And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What’s remarkable here is how quickly and widely this repentance spread, bypassing official channels. The text doesn't say the king commanded it, but rather that "the people of Nineveh believed God... and proclaimed a fast," indicating a spontaneous, grassroots movement from the "greatest to the least." This shows faith and action igniting among the masses before any formal decree, a powerful testament to their genuine fear and hope.
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Jonah's terrifying prophecy of destruction within forty days, the people of Nineveh, from the highest to the lowest, didn't dismiss his message but instead believed it was from God. Their immediate response was to declare a city-wide fast and don rough sackcloth, outward signs of profound grief and a plea for mercy from this God they now recognized. This radical repentance, encompassing all of society, set the stage for God's gracious response.
The people of Nineveh, a great pagan city, heard a prophet of a foreign God and responded with radical faith. What does it mean to truly 'believe God'?
The text says the Ninevites 'believed God,' but many scholars suggest it's more accurately translated as 'believed in God.' This is a crucial distinction!
Beyond Mere Belief
The Ninevites didn't just believe Jonah's message; they believed in the power and potential mercy of the God Jonah represented. They turned to Him, trusting Him with their fate.
A whole city, from the highest to the lowest, suddenly dons sackcloth and calls for a fast. What does this public display of sorrow reveal?
The Ninevites' response wasn't just a change of mind; it was a dramatic outward expression of deep inner conviction. Their actions were immediate and universal.
Signs of Genuine Sorrow
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This wasn't a hesitant or partial response. It was a radical, immediate, and comprehensive turning away from their ways, demonstrating a profound belief that God's judgment was real and His mercy was available.
Jesus himself pointed to the Ninevites' response as a significant marker. Why was their repentance so noteworthy?
The Ninevites' turnaround was so extraordinary that Jesus later referenced it as a sign, even in contrast to the unbelief of His own generation.
The Marvel of Nineveh
The Ninevites' story is a powerful testament to God's ability to draw anyone to Himself and a stark reminder of the consequences of rejecting divine truth.
Understand the original words
aman · Hebrew Verb
To put faith in, rely upon, or trust in God’s truth; it signifies a heart-response to God’s message that results in a change of allegiance and behavior.
tsum · Hebrew Noun
A voluntary abstinence from food, often practiced alongside prayer, to signify humble dependence upon God, deep sorrow for sin, or urgent seeking of His mercy.
saq · Hebrew Noun
A coarse, rough fabric made of animal hair, worn as a traditional sign of deep mourning, repentance, or humiliation before God.
The Ninevites' immediate and sweeping repentance, even in the face of a foreign prophet and a terrifying message, stands in stark contrast to the prolonged spiritual blindness and resistance of Israel, whom God had already revealed Himself to.
c. 780s-760s BC
Jonah's Ministry in Israel
Jonah prophesied during a period of relative peace and prosperity under King Jeroboam II, but also during a time when Israel had strayed from God's commands.
c. 760s BC
Jonah Flees to Joppa
Disobeying God's command to go to Nineveh, Jonah flees west to the port city of Joppa.
c. 760s BC
Jonah Cast into the Sea
A violent storm arises, and Jonah is thrown overboard to appease the raging sea, where he is swallowed by a great fish.
c. 760s BC
Jonah in the Fish
Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, praying to God.
c. 760s BC
Jonah's Second Call to Nineveh
After being vomited onto dry land, Jonah receives a second command from God to go to Nineveh.
c. 760s BC— this verse
Jonah Preaches in Nineveh
Jonah enters the great city of Nineveh and proclaims God's imminent judgment: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.'
c. 760s BC
Nineveh Repents
The people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, believe God's warning, call for a fast, and put on sackcloth, leading to God's sparing the city.
Jesus himself points to Jonah's time in the great fish as a sign to the Ninevites, directly linking their repentance to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Jonah's message.
Matthew 12:41Jesus uses the Ninevites' swift repentance at Jonah's preaching as a standard to condemn the unbelief of the Pharisees, highlighting the depth and universality of the Ninevites' response.
Joel 1:13The act of putting on sackcloth and fasting was a recognized sign of deep repentance and mourning in Israel, showing that the Ninevites adopted familiar expressions of sorrow for sin.
Jeremiah 18:8This verse highlights God's conditional promises and threats, underscoring the Ninevites' belief that their repentance could indeed avert the destruction God had proclaimed.
Acts 17:30Paul speaks of God overlooking past ignorance, but now calling all people everywhere to repent, which echoes the Ninevites' profound turn to the 'unknown God' they had previously ignored.
barnesJonah 3:5: "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."
And the people of Nineveh believed God; - strictly, "believed in God." To "believe in God" expresses more heart-belief, than to "believe God" in itself need convey. To believe God is to believe what God says, to be true; "to believe in" or "on God" expresses not belief only, but that belief resting in God, trusting itself and all its concerns with…
ellicottJonah 3:5: "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."
(5) Believed God. —Or, believed in God. Notice again an implied contrast to the dulness of the Jews, who were “slow to believe” the prophetic warnings addressed to themselves. Proclaimed a fast.—Apparently on a spontaneous resolution of the people themselves. (See Note to Jonah 3:6.) The fast would no doubt be for one day, according to the Jewish…
What’s remarkable here is how quickly and widely this repentance spread, bypassing official channels. The text doesn't say the king commanded it, but rather that "the people of Nineveh believed God... and proclaimed a fast," indicating a spontaneous, grassroots movement from the "greatest to the least." This shows faith and action igniting among the masses before any formal decree, a powerful testament to their genuine fear and hope.
After Jonah's terrifying prophecy of destruction within forty days, the people of Nineveh, from the highest to the lowest, didn't dismiss his message but instead believed it was from God. Their immediate response was to declare a city-wide fast and don rough sackcloth, outward signs of profound grief and a plea for mercy from this God they now recognized. This radical repentance, encompassing all of society, set the stage for God's gracious response.
After Jonah's terrifying prophecy of destruction within forty days, the people of Nineveh, from the highest to the lowest, didn't dismiss his message but instead believed it was from God. Their immediate response was to declare a city-wide fast and don rough sackcloth, outward signs of profound grief and a plea for mercy from this God they now recognized. This radical repentance, encompassing all of society, set the stage for God's gracious response.
"And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them." — What’s remarkable here is how quickly and widely this repentance spread, bypassing official channels. The text doesn't say the king commanded it, but rather that "the people of Nineveh believed God..…
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Last reviewed October 2026