Characters: Adonai

The opening words of the book serve to characterise Adonai. Their strong similarity to other prophetic books reminds readers that he is the God of the prophets. Jonah reinforces this identification, and its theological corollaries, by his conventional pieties:

"God of heaven, who made sea and dry land" (1:9)

 "Deliverance belongs to Adonai" (2:9)

"Gracious... and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing" (4:2)

 

In chapter one actions clarify Adonai's power:

"hurled a great wind" (1:4)

"provided a large fish" (1:17)

In chapter three they confirm his mercy:

"God changed his mind"

"calamity... he did not do it" (3:10)

However, it is above all the final conversation with Jonah which confirms and cements our understanding of the nature of this creator, God of heaven.