This is the twenty-sixth in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament. This is the fifth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Jonah.
a Jonah commissioned to go to Nineveh (1:1-3)
b Jonah and the pagan sailors (1:4-16)
c Jonah's grateful, beautiful prayer (1:17-20)
a' Jonah recommissioned to go to Nineveh (3:1-3a)
b' Jonah and the pagan Ninevites (3:3b-10)
c' Jonah's resentful, mean-spirited prayer (4:1-4)
d CLIMAX: Yahweh's lesson for Jonah (4:5-11)
The 'a' pattern links Jonah's early refusal to go to Nineveh with his later willingness to go. In the first section, Jonah is commanded by God to arise, go to Nineveh, the great city. Jonah arises to flee. In the second section, Jonah is also commanded to arise, go to Nineveh, the great city. This time, Jonah arises and goes.
The 'b' pattern links the contrite pagan sailors of the first section to the contrite pagan Ninevites of the second section. In both sections, Yahweh threatens judgment. In the first section, the sailors respond immediately. In the second section, the Ninevites do. In the first section, the sailors cry out to Jonah's God for mercy. In the second section, the Ninevites do. In the first section, the leader participates in the effort in the hope that God may show mercy and relent. In the second section, the Ninevite king does this. Both sections end with Yahweh sparing the contrite pagans.
The 'c' pattern links Jonah's beautiful prayer in the first section to his mean-spirited prayer in the second section. In both sections, Jonah prays to Yahweh. In the first section, Jonah boasts about Yahweh's love that pagans forfeit. In the second section, Jonah complains about Yahweh's love that the pagans have received. In the first section, Jonah is grateful that his life and soul have been saved. In the second section, Jonah resents that the pagans have been spared, and wishes that his life and soul would be taken.
The 'd' section is climactic, showing Yahweh's lesson for Jonah. Dorsey writes: "Yahweh causes a chain of events that leaves Jonah feeling badly about a little plant that died. Now Yahweh asks Jonah to see why Yahweh feels so badly about the impending destruction of an entire city full of many thousands of people, including thousands of innocent children and animals." (295)
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