King James Version

What Does Jonah 1:2 Mean?

Jonah 1:2 in the King James Version says “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” — study this verse from Jonah chapter 1 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”

Jonah 1:2 · KJV

Context

1

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Jonah: Gr. Jonas

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 presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4

But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. sent out: Heb. cast forth was like: Heb. thought to be broken

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
God's command is direct and shocking: "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me." The Hebrew qum lekh el-Nineveh ha'ir haggedolah uqera aleyha ki-aletah ra'atam lephanay (קוּם לֵךְ אֶל־נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה וּקְרָא עָלֶיהָ כִּי־עָלְתָה רָעָתָם לְפָנָי) sends an Israelite prophet to Israel's enemy—equivalent to sending a Holocaust survivor to preach in Berlin in 1945.

"Nineveh, that great city" (Nineveh ha'ir haggedolah) emphasizes size and significance. Nineveh was Assyria's capital, center of the brutal empire that would later destroy Israel's northern kingdom (722 BC). The phrase "great city" appears five times in Jonah, stressing its importance to God despite being pagan. The repetition anticipates 4:11's revelation that God cares about Nineveh's 120,000 inhabitants who "cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand."

"Cry against it" (qera aleyha) uses qara (קָרָא), meaning to call out, proclaim, or preach. The preposition al (against) indicates the message is judgment. Yet Jonah's actual message (3:4) is brief: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." No offer of repentance, no explanation—just announcement of doom. God's mercy becomes evident when Nineveh repents anyway and God relents (3:10).

"Their wickedness is come up before me" (aletah ra'atam lephanay) uses alah (עָלָה, "come up, ascend"), suggesting their evil has reached heaven's threshold, demanding divine attention. This echoes Genesis 18:20-21 where Sodom's sin "is very grievous" and comes before God. The phrase demonstrates God's omniscience—He sees wickedness everywhere, not just in Israel. God holds all nations accountable to His moral law (Amos 1-2, Romans 1:18-32). Nineveh's specific crimes likely included extreme military brutality—Assyrian inscriptions boast of impalement, flaying, mass deportations, and calculated terrorism.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Jonah son of Amittai prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:25), around 780-760 BC. God commanded him to preach repentance to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria—the brutal empire that would later destroy Israel (722 BC). Assyrian kings were notorious for extreme cruelty, boasting in their inscriptions about impalement, flaying, and mass deportations. For an Israelite prophet, preaching salvation to Assyria was like asking a Holocaust survivor to evangelize Nazi Germany. Jonah's flight to Tarshish (opposite direction) reveals both ethnic prejudice and theological confusion about God's mercy extending to pagan nations. When Nineveh repented and God relented, Jonah became angry, preferring their destruction. The book concludes with God's gentle rebuke, revealing His compassion for all people.

The book of Jonah stands as a rebuke to narrow nationalism and an anticipation of the gospel's universal scope. Jesus referenced Jonah's three days in the fish as a sign of His death and resurrection, while condemning His generation for not repenting like Nineveh did (Matthew 12:39-41). The early church struggled with the same prejudice Jonah displayed when Gentiles began believing in Christ.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Jonah 1:2 deepen your understanding of God's character, particularly His holiness, justice, and mercy?
  2. What specific attitudes, thought patterns, or behaviors does this verse call you to examine and change in light of the gospel?
  3. How does this passage point forward to Christ and His redemptive work, and how should that shape your worship and obedience?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 12 words
ק֠וּם1 of 12

“Arise”

H6965

to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

לֵ֧ךְ2 of 12
H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

אֶל3 of 12
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

נִֽינְוֵ֛ה4 of 12

“to Nineveh”

H5210

nineveh, the capital of assyria

הָעִ֥יר5 of 12

“city”

H5892

a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)

הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה6 of 12

“that great”

H1419

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

וּקְרָ֣א7 of 12

“and cry”

H7121

to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

עָלֶ֑יהָ8 of 12
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

כִּֽי9 of 12
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

עָלְתָ֥ה10 of 12

“is come up”

H5927

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

רָעָתָ֖ם11 of 12

“against it for their wickedness”

H7451

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

לְפָנָֽי׃12 of 12

“before”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jonah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jonah 1:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jonah 1:2 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 18:20-21Genesis 10:11Nahum 1:1Isaiah 58:1Zephaniah 2:13-15Jonah 3:2

Places in This Verse

NinevehSettlement · Modern: Nineveh · 36.36°N, 43.15°E30 verses across 8 books
View all places in Jonah 1 →

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