Jonah 1:2
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "their wickedness has come up before me" is a powerful image, suggesting their evil deeds have ascended like a cry to God's throne, demanding justice. It's not just that God knows their sin, but that their actions themselves are so grievous they've reached a point where divine intervention is inevitable.
God commands Jonah to travel to Nineveh, a massive and powerful Assyrian city, and denounce its wickedness. The text emphasizes Nineveh's vast size and the gravity of its sins, which have reached God's attention and demand judgment, setting the stage for Jonah's reluctant mission and the city's eventual, surprising response.
When God calls Nineveh "great," it's not just about its size. What does this divine descriptor truly reveal about the city and its people?
A City Beyond Measure
God calls Nineveh "that great city." This wasn't simply a boast or a geographical fact; it was a profound statement about its power, influence, and unfortunately, its sin.
The phrase "their wickedness has come up before me" is a powerful image. What does it mean for sin to ascend to God's attention?
The Ascending Cry of Sin
God declares, "for their wickedness has come up before me." This isn't about God being unaware; it's a vivid, anthropomorphic way of describing how sin reaches a point of divine reckoning.
Understand the original words
rāʿâ · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew term for wickedness, moral depravity, or rebellion against God's standards. It signifies both internal corruption and the external actions that flow from a heart turned away from God.
Jonah's call to Nineveh places him at the height of Assyrian imperial power, a terrifying prospect for an Israelite. The city's immense size and perceived invincibility underscore the audacity of God's mercy in offering them repentance.
c. 8th century BC— this verse
Nineveh at its Zenith
Under kings like Ashur-dan III and Ashur-nirari V, the Assyrian Empire was a major power, with Nineveh serving as its magnificent capital.
c. 770 BC
Prophet Jonah's Ministry
Jonah, a prophet from the northern Kingdom of Israel, is called by God to preach a message of judgment to the Assyrian capital.
c. 755 BC
Assyrian King Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III)
Tiglath-Pileser III ascends the throne, initiating a period of significant Assyrian military expansion and aggression towards neighboring kingdoms, including Israel.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Israel
The Assyrian Empire, under Sargon II, conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event would have been a stark reminder to Israelites of God's judgment.
This passage echoes the language of Jonah 1:2, where God tells Cain that 'the voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground,' showing how human wickedness cries out to God for judgment.
Genesis 18:20Similar to Jonah's message, God declares to Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah that 'the outcry against them is great, and their sin is very grave,' illustrating God's awareness of and response to pervasive wickedness.
Isaiah 58:1This verse commands the prophet to 'Cry aloud; spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet,' which parallels the command to Jonah to 'cry against' Nineveh, highlighting the urgent and public nature of prophetic proclamation.
Jeremiah 18:7-8These verses describe God's readiness to relent from judgment if a nation turns from its evil, mirroring the potential outcome for Nineveh if they had heeded Jonah's warning, as they later did.
Nahum 3:1This passage directly addresses Nineveh ('Woe to the bloody city! It is wholly full of lies and robbery— their victim never leaves!') and speaks of its wickedness, providing a later prophetic perspective on the very sins that prompted God's initial call to Jonah.
barnesJonah 1:2: "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city - The Assyrian history, as far as it has yet been discovered, is very bare of events in regard to this period. We have as yet the names of three kings only for 150 years. But Assyria, as far as we know its history, was in its meridian. Just before the time of Jonah, perhaps ending in it, were the victorious reigns of Shalmanubar and Shamasiva;…
clarkeJonah 1:2: "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Go to Nineveh - This was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the most ancient cities of the world, Genesis 10:10 ; and one of the largest, as it was three days' journey in circumference. Ancient writers represent it as oblong; being in length one hundred and fifty stadia, and ninety in breadth, the compass being four hundred and eighty stadia. Now as the stadium is allow…
The phrase "their wickedness has come up before me" is a powerful image, suggesting their evil deeds have ascended like a cry to God's throne, demanding justice. It's not just that God knows their sin, but that their actions themselves are so grievous they've reached a point where divine intervention is inevitable.
God commands Jonah to travel to Nineveh, a massive and powerful Assyrian city, and denounce its wickedness. The text emphasizes Nineveh's vast size and the gravity of its sins, which have reached God's attention and demand judgment, setting the stage for Jonah's reluctant mission and the city's eventual, surprising response.
God commands Jonah to travel to Nineveh, a massive and powerful Assyrian city, and denounce its wickedness. The text emphasizes Nineveh's vast size and the gravity of its sins, which have reached God's attention and demand judgment, setting the stage for Jonah's reluctant mission and the city's eventual, surprising response.
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626 BC
Rise of Babylon
The Neo-Babylonian Empire begins its ascent, challenging Assyrian dominance.
612 BC
Fall of Nineveh
A coalition of Babylonians and Medes sacks and destroys Nineveh, marking the end of the Assyrian Empire. The city's destruction was seen by many as a divine judgment for its cruelty.
"“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”" — The phrase "their wickedness has come up before me" is a powerful image, suggesting their evil deeds have ascended like a cry to God's throne, demanding justice. It's not just that God knows their…
