Reading Jonah
The order and the ship
1Now the LORD’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
The word of the Lord comes to Jonah, son of Amittai, telling him to go to Nineveh and speak against its wickedness. Jonah gets up and heads for Tarshish. He goes down to Joppa, finds a ship, pays the fare and boards it.
The verse names the purpose of that departure twice: fleeing from the Lord’s presence. The opening records the command and the actions that follow without explaining Jonah’s reasons. What destination does the command name, and what destination does the ship have?
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