When God saw their actionsThis phrase highlights God's omniscience and His responsiveness to human behavior. In the context of Jonah, the people of Nineveh demonstrated genuine repentance through fasting and wearing sackcloth (
Jonah 3:5-6). This aligns with biblical principles found in
2 Chronicles 7:14, where God promises to hear from heaven and heal the land if His people humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways. The actions of the Ninevites serve as a model of repentance that is not merely verbal but is demonstrated through tangible actions.
that they had turned from their evil ways
The turning from evil ways signifies repentance, a central theme in both the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew word for repentance, "teshuvah," implies a complete turning away from sin and returning to God. This is echoed in the New Testament with the Greek word "metanoia," meaning a change of mind and heart. The Ninevites' repentance is significant because it shows that even a pagan city can respond to God's call, emphasizing God's mercy and desire for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
He relented from the disaster
God's relenting from disaster demonstrates His mercy and compassion. This is consistent with His character as described inExodus 34:6-7, where He is "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." The concept of God relenting is also seen inJeremiah 18:7-8, where God states that if a nation turns from its evil, He will relent concerning the calamity He planned to bring. This shows that God's judgments are not arbitrary but are contingent upon human response.
He had threatened to bring upon them
The threat of disaster was a warning intended to lead to repentance. In the prophetic tradition, warnings of judgment often serve as calls to repentance, as seen in the ministries of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. The fact that God threatened disaster but did not carry it out upon their repentance underscores His justice and mercy. It also foreshadows the ultimate deliverance from judgment through Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty for sin, offering salvation to all who repent and believe (John 3:16-17).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
GodThe sovereign Creator who is compassionate and merciful, willing to relent from sending calamity when people repent.
2.
NinevitesThe inhabitants of Nineveh, a great city known for its wickedness, who responded to Jonah's message with repentance.
3.
JonahA prophet of God who initially resisted God's call to preach to Nineveh but eventually obeyed and delivered God's message.
4.
NinevehThe capital city of Assyria, known for its size and wickedness, which repented at Jonah's preaching.
5.
RepentanceThe act of turning away from sin and evil, demonstrated by the Ninevites in response to Jonah's warning.
Teaching Points
God's Mercy and CompassionGod is willing to forgive and show mercy when people genuinely repent. His character is consistent throughout Scripture, emphasizing His desire for restoration rather than destruction.
The Power of RepentanceTrue repentance involves a change of heart and actions. The Ninevites' response demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace if they turn from their evil ways.
Obedience to God's CallJonah's eventual obedience led to a city-wide revival. Our willingness to follow God's direction can have significant impacts on others.
God's Sovereignty and JusticeWhile God is just and must address sin, He is also sovereign and can choose to relent from judgment when there is genuine repentance.
The Role of Prophets and MessengersJonah's role as a prophet highlights the importance of delivering God's message, even when it is challenging. God uses His messengers to bring about change and repentance.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Jonah 3:10?
2.How does Jonah 3:10 demonstrate God's mercy and willingness to forgive repentance?
3.What actions did the Ninevites take that led God to "relent from disaster"?
4.How can we apply the Ninevites' example of repentance in our own lives?
5.What other biblical instances show God relenting from judgment due to repentance?
6.How does Jonah 3:10 encourage us to trust in God's compassion and forgiveness?
7.How does Jonah 3:10 demonstrate God's willingness to forgive repentant sinners?
8.What does Jonah 3:10 reveal about God's nature in relation to justice and mercy?
9.How does the repentance of Nineveh challenge our understanding of divine judgment?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Jonah 3?
11.Will you heed the warning of impending divine judgment?
12.Is God merciful?
13.What defines the core principles of Process Theology?
14.Why does God seem to have different moral standards in the Old and New Testaments?What Does Jonah 3:10 Mean
When God saw their actions• God is personally attentive to human behavior; nothing escapes His notice (Proverbs 15:3).
• “Saw” underscores more than observation—it conveys evaluation, just asGenesis 6:5 records Him seeing mankind’s wickedness.
• The Ninevites’ deeds of fasting, sackcloth, and proclamation of repentance (Jonah 3:5–8) were visible evidences of inward change, reminding us that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
• Like the widow’s two coins that Jesus “saw” (Luke 21:1–4), God looks beyond words to tangible acts flowing from the heart.
that they had turned from their evil ways• Repentance is literally a turning—abandoning one path for another (Isaiah 55:7).
• The Ninevites reversed “their evil ways,” echoingEzekiel 18:30: “Repent and turn from all your transgressions.”
• True turning involves:
– Recognition of sin (Psalm 51:3).
– Sorrow over sin (2 Corinthians 7:10).
– Reversal of conduct (Luke 3:8).
• God honors even Gentile repentance; His promise inJeremiah 18:7-8 applies universally: if a nation turns, He will relent.
He relented• “Relented” expresses God’s compassionate responsiveness, not fickleness (Numbers 23:19 affirms His unchanging nature).
• His declared judgment was conditional, built into the prophetic warning. When conditions changed, so did the outcome, much likeExodus 32:14 where “the LORD relented from the calamity.”
• This showcases both His justice—sin must be judged—and His mercy—He desires salvation (2 Peter 3:9).
from the disaster• The threatened “overthrow” (Jonah 3:4) paralleled the fate of Sodom (Genesis 19:24-25), underscoring the seriousness of sin.
• Deliverance from impending judgment illustratesPsalm 103:10: “He has not dealt with us according to our sins.”
• Disaster withheld becomes testimony to God’s goodness that leads to further repentance (Romans 2:4).
He had threatened to bring upon them• God’s warnings are loving interventions, not empty threats (Amos 3:7).
• The 40-day window (Jonah 3:4) offered space for change, reflecting His longsuffering character (Isaiah 30:18).
• Threat and mercy together reveal the fullness of His character—holiness that judges sin and love that seeks restoration (Psalm 85:10).
summaryJonah 3:10 displays a righteous God who keenly observes human conduct, honors genuine repentance, and graciously withholds deserved judgment. The Ninevites’ visible turning moved Him to cancel catastrophe, confirming His consistent pattern: when people abandon sin and seek Him, He responds with mercy. The verse calls believers to live repentantly, trust His readiness to forgive, and proclaim His warning-and-grace message to a world still in need of turning.
(10)
And God repented.--See Note,
Genesis 6:6.
And he did it not.--As we are entirely ignorant of the nature of the threatened destruction, so are we also of the mode in which it was averted. Possibly some inscription throwing light on the book of Jonah may yet be discovered.
Verse 10. - § 4.God accepts this repentance, and the threatened destruction is averted.God saw their works. There is no notice in the inscriptions of this "repentance," or of any change in the polytheistic worship of the Ninevites. But the existing records of this period are singularly meagre, and show a state of calamity and depression, of internal commotions and famine. Nor is it usual in the monumental history to find mention of any events but wars and the execution of material works; moral reformations are not recorded.God repented of the evil (Exodus 32:14). This is an anthropopathical mode of speaking; God acted as if, taking man's view of the transaction, he repented. The sentence was conditional, as Jonah well knew (Jonah 4:2), in accordance with the great principle laid down inJeremiah 18:7, etc., viz. that if a nation against which sentence is pronounced turn from its evil way, the sentence shall not be executed. God does not change, but he threatens that man may change (see note on Amos 7:3; and observe the same principle applied to individuals,Ezekiel 33:8, 13-16).He did it not. The evil day was postponed. This partial repentance, though it was not permanent and made little lasting impression on the national life, showed that there was some element of good in these Assyrians, and that they were not yet ripe for destruction. It has been considered to be a proof of the unhistorical character of the Book of Jonah that no mention of any of the incidents is made in the Books of Kings and Chronicles; but there is nothing strange in this. Those records never touch external politics except as closely connected with Israel's fortunes; and, derived as they were from national annals, it would have been unnatural for them to have narrated events happening so far away, and not likely to be introduced in the documents on which their history was founded.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
When God
הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙(hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
saw
וַיַּ֤רְא(way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200:To see
their actions—
מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם(ma·‘ă·śê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4639:An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property
that
כִּי־(kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunction
they had turned
שָׁ֖בוּ(šā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7725:To turn back, in, to retreat, again
from their evil
הָרָעָ֑ה(hā·rā·‘āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evil
ways—
מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם(mid·dar·kām)
Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1870:A road, a course of life, mode of action
[He]
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים(hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
relented
וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם(way·yin·nā·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5162:To sigh, breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity, console, rue, to avenge
from
עַל־(‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against
the disaster
הָרָעָ֛ה(hā·rā·‘āh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evil
He had threatened
דִּבֶּ֥ר(dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696:To arrange, to speak, to subdue
to bring
לַעֲשׂוֹת־(la·‘ă·śō·wṯ-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213:To do, make
upon them.
לָהֶ֖ם(lā·hem)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992:They
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OT Prophets: Jonah 3:10 God saw their works that they turned (Jon. Jh)
