UTN uW Translation Notes:

Jonah 1 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

The narrative of this chapter starts abruptly. This is a typical way for a prophetic book to begin. The translator should not add information to smooth this introduction, but the first verse could be made into several sentences to make a more natural beginning. See the UST.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Miracle

In verse 1:17, there is the mention of “a great fish.” It may be difficult to imagine a sea creature big enough to swallow a man whole, and we do not know what kind of creature this was. Jonah then survives for three days and nights inside the fish. This is something that God made to happen. Translators should not try to explain miraculous events in an attempt to make them easier to understand. (See: miracle)

Important Figures of Speech in this Chapter

Situational irony

There is an ironic situation in this chapter. This means that people do or say things that are the opposite of what one would expect them to do. Jonah is a prophet of God, and as such, he would be expected to endeavor to do God’s will. Instead, he runs away from God. Although the Gentile sailors are not Israelites, they act out of faith and fear of Yahweh when sending Jonah to an almost certain death by throwing him overboard. (See: figs-irony, prophet and willofgod and faith)

Sea

People in the ancient Near East saw the sea as chaotic, and they did not trust it. Some of the gods they worshiped were gods of the sea. Jonah’s people, the Hebrews, feared the sea greatly. However, Jonah’s fear of the sea was not enough to keep him from sailing on a ship to avoid doing what Yahweh commanded. (See: fear)

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Implicit information

Even though no one knows for sure where Tarshish was, the writer assumes that the reader knows that Jonah had to face away from Nineveh to go there. (See: figs-explicit)