Interpretation of the Prophet Jonah

“Commentary on the Prophet Jonah” is part of the “Commentary on the 12 Minor Prophets”, written by Bl. Theodoret of Cyrus in the 30-40s. V century at the request of friends. He uses a typological method of interpretation and pays sufficient attention to clarifying the chronology of the prophet's life. The commentary is a sequential presentation of all 4 chapters of the Book of the Prophet Jonah. Blzh. Theodoret examines key moments in the life of the prophet Jonah: his call to preach in Nineveh, his attempt to escape this call, his stay in the belly of a whale, and the conversion of the people of Nineveh. The author draws attention to the symbolic meaning of these events, considering them as an omen of the future salvation of mankind through Christ. The God of all, having created all people, provides for everyone equally. If, apparently, in ancient times He sometimes had more concern for the Israelites; then in this way he provided a common benefit to all people. For, as he took proper care of Israel, he did not talk with everyone, and God did not show everyone what he should do, but by choosing one of all the most perfect, and talking, sometimes with the great Moses, sometimes with Joshua, and sometimes with Samuel, at other times with Elijah, and through each of those named, either decreeing laws, or performing miracles, or offering exhortations, he led everyone to salvation: so, Having separated the people of Israel from other nations, with care for them, frequent appearances and unspeakable miracles, he showed other peoples the path to knowledge of God. He taught us this through the mouth of the God-wise Hosea; for he says: “Ephraim is a guardian with God, a Prophet” (Hos. 9:8); because God, as it were, appointed this people as a guardian and prophet for the benefit and salvation of other nations. So Egypt, through them, learned the ineffable power of the God of all; The rumor about the death of the Egyptians, which spread among all people, made everyone marvel at the veracity of God's providence. From here, Rahab the harlot, borrowing a ray of knowledge of God, said to the spies: “your fear and your trembling have come upon us: ... we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you, and has exalted you, ... as the Lord your God is God in heaven and on earth (Joshua 2:9-11). And after many years, the Philistines, seeing the ark, cried out with fear and horror: “This is the God who killed Egypt” (1 Samuel 4:8). And having defeated many thousands of Assyrians under the walls of Jerusalem, and forcing Sennacherib to flee with a small number, God made His power obvious to all people. And in Babylon, having been given over to the lions, Daniel was preserved unharmed, and that cruel flame of the furnace was transformed into dew, so that the blessed youths among her formed a face and composed a song, as he brought the proud king into amazement, and through him he taught his subjects that the God of Israel is one God. And under Cyrus the Persian, having gloriously returned his people to their homeland, he, alone of all those who were captives, granted liberation from slavery, restored His church, and brought Jerusalem to its former prosperity, thereby not only for nearby nations, but also for those living far away, he again made it clear that He alone has enough strength to provide for whom He pleases, and to rule over everyone. Repeatedly under the Macedonians he demonstrated His power, and through the Prophets, working miracles and predicting the future, he led many of the pagans to the truth. So the Syrian people were afraid of the great Elisha, either darkened by a cloud of ignorance from him, or seeing the cleansing of Naaman. For he honored this Prophet so much that their king, having fallen into illness, sent Hazael to him to ask: will he recover? And this Prophet anointed Hazael himself king of the Syrians. And the king of Babylon honored the divine Jeremiah with such honor that he allowed him to choose his residence. He took all the rest, both kings and princes, captives, but gave Jeremiah alone the right to live where he wanted. So the God of all appointed blessed Jonah as a Prophet for the Ninevites. And Nineveh in ancient times was a very great city and the capital of the Assyrian king. since the only begotten Word of God had to appear to people in human nature and enlighten all nations with the light of the knowledge of God; then, before His incarnation, He shows the pagans His divine providence, in order to confirm the future to those who preceded them and to teach everyone that He is not only God of the Jews, but also of the pagans, and to show the affinity of the New and Old Testaments. And if before becoming man he had no thought for the pagans; then the Jews would have considered him a different God, as acting contrary to Him who gave the law; because God, who gave the law, cared only for the Jews, but He takes His care for all people. The vile Marcion fell into this error, claiming that there is one God of the New, and another of the Old Testament, although in the Old Testament he saw God’s providence for all people. But in order not to continue the words beyond measure, let us proceed to the actual interpretation of the Prophet.