Jonah: Historical, Metaphorical, or Just a Fish Tale?
“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah…saying, “Arise, go to Ninevah.’” (Jonah 1:1)
Many people, believers and non-believers alike, know the story of Jonah from the Old Testament. However, controversy surrounds the Book of Jonah among scholars and other academics.
Some argue Jonah is a historical account, while others suggest it is only symbolic and metaphorical. Still, others believe it is a fable full of impossible events with little meaning. If it is only a fish story or simply metaphorical, why is it in the Bible, and what can it possibly teach us?
First, let us recall who Jonah was. The Bible and other sources tell us he was an actual person who came from Galilee in Israel and prophesied to the northern tribes during the time of King Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.), according to 2 Kings 14:25. His ministry occurred just prior to his prophetic contemporary Amos (circa 760 B.C.).
“He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.”
Jonah 1:1 confirms the account.
