 3 [twice], 4, 5, 6, 7; and 4:11), appearsoccasionally in cuneiform texts in a pseudo-logographic form, Nina , which is the combination oftwo signs (AB + HA) that represent an enclosure with a fish inside. Moreover, the name of theletter nn in Hebrew means fish so that the sound of the word Nineveh suggests somethinglike house of the fish. It is curious how similar the words hnwy (Jonah) and hwnyn (Nineveh) arein Hebrew. All one needs to do is remove the initial letter nn from the word hwnynto get hwny. Atthis point a simple transposition of the two middle letters gets us to hnwy. In short, Jonah isalready in Ninevehall you have to do is remove the fish (i.e., the initial letter nn ). The veryword Nineveh is an invitation to tell a story about Jonah and a fish that :houses him.

transliteration: hA-v r haG-G-d-lA h , the great city. The word for city inHebrew is feminine, hence the feminine ending on the adjective great. This is the first of 12occurrences of the adjective great in the book of Jonah (2% of the total of 688 words).

transliteration: -q-rA ' vA-l -hA , and proclaim against it. The accent vatnAx under the word h lv, which is located to the left of the vowel sgl , is perhaps the mostimportant of all the disjunctive accents; for it marks the major division of a given verse, and wasused in the calculation of word-count patterns in the numerical composition of the Hebrew text.Note the feminine pronominal suffix on the preposition here, to agree with the feminine genderof the city of Nineveh. When Jonahs commission is renewed in 3:2, the command isA h ye lE ' 'A r q , and proclaim to it. A change of a single letter (from vayin to 'alep ) makes all thedifference in the world, a difference that the prophet Jonah apparently fails to notice; for In 3:2,G-ds message is no longer directed against the city of Nineveh.

transliteration: KvA-l-tA h rA-vA-tA m l-pA-nA y , for their evil hascome up before me. The important verb hlv, go up, which appears for the first time here,


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plays a central role in the structure of the second half of the book of Jonah. Note the 3 rd personal masculine plural suffix attached to the noun h vr, evil.

1:3

transliteration: way-yA -qom y-nA h lib-rO -ax Tar-H HAh , andJonah arose to flee to Tarshish. The so-called hollow verbs [those with a wAw or a yOd as the2nd root consonant] behave quite differently from regular verbs. The verbal root here is wq.Note the accent below the 2 nd letter in the word qF yw and to the left of the vowel letter qAmAc .The accent here ( mhuPPak ) is conjunctive and its position within the word indicates where thestress falls in pronunciation. The word x r b l is an infinitive construct from the verbal root xrb (flee). Though Tarshish is mentioned more than 30 times in the Tanakh, its exact locationremains uncertain. It is perhaps to be identified with Tartessus in SW Spain. In the story,Tarshish represents the farthest distance to which Jonah can fleein the wrong direction. ThehA ending on the word Tarshish is a directional affix indicating motion toward.

transliteration: mil-lip-n yhwh , from the presence of Y HWH . The initial mEm represents the preposition m (from) where the nn has assimilated. The lAmed represents thepreposition l (to, for, in regard to, etc.). Both prepositions are added to the word y nL p (face)to form a compound preposition.

transliteration: way-yE -red yA-p , and he went down to Joppa. The verbal formhere is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root dry (go down). Note thedoubling of the letter yOd (indicated by the daghesh , a dot in that letter) and the accent on thenext to last syllable (the penult, de rC y w). The disjunctive accent ( GereH ) above the second syllableof the word p y marks the end of a syntactic accentual-stress unit. The town of Joppa, on thecoast just south of Tel Aviv, is also associated with missionary activity on the part of Peter in theNew Testament (Acts 9:3643).

transliteration: way-yim-cA ' '-ny-yA h BA-'A h Tar-H H , and hefound a ship going to (and from) Tarshish. The first verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. withwAw -conversive from the root 'cm (find). The spelling of the word hyn ' (rather than hyn ' inBHS) is corrected with many Hebrew manuscripts and printed editions (cf. 3:4 and 5 below).The verb h 'J b is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. fem. from the hollow root 'wb (come, go). The sense isgoing to and from Tarshish, i.e, plying the Tarshish route.

transliteration: way-yiT-TE n W-kA-rA h , and he paid the passage money. Theverbal form is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root tn (give). Tomake an ocean voyage of this sort in antiquity was quite different from today, since one did notpurchase a ticket as such. Often the traveler invested in the voyage itself by purchasing an


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interest in the business venture. The concluding disjunctive accent in this phrase is once againGereH in the word hM r k W. Note the daghesh in the concluding letter hE(called maPPq ) indicatesthe 3 rd fem. sg. suffixi.e., the fare of it.

transliteration: way-yE -red BAh lA-b'vim-mA-he m Tar-H -HAh mil-lip-n yhwh , and he went down in itto go with them to Tarshish,away from Y HWH . The repetition of the Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive fromthe root dry is part of a carefully contrived concentric sentence. The preposition b (in) has the3 rd fem. sg. suffix attached. The form 'wbl is the infinitive construct from the hollow root 'wb (come, go). The preposition v (with) has the 3 rd pl. masc. suffix attached. The h added tothe end of the word Tarshish is the directive -Ah , which indicates motion toward and stands inplace of a prefixed l .

1:4

transliteration: wa-yhwh hE-X l r -ax G-d-lA h'el-hay-yAm , and (as for) Y HWH , he hurled a great wind toward the sea. The accent above thedivine-name h+ whyw is called rbav , which is a relatively strong disjunctive. The verb lyi XE h isHiphil (causative) perfect 3 rd masc. sg. from the hollow verb lX (hurl, cast), which does notappear in the Qal form in the Tanakh. The great wind (h ldC g x r ) is part of a sequence of 12occurrences of the adjective great arranged in a carefully contrived pattern for rhetorical effect.The hE prefixed to the noun y (sea) is the definite article, which normally includes thedoubling of the following consonant (with daghesh ).

transliteration: wa-y-h sa -var GA-d l Bay-yA m , and there was a greattempest on the sea. On the first word, see discussion above on 1:1. The great tempest ld C g r v s is the third in the sequence of 12 such phrases with the adjective great. Note theaccent on the word r v s (tempest) is on the first syllable (the penult). This is true of the entireclass of nouns called segholates. The prefix to the word sea includes both the preposition b (in) and the definite article, with assimilation of the he .

transliteration: w-hA-'-n-yA h xiH-H-bA h l-hiH-HA-bE r , and theship thought about breaking up. The wAw -conjunction is the normal form of the prefixedconjunction in a non-verbal setting. On the first word hC A yi n 'A h w (the ship), see discussion abovein 1:3. The accent on h yn'hw is the relatively strong disjunctive zAqEp qAXn . The subject of theverb bHx (think, devise, reckon) is an inanimate object (the ship), which is presented here asa sentient being. The verb itself is a Piel (intensive) perfect, 3 rd sg. fem., which is followed by aNiphal (passive) infinitive construct of the verb rbH (break).

1:5


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transliteration: way-y-r-' ham-mal-lA-x m , and the sailors were afraid.The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root 'ry (fear). Theword yi + x A l a ma h sailors, which is derived from the noun x l m (salt) with the meaning saltyones has the accent rbav maGnum , which is a relatively strong disjunctive.

transliteration: way-yiz-v-q ' H 'el-'lOhA yw , and they cried outeach to his own god. The verb q v zF i ya w is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive fromthe root qvz (cry out). The noun H' (man, person) is used here in a distributive sense withthe meaning each one.

transliteration: way-yA-X-l 'et-haK-KE-lM m'-He r BA-'-n-yA h 'el-hay-yAM m , and they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea.The verb here is Hiphil (causative) imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the hollowroot lX (hurl, castsee discussion above in 1:4). The noun yi l k (article, utensil, vessel) isused here in the plural with the definite article (and doubling of the following consonant),together with the marker of a definite direct object ( t ' ) to refer to the ships cargo. The relativepronoun r H ' (which, that, where) is one of the most common words in the Tanakh, with awide range of meaning. On the word hC yi n ' (ship), see discussion above in 1:3, 4. Thepreposition b (in) is prefixed to the word here. The preposition -l ' (to, towards, into) isconnected to the word C ya h (the sea) by maqqEp to form a single syntactic accentual-stress unitwith its boundary marked by zAqEp qAXn on the word C yh-l' . The word C ya h here constitutesthe arithmological center of the first major section of the book of Jonah (1:18), with 66 wordson either side.

transliteration: l-hA-qE l mE-v-l -he m , to lighten (it) from upon them. Theword l q h l is the Hiphil infinitive construct of the root llq (be slight, trifling). The word hy l v m (from upon them) is a compound preposition plus the 3 rd pl. masc. suffix h . ThemEm is from the preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , which is attached to thepreposition l v (upon), which is a wide range of meanings. The result is a phrase that isdifficult to render literally in English translation. It means the sailors are throwing the cargooverboard to lighten the ships load.

transliteration: w-y-nA h yA-ra d 'el-yar-K-t has-s-p-nA h ,and Jonah went down to the farthest reaches of the vessel. The verb here is Qal perfect 3 rd sg.masc. from the root dry (go down). The reference to Jonah going down to hA np sah yE t k ra y(thefarthest reaches of the vessel) raises questions. The word spnAh(vessel) appears only herein the Tanakh, which raises the question why the author chose this word rather than thesynonym 'nyAh(a ship), which he used three times in 1:35. This latter word may be a punon Jonahs name (cf. 'nyh and ynh ). If so, the choice of spnAh here may also be a play ofsounds on the mythic reference to yarKeT cApn , the edge of (Mount) Saphon. This mountainin the north ( cApn ) is the traditional location of the gods in Canaanite mythology. The fem. noun yrEKA is used rarely in the singular (cf. Gen 49:13) and usually occurs in the dual. Whenattached to another word, it pinpoints the joining of two angles belonging to the word in


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questioni.e., the recesses of a building or a geographical area. Jonah thus goes down to thefarthest reaches below deck, within the inner structure of the sailing vessel, in a journey thatanticipates his subsequent flight to the roots of the mountains when he makes his final plungedown to the depths in 2:7a (this is the context of the next and final occurrence of the verb dry (go down).

transliteration: way-yiW-Ka b way-yE-rA-dam , and he lay down and he wentdeep in sleep. The verb b a k HC i ya w is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. perfect with wAw -conversive fromthe root bkH (lie down). The verb a dA rE C ya w is Niphal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversivefrom the root dr (fall in deep sleep). With the second of these two words, we clearly have apun on the verbal root yrD (go down)with wayyE red (and he went down) set over againstwayyErAdam (he went deep in sleep).

1:6

transliteration: way-yiq-ra b 'E-lA yw rab ha-xO-bE l , and the captain ofthe sailors came to him. The verb here is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive fromthe root brq (to come near). The captain of the ship is presented as the ba r (chief orleader); but a new word is selected to describe the mariners under his direction. In 1:5 theywere the mallaxm (salty ones); but here they are lE bO xa h (the rope puller[s]). The prepositionwyA lE ' (to him) is the preposition le ' with the 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix added.

transliteration: way-yO '-mer l mah-l-kA nir-DA m , and he said tohim, What is this, O sleeper? The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversivefrom the root rm' (to say), which is followed by the preposition l (to) with the 3 rd sg. masc.suffix attached. The interrogative particle ha m (what) is attached with a maqqEp to a second useof the preposition l (to), with the 2 nd sg. masc. suffix attached. The noun chosen to describeJonah here is A d ri n (sleeping one), which is a Niphal (passive) sg. masc. participle of the rootdr (fall into a deep sleep). The boundary of this prosodic subunit is marked by the majordivider, 'atnAx .

transliteration: q m q-rA ' 'el-'lOh kA , Arise! Call out to your G-d!The Qal imperative use (2 nd sg. masc.) of the hollow verbal root wq (arise) and the root 'rq (call out) represent two of the same words G-d used in his address to Jonah in 1:2a. Thedifference here is that the second of these verbs is followed by the preposition le ' (to) ratherthan la v (against), which changes the meaning of the verb completely. This simple change ofonly one consonant here anticipates the change G-d makes when he renews Jonahscommission in 3:2, a change the prophet apparently fails to observe. The final word here is thefamiliar word yi hl ' (Elohim or G-d) with the 2 nd sg. masc. pronoun suffixed.


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transliterated: '-la y yit-vaW-WEM h hA-'-lO-h mlA -n w-lO ' nO'-bEd , Perhaps the G-d will give a thought to us, so that we do not perish. Theadverb ya l' (perhaps) appears to be the combination of ' (or) plus 'E l (not). Theexpression is usually one of hope, as it is here, but sometimes of fear and doubt. The verbtHvty (he will give a thought) is Hithpael (reflexive) 3 rd sg. masc. from the root tHv (think).The root appears only here and in Ps 40:18, both times in the Hithpael. It is not clear why thedefinite article is attached here to the word yi hl ' (G-d), as it is again in 4:7. The preposition l (to) here has the 1 st common pl. suffix attached nA l (to us). The wAw -conjunction isattached to the negating adverb 'l (not). The verb dE b'n (we will perish) is the Qal imperfect1 st common plural from the root db' (perish).

1:7

transliteration: way-yO'-m-r 'H 'el-rE-vE- hl-k w-naP-P -lAh g-rA-l t , And they said, each one to his companion, Come, let us castlots. The first verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive form of the root rm' (say). The 3-word phrase hE vE r-le ' Hyi ' (each one to his neighbor) is similar to that ofwyA hl '-le ' Hyi ' (each one to his own god) in 1:5a. The verb k l (come!) is Qal imperative 2 nd pl. masc. from the root lh (walk, go, come), which is used here along with the 1 st pl.imperfect Hiphil form hA lyi K pa n w (and let us cast lots) as a cohortative, from the root lpn (fall).The feminine noun lA rg (lot) appears here in its plural form.

transliteration: w-nE-d-vAh B-Hel-l-m hA-rA-vA hhaz-zO 't lA-n , and we will know on whose account this evil has come upon us. The verbhA vdE n w (and we will know) is Qal imperfect 1 st pl. with optional h from the root vdy (know). Theword yi m le H b (on whose account?) is a combination of the preposition b (in), plus the relativeparticle le H (who, which, that), plus the interrogative pronoun yi m (who?). The feminine nounhA vA r (evil) has the definite article and the demonstrative pronoun t'z (this), which also hasthe definite article. The preposition l (to) has the 1 st pl. pronominal suffix attached.

transliteration: way-yaP-P -l G-rA-l t way-yiP-PO lhaGGrA l val-ynAh , and they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. The verbal root lpn (fall)appears twice here in the Hiphil imperfect with wAw -conversivethe first time in the 3 rd pl.masc. lK i pC a ya w (and they caused to fall) and the second as 3 rd sg. masc. lK O pC i ya w (and he caused tofall). In the first instance it was tlA rF g (lots) that were caused to fall (i.e., cast). In thesecond instance the singular form appears with lA rC ga h (the lot) falling upon ( la v) Jonah.

1:8


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transliteration: way-yO'-m-r 'E-lA yw , And they said to him. The verb r m'C ya w (and they said) is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root rm' (say). InwyA lE ' (to him) the 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix is attached to the preposition lE ' (unto).

transliteration: haG-G-dAh-nA ' lA n , Tell us now. The verb

hA di yCga h (tell) is

the Hiphil perfect 2 nd sg. masc. imperative of the verbal root dgn (be conspicuous, with thecausative sense make conspicuous or declare, tell), which has the so-called paragogic hE .The particle of entreaty 'A n (I pray, now) comes after the verb and is joined with it by themaqqEp . Note that the stress in this particular syntactic accentual-stress unit falls on thefollowing word, which has the zAqEp qAXnnA l (to us).

transliteration: Ba-'-He r l-m-hA-rA-vA h haz-zO 't lA -n onwhose account has this evil come upon us? The relative particle re H ' (who, which) has thepreposition b (in) prefixed. That word is followed by the preposition l (to) prefixed to theinterrogative particle yi m (who?), which is attached to the following word by maqqEp . Thefeminine noun hA vA r (evil) has the definite article prefixed to it and followed by thedemonstrative pronoun t'z (this), which also has the definite article prefixed. The clauseconcludes with the preposition l (to) combined with the 1 st pl. pronominal suffix n .

transliteration: mah-m-la'k-T-kA -mE-'a -yin TA-b' , what is yourprofession and where do you come from? The interrogative particle ha m (what?) is attached tothe feminine noun hA k'A l m (profession), which has the 2 nd sg. masc. pronominal suffix attached. The interrogative i ya 'E m (whence?) is derived from the interrogative adverb ya' (where?) with two prefixesthe wAw -conjunction (and) together with the preposition i m, inwhich the nn is assimilated and the vowel lengthened before the guttural (see BDB, pp. 32,34). The verb is Qal perfect, 2 nd sg., masc. from the root 'b(come).

transliteration: m 'ar-ce -kA w-' -miz-ze h va m 'AT-TA h , whatis your country and of what people are you? The vowel of the interrogative -ha m (what) islengthened to hA m (what) when the word is not attached the following word by maqqEp . Thesuffix on the feminine noun r' (land) is the 2 nd sg. masc. personal pronoun (your). ThewAw -conjunction suffixed to the interrogative adverb -yE ' (where?) is attached to thecombination of the preposition -i m (from) and the demonstrative pronoun he z (this). Onceagain the nn is assimilated with compensative doubling of the letter zayin . The masc. noun a v (people) is derived from a geminate root mv (not attested in its verbal form), which is evidentfrom various suffixed forms (see BDB, p. 766). The first vowel in the 2 nd sg. masc. pronoun hK A ta ' (you) is lengthened as pausal (i.e., at the end of the verse).

1:9


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transliteration: way-yO '-mer '-l -he m vib-r 'A-nO-k , and he saidto them, I am a Hebrew. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversivefrom the root rm' (say).

transliteration: w-'et-yhwh '-lO-h haH-HA-ma -yim '-n yA-rE ' , and (it is) Y HWH , the G-d of the heavens I fear. The wAw -conjunction is attached to thedefinite direct object marker te ' makes Y HWH the object of the verb 'E rA y, which in this instance isa Qal perfect sg. masc. participle from the root 'ry (fear). The word yE hl ' is the constructplural of yi hl ' (G-d), which connects the word with i ya mA Ha h (the heavens). Note thedisjunctive accent PaHXA on the word , which appears twicein its normal position at theend of the word and again over the syllable receiving the stress.

transliteration: '-He r vA-WA h 'et-hay-yA m w-'et-hay- yaB-BA-HAh , he who made the sea and the dry land. The relative particle rH' functions here asthe subject of the Qal perfect 3

rd

sg. masc. verbal form of the root hWv (make) to which it isclosely bound by maqqEp . The 2-part definite direct object of the verb is markedit is G-d whomade the sea ( C A ya h) and the dry land ( hA WA bC aya J h).

1:10

transliteration: way-y-r-' hA-'-nA-H m yir-'A h g-d-lA h , andthe men feared a great fear. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive

from the root 'ry (fear). Note that the sailors of verse 5 are now referred to as men (ofYHWH). Jonah had declared that he fears Y HWH ; but these pagan sailors are the ones who fearthe great fear (hA ld g hA ' ri y), which culminates in the worship of Y HWH (see verse 16 below).

transliteration: way-yO'-m-r 'E-lA yw mah-zO 't vA-W t , andthey said to him, What is this you have done? The verb announcing the narrative discourse isQal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root rm' (say) followed by thepreposition lE ' (to) combined with the 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix. The interrogativepronoun ha m (what) is bound closely with the 3 rd sg. fem. form of the demonstrative pronount'z (this) by maqqEp . The clause concludes with a Qal perfect 2 nd sg. masc. verbal form fromthe root hWv (do).

transliteration: K-yA-d-v hA-'-nA-H m , for the men knew. The word y i k,which has a wide range of meaning in the Hebrew Bible, functions here as a conjunction that isclosely tied to the verb that follows it. That verb is a Qal perfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root vdy (know) with its subject being the sailors, as Y HWHs men ( yi H n ' ).


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transliteration: K-mil-lip-n yhwh h ' bO-rE -ax , that from thepresence of Yhwh he was fleeing. The conjunction y k, which means that in this context, isclosely tied to the compound preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , and y nE pi l (inthe presence of) with the meaning before (i.e., from the presence of) Y HWH . The verbal formis the Qal sg. masc. participle from the root

xrb (flee).

transliteration: K hiG-G d lA-he m , because he confessed to them. The thirdoccurrence of the word yi k in this verse has the meaning because, since. The verb that followsis Hiphil perfect 3 rd sg masc. from the root dgn (be conspicuous) with the meaning of declare,tell to someone (see 1:8 above). the preposition l (to) has the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominal suffixe h (them).

1:11

transliteration: way-yO'-m-r 'E-lA yw mah-na-v-We h lA k , andthey said to him, What shall we do with you? The first word here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc.from the root rm' (say), which is followed by the preposition l' (to) with the 3 rd sg. masc.pronominal suffix. The interrogative particle ha m (what?) is tied to the verb that follows withmaqqEp . The verb is Qal imperfect 1 st pl. from the root hWv (do). The clause concludes withthe preposition l (to), which has the 2 nd sg. masc. pronominal suffix A .

transliteration: w-yiH-TO q hay-yA m mE-vA-l -n , (that) the sea maycalm down for us? The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conjunction (in a non-converting sequence) from the root qtH (be quiet, be[come] calm). The subject of the verb isA y (sea) with the definite article a h plus doubling of the following consonant. The compoundpreposition is made up of i m (fromwith assimilation of the nn ) plus la v (upon) and the 1 st pl. pronominal suffix n .

transliteration: K hay-yAm h-lE k w-sO-vE r , for the sea grewincreasingly tempestuous. The conjunction y I i k (for, because) expresses a causal relationshipbetween the subject C A ya h (the sea) and the two-part verbal construction that follows. Joiningtwo successive Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. participles lh (walk, go) and rvs (betempestuous) is idiomatic with the meaning the sea (was) growing more and moretempestuous.

1:12

transliteration: way-yO '-mer '-l -he m WA-'-n wa-h-X-l -n 'el-hay-yA m , and he said to them, Take me up and hurl me into the sea. Thefirst verb, which introduces the direct speech on the part of Jonah, is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc.


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with wAw -conversive from the root rm' (say), which is followed by the preposition lE ' (to)with the 3 rd pl. masc. suffix e h (them). The verbal form yi n 'A W is Qal perfect imperative 2 nd pl.masc. from the root 'Wn (take, lift) with the 1 st sg. suffix yi n (me). Note that the stress is onthe penultimate syllable. The second verb yi nu l yi X h is Hiphil perfect imperative 2 nd pl. masc. fromthe root lX (hurl) with the 1 st sg. suffix yi n (me). Once again the stress is on the second tolast syllable. The preposition le ' (into) is closely connected to the definite noun C A ya h (the sea)with maqqEp .

transliteration: w-yiH-TO q haY y-yA m mE-v-l -ke m , and the sea willcalm down from (coming) upon you. See discussion above at 1:11a. The only difference is inthe pronominal suffix attached to the compound preposition, which in this instance ise k (you). Note that the stress here is on the final syllable.

transliteration: K y-dE -av 'A -n , for I know In this instance the causalstatement follows the conjunction y i k (for). The verb is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. participle fromthe root vdy (know) followed by the subjectthe 1 st sg. form of the personal pronoun yi n ' (I),with pausal lengthening of the first vowel. Note that the stress is on the first syllable yi nA ' (I).

transliteration: K bHell hassavar hazzeh vl kem , for itis because of me this great storm (has come) upon you. Once again, the conjunction y i k (for)expresses a causal relationship in the statement that follows. The word yi leH b is a combination ofthree elements: the preposition b (in); the relative particle le H (marking the genitiverelationship); and the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (me). The expression le H b means throughthat which belongs to or on account of. The masc. noun ra vas (storm) has the definite article,with doubling of the next consonant, and a qualifying adjective ldC g (great) and thedemonstrative pronoun he z (this), both of which have the definite article with doubling of thenext consonant. The concluding preposition la v (upon) has the 2 nd pl. masc. pronominal suffixe k (you). Note that the stress here is on the last syllable.

1:13 transliteration: way-yax-T-r hA-'-nA-H m , and the men rowed hard

The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root rtx (row [asdigging into the water]). The pl. masc. noun yi HA n 'A h (men) has the definite article, but notethat compensatory lengthening of the vowel because the guttural following it cannot be doubled.

transliteration: l-hA-H b 'el-hay-yaB-BA-HA h w-lO ' yA-kO-l , toreturn to dry land and they were not able (to do so). The verbal form byi HA h l (to return) is theHiphil infinitive construct from the root bH (turn, return). The preposition le ' (to) is closelyconnected to the definite feminine sg. noun hA HA ba C ya h (the dry land) with maqqEp . The


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adverb. 'l (not) negates the verb lO kA y (they were able), which is the pausal form of the Qalperfect 3 rd pl. masc. l kA y from the root lky (be able).

transliteration: K haY y-yA m h-lE k w-sO-vE r v-l -he m , for thesea grew increasingly tempestuous against them. The conjunction y i k (for) carries a causalsense here, as in the same expression above in 1:11b, which is followed here by the prepositionla v (against) with the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominal suffix e h and the reduction of the vowel in thefirst syllable. Note that the stress here is on the last syllable.

1:14

transliteration: way-yiq-r-' 'el-yhwh way-yO'-m-r 'onnAh yhwh , and they cried out to Y HWH , and they said: O Y HWH! The first verb is the Qalimperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root 'rq , which when followed by thepreposition le ' means call out to or pray to). The second verb is also Qal imperfect 3 rd pl.masc.from the root rm' (say). The word hC nA' is an interjection, from hA ' plus ' n meaning ah,now! or I beseech thee!in prayer addressed to Y HWH .

transliteration: 'al-nA ' nO'-b-dA h B-ne -peH hA-' H haz-ze h ,let us not perish with the soul of this man. The adverb of negation l' , which is tied to theparticle of entreaty ' n with maqqEp , negates the cohortative verbal form (Qal imperfect 1 st pl.with paragogic h) from the root db' (perish). The preposition b , which is attached here to thefemine noun He pe n (soul, living being, life), has the meaning with. The noun is in the constructstate with the definite noun Hyi 'A h (the man), which is qualified with a definite demonstrativeadverb hC za h (this). Note the compensatory lengthening of the vowel in the definite article beforethe noun Hyi ' , because the guttural ' cannot be doubled.

transliteration: w-'al-TiT-TE n vA-l -n DA m nA-q' , and do not put toour account innocent blood. The adverb of negation la ' here is tied to the Qal imperfect 2 nd sg.masc. from the root tn (put, give), which is the normal form of the negative of the imperativefor immediate specific commands. The preposition la v (with, on) has the 1 st pl. pronominalsuffix n (us). Note that the stress here is on the second to last syllable. The masc. noun A d (blood) appears within a familiar construction yi q n A d (innocent blood); but note the spellinghere in Jonahwith an ' attached. The apparent misspelling is deliberatein anticipation of theuse of the verbal root 'yq (vomit up, spue out, disgorge) in 2:11 below.

transliteration: K-'aT-TA h yhwh Ka-'-He r xA-pa c-TAvA-W -ta , for you are Y HWH ; what pleases you is what you have done. The conjunction y i k (for),which has a causal sense, is connected by maqqEp with the independent 2 nd sg. masc. personal


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pronoun hA K ta' (you). The conjunction re H ' a k (according to that which) is in a close relation withthe verb that follows itthe Qal perfect, 2 nd sg. masc. from the root px (delight in). Theconcluding verbal form is also Qal perfect 2 nd sg. masc. from the root hWv (do).

1:15

transliteration: way-yiW-' 'et-ynA h wa-y-X-l -h'el-hay-yAm , and they picked up Jonah and they hurled him into the sea. The first verb is Qalimperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root 'Wn (lift up), with Jonah as the directobject, as shown by the particle te ' . The verbal form hu li XC ya w is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. withwAw -conversive from the root lX (hurl) with the suffixed 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffixh(him). The preposition le ' (to), which is connected to the definite masc. noun C A ya h (thesea) by maqqEp , is directional in nature meaning into.

transliteration: way-ya-v-mO d hay-yA m miz-zav-P , and the sea stoodfrom its raging. The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root dmv (stand) with the definite noun A C ya h (the sea) as subject. The masc. noun a va z (storming,raging, rage) has the preposition i m (with) as a prefix (with assimilation of the nn ) and the 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix (his).

1:16 transliteration: way-y-r-' hA-'-nA-H m yir-'

g-d-lA h 'et yhwh , and the men feared Y HWH (with) a great fear. The verb here is Qalimperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root 'ry (fear) with the definite pl. masc.noun yi H n 'Ah (the men) as the subject. The feminine noun hA ' ri y (fear) together with thefeminine form of the adjective hA ldC g (great) constitutes the sixth in the series of 12 such usesof the adjective great in the book of Jonah. It is Y HWH who is the object of the sailors fear, asshown by the marker te ' .

transliteration: way-yiz-B-x ze -bax la-yhwh , and offered a sacrifice toYHWH . The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root xbz (slaughter for sacrifice). The great fear of the sailors leads directly to sacrificial worship ofYHWH .

transliteration: way-yiD-D-r n-dA-r m , and they vowed vows. The verb hereis Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root rdn (vow). The pl. masc. nounyi rA dn (vows) reiterates the verbal root rdn (vow), in parallel with the repetition of the rootxbz (sacrifice) in the previous phrase.


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Jonah 2:1-11 2:1

transliteration: wa-y-ma n yhwh DA G GA-d l , and Y HWH appointed a great

fish. The verb here is Piel imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root hnm (appoint, ordain) with Y HWH as the subject. The ld g gAd (great fish) is the seventh of theseries of 12 occurrences of the adjective great in the book of Jonah. Note that the sg. masc.noun gA d (fish) appears three times as masculine (2:1 [twice] and 2:11) and once as feminine in2:2.

transliteration: lib-lO -av 'et-y-nA h , to swallow Jonah. The verbal form a vl bi l is Qal infinitive construct from the root vlb (swallow), with Jonah as the definite direct object.

transliteration: wa-y-h y-nA h Bim-v haD-DA g , and Jonah was in thebelly of the fish On the verbal form, see discussion above for the first word in the book ofJonah, which does not have a meteg in this instance. The word v mi b is a combination of thepreposition b (in) and the pl. construct state of the masc. noun he vE m (inward parts, stomach,belly), which appears only in the plural.

transliteration: H-lO-HA h yA-m m -H-lO-HA h l -l t , three daysand three nights. The number three appears here in the cardinal feminine form hA H l H (three),which is used to modify the plural forms of the masculine nouns y (day) and hA l ya l (night).Note that the stress for the sg. hA l ya l is on the first syllable and the stress for the pl. t lyE l is onthe last syllable.

2:2

transliteration: way-yit-Pa-lE l y-nAh 'el-yhwh '-lO-hA yw ,and Jonah prayed to Y HWH his G-d. The verbal form here is Hithpael imperfect 3 rd sg. masc.with wAw -conversive from the root llp (pray) with Jonah as subject. The preposition -le ' (to) indicates that Jonah addresses his prayer to YHWH . The word wyA hl ' is the construct formof yi hl ' (G-d) with the 3 rd sg. masc. suffix wyA (his).

transliteration: mim-m-v had-dA-gA h , from the belly/womb of the fish (fem.).The word v mi mis a combination of the preposition i m (in), with assimilation of the nn , and thepl. construct state of the masc. noun he vE m (inward parts, stomach, belly), which appears only inthe plural. Note that the noun h gA d (fish) is feminine in form herebecause the belly in thisinstance refers to womb as the place of rebirth on Jonahs part. He experiences conversioninside the womb of the fish, as early art forms show with Jonah always entering the fish head-first and exiting the fish head-first. He is turned around (converted) inside the fish.


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2:3

transliteration: way-yO '-mer qA-rA '-t mic-cA-rA h l 'el-yhwh way-ya-v-nE -n , and he said: I cried out from my distress to Y HWH ; and he answeredme. The preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , is attached to the sg. fem. nounhA rA c (distress, straits). The preposition l (to) with the 1 st sg. suffix yi (me) has the meaning[from the distress] belonging to me. The preposition -le ' (to) is tied to the divine-name Y HWH as the indirect object of the verb. The verbal form ynnvyw is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with 1 st sg.pronominal suffix yi (me) and wAw -conversive from the root hnv (answer).

transliteration: miB-Be -Xen H-' l Hiw-wav-T HA-ma v-TA q-l ,from the womb of Sheol I cried for help; you heard my voice. The fem. noun e X e b (belly,womb) has the preposition i m (from) attached with assimilation of the nn . The fem. nounl' H (netherworld) is sometimes simply transliterated into English as Sheol, which is more orless equivalent to Hades in Greek mythology. The verbal form yK t va A H is Qal perfect 1

st

sg. fromthe root vwH (cry out for help). The verbal form L At va mA H is Qal perfect 2 nd sg. masc. from the rootvmH (hear). The masc. noun lq (voice, sound) has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (my).

2:4

transliteration: waT-TaH-l-kE -n m-c-lA h Bi-l-ba b yam-m m ,you cast me toward the depth, into the heart of the seas. The verbal form here is Hiphilimperfect 2 nd sg. masc. from the root lH(cast, throw, hurl), with the 1 st sg. pronominal suffixyi nE (me). This verb appears only in the Hiphil (active) or Hophal (passive). The feminine nounhA lc m refers to the deep, which is here further explained as the heart of the sea, with theaffixed preposition b used in a directional sense (into).

transliteration: w-nA-hA r y-sO-b-bE -n , and River swirled about me. Themasc. noun rA h n (river) is capitalized here as an allusion to the Canaanite god of that name.The verbal form is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root bbs (go around, surround), withthe 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi nE . Note the stress on the next to last syllable.

transliteration: Kol-miH-BA-r -kA w-gal-l -ka vA-la y vA-bA-r ,all your breakers and your waves passed over me. The vowel of the masc. substantive

l O k

(the whole, all) is shortened when the word appears with maqqEp joining it to the followingword. Note that the syntactic accentual-stress unit consists of three words including both of themasc. nouns r A b Hi m (breaker (of sea)) and lC g (wave, billow), each of which has the 2 nd sg.masc. pronominal suffix attached to the plural construct form. Note the stress on the secondto last syllable. The preposition la v (over, upon) has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix ya andlengthening of the first vowel. The verb rA bA v is Qal perfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root rbv (pass over) with pausal lengthening of the second vowel, which carries the stress.


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2:5

transliteration: wa-'-n 'A-ma r-T nig-raH-T min-ne -gedv -n -ka , and as for me, I said: I am driven way from your presence. The 1 st sg. independentpronoun yi n ' (I), which has the wAw -conjunction attached, adds emphasis to the Qal perfect 1 st sg. verbal form yL t ra mA ' from the root rm' (say). The verbal form yL itHa r gi n is Niphal (passive)perfect 1 st sg. from the root Hrg (drive out). The adverb de gC e ni m (away from) is a combination ofthe preposition i m (from) and de ge n (in front of). The feminine noun i ya v (eye), which has the2nd sg. masc. pronominal suffix attached, means presence in this context.

transliteration: 'a k '-s p l-haB-B X 'el-h -ka l qod-He -ka ,yet I persist in looking to your holy temple. The adverb a ' (yet) introduces a 3-word syntacticaccentual-stress unit that includes two verbal elements: the Hiphil imperfect 1 st sg from the rootsy (add) and the Hiphil infinite construct from the root Xbn (look). The preposition -le ' (to)is tied to the masc. noun lA kyE h (temple) with maqqEp , which has its final vowel shortenedbecause the word is in construct state with the masc. noun He dO q (sacredness, holy), with the2nd sg. masc. pronominal suffix e (your).

2:6

transliteration: '-pA-p -n ma -yim vad-ne -peH T-h m y-sO-b-bE -n , waters choked me to death; the Abyss swirled about me. The verb yi n pA p ' isQal perfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root p' (surround, encompass) with 1 st sg. pronominalsuffix yi n and the plural masc. noun i ya m (waters) as the subject. Note that the stress falls onthe second to last syllable in both the verb and its subject i ya m . The preposition da v (as far as)is linked by maqqEp to the fem. noun He pe n (soul, life). The noun hL t is translated as Abyss,with a capital letter, to call attention to the allusion to Canaanite cosmogony (and ultimately tothe goddess Tiamat in Mesopotamia).

transliteration: sp xA-b H l-rO'-H , weeds tangled about my head. Themasc. noun s (reeds, rushes, sea-weed) is the subject of the verb HbA x, which is the Qal sg.masc. passive participle from the root Hbx (bind up, entangle). The preposition l here has themeaning about with the object being the masc. noun H'O r (head), which has the 1 st sg.pronominal suffix yi (my).

2:7

transliteration: l-qic-b ha-r m yA-ra d-T , to the roots of the mountains Iwent down. The preposition l (to) is attached to pl. construct of the masc. noun be ceq (extremity) in a poetic description of the bottoms or roots of the mountains ( yi ra h). The


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concluding verb, which is Qal perfect 1 st sg. from the root dry (go down) is the fourth andclimactic occurrence of this key verb (see 1:3, 5 above).

transliteration: hA-'A-rec B-ri-x -ha ba-v-d lvlAm , theNetherworld with its bars (closed) upon me forever. The definite noun e rA 'A h (the land) hereconnotes the Netherwold as a synonym of Sheol (cf. Job 10:21, 22; Ps 139:15; Isa 44:23). Thenoun hxi r b (bar) is plural masc. in the construct state, with a 3 rd sg. fem. pronominal suffix A h (her, its). The preposition da v a b (about, on behalf of), which has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (me) attached, takes on the meaning of shutting behind or upon when used with verbs ofshutting or closing. The preposition l (to) attached to the masc. noun lv (long duration)takes on the meaning of forever.

transliteration: waT-Ta -vAl miH-Ha -xat xa-yay yhwh '-lO-hAy ,and you brought me up from the Pit alive, O Y HWH my G-d. The verb here is Qal imperfect 2 nd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive, from the root hlv (go up). This is the 2 nd in a series of fouroccurrences of this root (cf. 1:2; 4:6, 8), which shapes the structure of the second half of thebook of Jonah. The preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , is attached to the fem.noun ta xa H (pit), which is capitalized here to indicate the allusion to Sheol as the Netherworld.The word ya C ya x is the construct form of the pl. masc. noun i yC yax (life), with the 1 st sg. pronominalsuffix ya . Jonahs words are here directed to Y HWH , my G-d ( yA hl ' ). The vowel in the 1 st sg.pronominal suffix is an instance of pausal lengthening.

2:8

transliteration: B-hit-vaX-XE p vA-la y nap-H , when my soul/life expiredwithin me. The verb here is Hithpael infinitive construct from the root Xv (be faint, feeble),with the preposition b (in) attached. The subject of the verb is yi H pa n (my life). The prepositionbetween the verb and its subject is la v (upon, within), which has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffixattached. The meaning of this expression is fainting away completely, in the sense of life itselfexpiring.

transliteration: 'et-yhwh zA-kA r-T , I remembered Y HWH . The verb is Qalperfect 1 st sg. from the root rkz (remember), which here has Y HWH as the definite directobject.

transliteration: waT-TA-b ' 'E-l -ka T-pil-lA-t 'el-h -ka lqod-He -ka , and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg.feminine from the root ' b (come) has for its subject the feminine noun h A li pL t (prayer) withits 1 st person sg. pronominal suffix yi (my). The preposition lE ' (to) has the 2 nd sg. masc.pronominal suffix (you). On the concluding 3-word accentual-stress unit, see 2:5 above.


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2:9

transliteration: m-Ham-m-r m ha-bl HA w' , those who cling to emptynothings The verbal form here is the Piel participle pl. masc. from the root rmH (keep,watch, preserve). Its object follows in the combination of two nouns bound together in theconstruct relationshipthe pl. construct of the masc. noun le be h (vapor, breath, vanity), whichis connected by maqqEp to the masc. noun ' wA H (emptiness, vanity).

It is interesting to note that the center of the book of Jonah in terms of total word-count fallsbetween the first and second words of 2:9, with 344 words on either side. This structural centerfocuses on an enigmatic phrase at the beginning of a puzzling verse, which in fact may be aproverbial statement. In his translation of this text, Jack Sasson separates this verse from therest of Jonahs Canticle from the Depths (2:3b10) by large dashes, as a parenthetical remarkof some sort. He translates the verse as follows [ Jonah , Anchor Bible 24B (1990), p. 160]:

They who hold to empty faiths, give up their hope for mercy.

The commentaries and translations I checked resort to paraphrasing the passage by way ofinterpretation, rather than to literal translation. The old Roman Catholic revision of theChalloner-Rheims Bible comes perhaps the closest to a literal reading of the text:

They that vainly observe vanities, forsake their own mercy.

transliteration: xas-DA m ya-v-zO -b , their covenant-trust they haveabandoned. The masc. noun de se x (covenant-love, goodness, loving-kindness) is one of themost important theological concepts in the Tanakh. Here it has the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominalsuffix A (their). The vowel change in the first syllable is determined by the guttural x. The factthat the first syllable is closed explains the daghesh in the d.The verb here is Qal imperfect 3

rd

pl. masc. from the root bzv (abandon).

2:10

transliteration: wa-'-n B-q l T-dAh 'ez-B-xA h lA k , but I,with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. The wAw -conjunction attached to theindependent 1 st sg. pronoun yi n ' (I), together with the presence of the strong disjunctive accentrebavon this word presents an emphatic note to the subject of the verb, which is the Qalimperfect 1 st sg. from the root xbz (sacrifice) with paragogic h. The preposition b (in, with) isattached to two singular nouns in construct relationshipthe masc. noun lq (voice, sound)followed by the fem. noun hA dLt (thanksgiving). The prepositional phrase at the end of thisclause is the preposition l (to) with the 2 nd sg. masc. pronominal A (you). In this pausalcontext the sg. masc. form is identical to the corresponding nonpausal form with the 2 nd sg. fem.suffix A (you). The nonpausal form with the 2 nd sg. masc. suffix is (you).


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transliteration: '-He r nA-da r-T '-Hal-lE -mAh , what I have vowed, letme pay. The particle of relation re H ' introduces a 2-word syntactic accentual-stress unit, withits boundary marked by the disjunctive accent Xipx in the verb (I have vowed). This verbis Qal perfect 1 st sg from the root rdn (vow). The second verb hA m E la H ' is Piel imperfect 1 st sgwith paragogic h from the root lH (make good, [i.e., pay vows to G-d]). In the translation, Ihave rendered it as cohortative: let me pay.

transliteration: y-H-vA -tAh la-yhwh , salvation belongs to Y HWH . Theshorter form of the sg. fem. noun hA vH y (salvation) is more common. Here we have theaddition of what some scholars call a paragogic h, which gives us the longer formhA tA v H y(salvation), which appears also in Ps 80:3. The pointing of the preposition l (to)attached to the name Y HWH assumes the pronunciation la'dOnAy .

2:11

transliteration: way-yO '-mer yhwh laD-DA g , and Y HWH spoke to the fish.The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root rm' (say). The preposition l (to) ispointed to the noun g A d (fish) is definite, and that the article h has assimilated with thepreposition retaining the vowel of the original definite article. This is the fourth and finaloccurrence of the noun )h(A g A d (fish)cf. 2:1 [twice] and 2:2. The noun appears three times asmasculine and once as feminine (in 2:2).

transliteration: way-yA-qE ' 'et-ynA h 'el-hay-yaB-Ba-HA h , and itvomited out Jonah upon the dry land. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root y'q (vomit, spue out, disgorge). The definite direct object of the verbis Jonah. In this context, the preposition -le ' means upon. On the feminine noun hA H Aba y (dryland) see 1:9 and 1:13 above.

Jonah 3:1-10 3:1

transliteration: wa-y-h d-bar-yhwh 'el-y-nA hHE-n t lE'-mOr , And the word of Y HWH came to Jonah a second time, saying: The clause hererepeats that of 1:1 with the addition of the ordinal number two tyi nE H (a second [time]).

3:2

transliteration: q m lE k 'el-n-n-wE h hA-v rhaG-G-d-lA h , Arise! Go to Nineveh, that great city. The words here repeat verbatim the firstsix words of 1:2.


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transliteration: -q-rA ' 'E-l -hA 'et-haq-q-r-'A h , and proclaim to itthe proclamation. The first word here (the imperative verbal form) is the same as that of 1:2, butthe second word differs by a single letterthe exchange of the letter ' for the letter v in theprepositional phrase A hye lE ' (to it) instead of A hye lA v (against it). The change of a singleconsonant changes everything. Jonah is to take a message to the people of Nineveh, ratherthan proclaim a message against them. And his message is further described as the object ofthe verbit is hA 'y r qa h (the proclamation) that Y HWH is about to give him.

transliteration: '-He r 'A-nO-k DO-bE r 'E-l -kah , that I am about to tellyou. The particle of relation re H ' (that) a participial phrase with the long form of the 1 st sg.personal pronoun yi kO nA ' (I) as subject of the Qal sg. masc. participle rE b O d from the root rbd (speak), followed by the preposition lE ' (to) with the 2 nd sg. masc. pronominal suffix (you).

3:3

transliteration: way-yA-qom y-nA h way-yE -lek'el-n-n-wE h Kid-ba r yhwh , and Jonah arose and he went to Nineveh according to the word ofYHWH . The first two words here are identical with the first two words of 1:3 but this time Jonahgoes to Nineveh. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from theroot lh (walk, go). The preposition -le ' (to) is attached to the proper noun Nineveh bymaqqEp . The preposition k (according to) introduces the phrase h h y ra b d (word of Y HWH)which repeat the 2 nd and 3 rd words of the book of Jonah in 1:1.

transliteration: w-n-n-wE h hA-y-t vr Ge-d-l lE'-lO-hm , and as for Nineveh, it was a great cityto G-d. The wAw -conjunction attached tothe proper noun Nineveh is disjunctive, as is the accent ( rbav ) on this same word. The verbthat follows is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. fem. from the root h yA h (be[come]) with the words hA ldC g-ryi v (great city) as the subject. This is the eighth in the series of 12 occurrences of the adjectivegreat in the book of Jonah. The word yhl'l here is normally translated as some kind ofplural of majestyexceedingly (great city). It is better to translate the word literally with theattached preposition l (to)namely, Nineveh was a great city to G-d.

transliteration: ma-h-la k H-lO -Het yA-m m , (namely) a journey of threedays. The phrase here describes how Nineveh is a great city to G-d. The masc. noun A l ha m presents Nineveh as a journey consisting of yi m y te Hl H (three days). In the mythology of theancient Near East, a three-day journey separates this world from the Netherworld. Moreover,the motif of a journey of three days and three nights was already present in 2:2 as a structuringdevice in the first half of the book of Jonah. Here in the second half we find another panel ofthree days, which becomes clear in 4:10 when Y HWH points out to Jonah that the qiqayon -plantgrew up in a night and in a night it perished. The motif of a journey of three days and threenights structures the second half of the book of Jonah as well as the first half.


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3:4

transliteration: way-yA -xel y-nA h lA-b' bA-v r , and Jonah began bygoing into the city The verb here is Hiphil imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root llx (treat [avineyard] as common by beginning to use its fruit) with the meaning begin and Jonah assubject. The verbal form 'bA l (to go) is Qal infinitive construct from the root ' b (to go). Thepreposition b (in[to]) the city ( ryi v) tells us where Jonah began to go on his journey.

transliteration: ma-h-lak y m 'e-xA d , a journey of one day. The firstaspect of Jonahs journey ( al ha m) takes one day ( dA xe ' y) as Jonah enters the city ofNineveh to deliver his message.

transliteration: way-yiq-rA ' way-yO'-ma rv d var-BA-vm y m w-n-n-wE h neh-PA -ket , and he cried out and he said, There remain butforty days and Nineveh shall be overturned . The first two verbs here are both Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. forms with wAw -conversive from the roots 'rq (to proclaim) and rm' (to say). Themessage G-d gave Jonah consists of only five words. The first three words constitute asyntactic accentual-stress unit starting with the adverb dv (still, yet). There remain yet fortydays ( y yi v A b ra ' ) and something will happen to Nineveh. But exactly what will happen isunclear. The verb te kA p he n is a Niphal participle sg. fem. from the root ph (turn, overturn), butat this point we encounter a serious problem. The verb in question has two different meanings.On occasion this verb is used to describe a devastating overturning (i.e., destruction) like thatof Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen 19:2129; and that is exactly what Jonah wants it to mean. Atthe same time, however, the normal meaning of the verb presents a very different pictureoneof turning over in the sense of turning about, changing, being transformed. As we will see, thisis what G-d has in mind, and what actually happensas Nineveh is converted. The rest of thebook concerns G-ds attempt to instruct Jonah as to the meaning of the five-word message fromYHWH that he spoke in the city of Nineveh on that first day of his three-day journey.

3:5 transliteration: way-ya-'-m -n 'an-H n-n-wE h

BE'-lO-h m , and the people of Nineveh believed G-d. The verb here is Hiphil imperfect 3 rd pl.masc. with wAw -conversive from the root m' (confirm, support) with the meaning believe,trust. The subject of this verb is h w nyi n yE H na ' (the people of Nineveh). The preposition b (in)tells us who the people of Nineveh trustedthey believed in G-d ( yi hl ' ). Thats what trueconversion is all about.

transliteration: way-yiq-r-'-cm way-yil-B-H Waq-q m , and theyput on sackcloth. The faith of the people of Nineveh was demonstrated by action. The verbhere is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root 'rq (to proclaim). They


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proclaimed a fast ( c). The next verb is also Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. with wAw -conversivefrom the root Hbl (put on). The people of Nineveh put on sackcloth ( yi qa W) to demonstratetheir repentance.

transliteration: miG-G-d-lA h w-vad-q-Xan-nA m , from the greatest ofthem even to the least of them. The prepositions i m da v w (from and as far as, even to)tells us the extent of the conversion of the people of Nineveh. It extended from the greatest ofthem ( A ld g) to the least of them ( C A na X q). In both instances these sg. masc. nouns have 3 rd pl.masc. pronominal suffixes A (of them).

3:6

transliteration: way-yiG-Ga v haD-DA-bA r 'el-me -lek n-n-wE h , andthe word reached the king of Nineveh. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root vgn (touch, reach, strike). The subject of the verb is rA b A da h (the word,matter), which reached even to ( -le ' ) the king of Nineveh. In short, the positive response toJonahs message spread through the whole of the populacefrom the bottom to the very top.

transliteration: way-yA -qom miK-Kis-' way-ya-v-bE r'aD-Dar-T mE-vA-lA yw , and he rose from his throne and he threw off his royal robe from uponhim. The first verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root q (rise). The preposition i m (from), with the assimilation of nn , is attached to the sg. masc.noun 'E s i k (throne) with the 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix (his). The second verb is Hiphilimperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root rbv (pass over, through). Themeaning here is to put offto cause to take away from upon himthe compound prepositionof i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , and la v (upon) with 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffixwyA (his). The object of the verb is the kings te r eda ' (robe), a fem. noun with a 3 rd sg. masc.pronominal suffix (his).

transliteration: wa-y-ka s Wa q way-yE -Heb val-hA-'E -per , and hedonned sackcloth and he sat in ashes. The first verb here is Piel imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. withwAw -conversive from the root hsk (cover) meaning to clothe. The king put on sackcloth ( qa s).The second verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc., from the root bHy (sit). The preposition -lv (upon, in) is tied to the definite sg. masc. noun re pE ' (ashes). Note that the stress in this wordis on the second to last syllable.

3:7


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transliteration: way-yaz-vE q way-yO '-mer B-n-n-wE h , and he cried outand he said in Nineveh The verb here is Hiphil imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root qvz (cryout, call). The second verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root rm' (say). Thepreposition b (in) is attached to the definite proper noun Nineveh.

transliteration: miX-Xa -vam ham-me -lek -g-d-lA yw lE'-mO r ,from a judgment of the king and his grandees, saying: The preposition i m (from) withassimilation of the nn , is attached to the masc. sg. noun a va X (decision, decree), which is inconstruct relationship with the two-part noun constructionthe definite sg. masc. noun e l e ma h (the king) and the plural masc. noun yi l dC g (grandees, great ones). Though the infinitiveconstruct rO m'E l functions much like quotation marks in English, it functions here as a separatesyntactic accentual-stress unit and thus must be translated.

transliteration: hA-'A-dA m w-haB-B-hE-mA h haB-BA-qA rw-hac-cO 'n , humankind and animals, cattle and sheep. Here we have two pairs of definitenouns: A dA ' (humankind) and hA mE h b (animals) followed by rA qA b (cattle) and 'c (sheep).The vowel in the definite article of A dA 'A h is lengthened because the guttural ' cannot bedoubled [compensatory lengthening]. The other three follow the normal rule with Pa taxfollowedby doubling of the next consonant.

transliteration: 'al-yiX-v-m m-'-m , let them not taste anything. Theadverb of negation la ' is tied to the verb with maqqEp . The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc.from the root vX (taste) and the object of the verb is the indefinite pronoun hA m 'm (anything). Note that the stress is on the penultimate syllable in this word. The entire 3-wordphrase constitutes a syntactic accentual-stress unit.

transliteration: 'al-yir-v -ma -yim 'al-yiH-T , let them not graze (or:be evil) and water let them not drink. In both instances here, the adverb of negation la ' is tiedto the verb with maqqEp . The first verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root hvr (graze)but there is a problem when it comes to the subject of the verb, since this verbal root is not usedwith a human subject. If the first word A dA ' (humankind) in the compound subject is the focusof attention, then another verb is heard at the level of a pun. Instead of yirv (they will graze),the ear hears yErv ([let them not] be evil) from the root vvr (be evil). The fact that thisdouble entendre is intentional is shown by the 5-fold repetition of this new root vvr in the nextfour verses [see D. L. Christensen, Anticipatory Paronomasia in Jonah 3:78 and Genesis37:2, Revue Biblique 90 (1983), pp. 26163]. The second verb here L t Hi y is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl.masc. from the root htH (drink), used as a jussive (in an indirect imperative sense)let themnot drink. The object of the verb is the masc. noun i ya m, which appears only in the plural form.

3:8


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transliteration: w-yit-Kas-s Waq-q m hA-'A-dA mw-hab-B-hE-mAh , and let them don sackcloth, human beings and animals. The verb here isHithpael imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root hsk (cover), which is interpreted here in a

jussive senselet them be covered with sackcloth ( yi qa W). The subject of the verb is both thehumans ( A dA 'A h) and the animals ( hA mE h bah). The two singular nouns are read as collective(plural) in meaning.

transliteration: w-yiq-r-' 'el-'-lO-h m B-xoz-qAh , and let themcall out to G-d mightily. The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root 'rq (call out),which is read as jussive in this context (let them call out). The indirect object yi hl ' (G-d) ismarked with the preposition -le ' (to) plus maqqEp . The preposition b (in) is combined withthe fem. noun hA q zA x b (strength) to express the concept of severely, sharplyi.e., mightily).

transliteration: w-yA-H -b ' H miD-Dar-K hA-rA-vA h , and let themturn each one from his evil way. The verb is Qal imperfect 3

rd

pl. masc. from the root bH (turn,return). The subject of the verb is the masc. noun Hyi ' (man, person) as a sg. collective, whichis interpreted in the sense of each one. The preposition i m (from), with assimilation of thenn , is attached to the sg. masc. noun e r e d (way, road) with 3 rd sg. masc. pronominal suffix (his). The definite fem. sg. noun hA vA rA h (the evil) is derived from the verbal root vvr (beevil). The repetition of this word together with the verbal root vvr as well here, and again in3:10 (twice); 4:1 (twice) and 4:2, for a total of six occurrences in five verses, confirms thereading of the pun in 3:7b val yErv (do not be evil).

transliteration: -min-he-xA-mA s '-He r B-kaP-P -he m , and fromthe violence which is in their hands. Before the labial consonants ( b m p) the vowel of the wAw -conjunction becomes . In this instance, the preposition i m (from) is attached to the definitesg. masc. noun sA mA xe h (violence) by maqqEp . Notice the dissimulation of the vowel in thedefinite article caused by the fact that the guttural x cannot be doubled and already has the longvowel qAmAc . The relational particle re H ' (that, which) is coupled here with the preposition b (in) to introduce an adjectival phrase that modifies the noun sA mA x (violence). The constructform of the dual noun i yL a pa k (hollow or flat of the hands) has the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominal suffixe h (their).

3:9

transliteration: m-y-dE -av yA-H b w-ni-xa m hA-'-lO-h m ,Who knows? He may return, indeed the G-d may be moved to pity. The interrogative pronounyi m (who?) is tied to the Qal sg. masc. participle from the root vdy (know) with maqqEp . Theaccent munax preceded immediately by the meteg in the phrase (who knows?) isdisjunctive such that these two words constitute a syntactic accentual-stress unit. The verb bHy


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is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root bH (turn, return) has the disjunctive accentzAqEp qAXn , so that this single word forms a syntactic accentual-stress unit. The verbal forma xi n w is Niphal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive in an Imperfect + Perfect narrativesequence of successive verbs. Note that in this instance there is no doubling of the consonantafter the waw as there is with imperfect verbal forms. The definite noun yi hl 'A h (the G-d) isthe subject of both verbs, which are rendered in a similar sense: he may return and he maymoved to pity.

transliteration: w-HA b mE-x-r n 'aP-P w-lO ' nO'-bE d , and hemay turn from his burning anger so that we do not perish. The verbal form bA Hw, whichcontinues the narrative sequence, is Qal perfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root bH (turn, return).The preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , is attached to the sg. masc. noun rA x ([burning of] anger), which is closely tied to the sg. masc. noun a ' (anger, nostril). Togetherthese two words may be rendered from the burning of his anger. The concluding verb dE b'n isQal imperfect 1 st pl. from the root db' (perish), which is negated with the adverb 'l (not).

3:10

transliteration: way-ya r' hA-'-lO-h m 'et-ma-v-W -he m , and theG-d saw their deeds. The verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root h'r (see)with the definite noun yi hl 'A h (the G-d) as subject and the definite direct object yi W va m (deeds, works) with the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominal suffix e h (their).

transliteration: K-HA -b miD-Dar-KA m hA-rA-vA h , that they turned fromtheir evil way. The word y i k functions as the conjunction that after verbs of seeing. The verbhere is Qal perfect 3 rd pl. masc. from the root bH (turn, return). On the phrase from their evilways see the discussion at 3:8. The only difference is the pronominal suffix, which in thisinstance is 3 rd pl. masc. A (their).

transliteration: way-yin-nA-xe m hA-'-lO-h m val-hA-rA-vA h , andthe G-d was sorry in regards the evil The verb here is Niphal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc. fromthe root xn (be sorry, repent) with the subject the definite noun yi hl 'A h (the G-d). Thepreposition

la v(as regards, concerning, upon, over) is tied to the definite noun

hvrh (the

evil) with maqqEp , which constitutes the second of five repetitions of the root vvr in thiscontext.

transliteration: '-He r DiB-Ber la-v-W t lA-he m w-lO ' vA-WA h ,that he said he would do to them; and he did not do it. The particle of relation re H ' here is tiedto the verb with maqqEp . The verb is Piel perfect 3 rd sg. masc. from the root rbd (speak). The


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verbal form twWvl is Qal infinitive construct from the root hWv (do). The preposition l (to)has the 3 rd pl. masc. pronominal suffix e h (them). The concluding verbal form hA WA v is Qalperfect 3 rd sg. masc. (i.e, the normal form of the verbal root as listed in the dictionary). In thecontext here this verb is negated with the adverb 'l (not). The verbal object it is implied.

Jonah 4:1-11 4:1

transliteration: way-yE -rav 'el-ynA h rA-vA h G-d-lA h , and a greatevil came upon Jonah. This short statement of five words is carefully contrived to present twomore repetitions of the verbal root vvr (be evil). The expression -le ' va rC ya w is unique toScripture and poses problems to the translator. The verb is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg, masc. withwAw -conversive. Taken literally, the words may be rendered: It was evil unto Jonahnamely agreat evil . In short, a great evil came to Jonah; and that evil was his anger. In a sense, thesubject of this sentence is a great evil. The great evil became evil in regard to Jonah. This isthe tenth in the series of 12 occurrences of the adjective great as a structuring feature in thebook of Jonah. The phenomenon of cognate accusatives and related constructions in Jonah isworth further study. They include:

1:10, 16 the sailors feared a great fear (wayyr' ... yir'Ah gdlAh )1:16 they sacrificed sacrifices and they vowed vows (wayyizBx zebax )3:2 Jonah is instructed to proclaim a proclamation (qrA' ... haqqr'Ah )4:6 Jonah is shaded by a plant that comes up over him ( wayyaval mEval )

transliteration: way-yi-xa r l , and he became angry. The verb here is Qalimperfect 3

rd

sg. masc. from the root hrx (burn of anger). The preposition l (to) has the 3rd

sg. masc. pronominal suffix (him). Literally the phrase reads: it became anger for him orhe burned with anger.

4:2

transliteration: way-yit-Pal-lE l 'el-yhwh way-yO'-ma r

'on-n yhwh , and he prayed to Y HWH and he said, O Y HWH ! The first verb here is Hithpaelimperfect 3 rd sg. masc. with wAw -conversive from the root llp (intercede on behalf, pray).Prayer is directed to Y HWH (hwhy-le ' ). The second verb ram'C ya w is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc.with wAw -conversive from the root rm' (say). The word hC nA ' is an interjection, from hA ' plus ' n meaning ah, now! or I beseech thee!in prayer addressed to Y HWH (cf. 1:14).


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transliteration: h-l'-zeh d-bA-r vad-h-y-t val-'ad-mA-t , Is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? The interrogativeparticle h is prefixed to the adverb of negation 'l. This opening word is tied to thedemonstrative pronoun h z (this) by maqqEp . The word y rA b d is the combination of the sg.masc. noun

rA b A d (speech, word) with the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix

yi (my). This 3-word

syntactic accentual-stress unit may be translated literally: Is not this my word or Is this notwhat I said. The preposition -dv (as far as, while) is attached to the verbal form yi hy h, whichis the Qal infinitive construct from the root hyh (be[come]) with the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (my) in the sense of my beingi.e., when I was. The preposition lv (upon, in) is tied tothe sg. fem. noun hmA d ' (ground, land), which has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (my).

transliteration: val-KE n qiD-Da m-T lib-rO -ax Tar-H -HAh , that iswhy I made haste to flee to Tarshish. The preposition -la v (upon) plus the adverb Ek (so,thus) expresses the concept of therefore, upon the ground of such conditions). The verbalform

yi t m a di q is Piel perfect 1 st sg. from the root

dq (come or be in front, meet), with the sense

of anticipate, forestall. The verbal form a xO r bi l is a Qal infinitive construct from the root xrb (flee). The proper noun hHyH rL a t (Tarshish) has the directional affix hA (expressing directiontoward).

transliteration: K yA-dav-T K 'aT-TA h 'El-xan-n nw-ra-x m , for I knew that you are a G-d who is gracious and merciful. The initial conjunctiony i k (for) has a causal sense. The verb here is Qal perfect 1 st sg. from the root vdy (know).

Appearing after the verb of knowing, the second y i k is best rendered as that. The independent2nd sg. masc. pronoun hK A ta ' (you) is the subject in a nominal clause (with no verb expresslystated). In such circumstances, the verb to be is implied. The sg. masc. noun -lE ' (G-d) isclosely linked with the adjective C na x (gracious) as an attribute of G-d. The wAw -conjunctionties this expression to the adjective xa r (compassionate), another important divine attribute.

transliteration: 'e -rek 'aP-Pa -yim w-ra b xe-sedw-ni-xA m val-hA-rA-vA h , slow to anger and abounding in covenant-love, who repents from evil.The attributes of G-d explored here are reminiscent of Exodus 34:6. The adjective e re '(long) is in the construct state, bound together with the dual masc. noun i ya L pa ' (anger) with

the meaning slow of anger

4:3 transliteration: w--vaT-TAh yhwh qax-nA ' 'et-napH

mim-me n-n , and now Y HWH , take my life from me The adverb of time hK Ata v (now) has thewAw -conjunction attached. The opening 2-word phrase, which are vocative in nature, constitutea syntactic accentual-stress unit with the disjunctive accent zaqep qaXan marking the boundary.The verb here is Qal perfect 2 nd sg. masc. imperative from the root xql (take), with the


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particle of entreaty ' n- (I pray, now) attached by maqqEp . The definite direct object of the verbis the fem. sg. noun He pe n (soul, living-being, life), which has the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yi (my) attached. The concluding preposition i m (from), with assimilation of the nn , has the 1 st sg. suffix yi ne m (my) attached. Note the stress on the penultimate syllable.

transliteration: K Xb m-t mE-xay-yAy , for I am better off dead thanalive. The conjunction y i k (for) has a causal sense here. The combination of the adjective bX (good, pleasant) with the preposition i m (from) expresses the comparative better. The sg.masc. noun te wA m (death) appears here in the construct state with the 1 st sg. pronominal suffixyi (my) attached. The masc. noun yC ya x (life) appears here in the construct state with the 1 st sg. pronominal suffix yA (my) attached and the i m of comparison prefixed. The literal sensehere is: :for better is my death than my life.

4:4

transliteration: way-yO '-mer yhwh ha-h -XE b xA-rA h lA k , andYHWH said, Do you do well to be angry? The initial verb here is Qal imperfect 3 rd sg. masc.with wAw -conversive from the root rm' (say) and Y HWH as the subject. The interrogativeparticle h is pointed with Pa Xax in this context. The verb bE XyE ha h is Hiphil infinitive absolute usedadverbially, with the interrogative particle prefixed, from the root bX (be pleasing, good). Theverb hrx is Qal perfect 3 rd sg, masc., from the root hrx (burn with anger). When used withthe preposition l (in) together with the 2 nd sg masc. pronominal suffix A (you), this verb hasthe meaning it was kindled for you or (that) you burned with anger.

4:5

transliteration: way-yE-cE ' y-nA h min-hA-v r , and Jonah went out fromthe city. The verb here is Qal i

dlc reading jonah b

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