Old Testament Commentary: Jonah

The various contributors to the Comentario Antiguo Testamento Andamio series are unanimous in their conviction that God communicates through His articulated word, and that nothing is as essential for the life, health, and growth of believers as carefully listening to what the Spirit has to say to them through a Word that, though ancient, never ceases to be relevant and current.

Jonah is one of the most celebrated short stories in world literature. But what does the story of Jonah mean? Have we interpreted it correctly? The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known lessons to all of us since childhood. But behind this narrative, there is great symbolism and a series of spiritual principles that the Holy Spirit wishes to communicate to us, and which, if we delve into the facts, can be unraveled.

It is quite common to identify Jonah as a rebellious and disobedient person, who sometimes acts childishly, and who does not care about the death of thousands of people. But we can also see that Jonah was a great man of God, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament; in fact, he is the one who, through the experiences of his life, brings us closest to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This commentary offers a different reading of the book of Jonah, asserting his quality as a prophet and great servant of God, because, although we often see Jonah as a rebellious and xenophobic person who disobeys God's instructions and sometimes reacts childishly, Jonah is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, the prophet who, through the experiences of his life, brings us closest to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Jesus himself demonstrates when he speaks of him.

Jonah stands in the pages of the Old Testament pointing towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Understanding this is a key factor for the correct interpretation of the book.

The book of Jonah presents several questions, and this commentary aims to approach some of the unknowns it poses, with the intention of shedding light on this book.