Structure – Sefer Yonah/0
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Structure – Sefer Yonah
Division into Units
I. The First Mission (Chapters 1-2)
II. The Second Mission (Chapters 3-4)
This division is supported by the following factors:
- Content – Chapters 1-2 contrast Yonah's flight from God and his near destruction at sea with the sailors' turning to god and their salvation. Chapters 3-4 speak of Yonah's heeding his mission, the salvation of the Ninevites ad
- Location – The first two chapters take place at sea, while the last two take place on land, in and around Nineveh.
- Characters – While Yonah and the sailors are the main characters of the first unit, Yonah and the people of Nineveh are the focus of the second.
- Parallel openings: Both units open with near identical language, highlighting the contrast: in one Yonah turns away from God's word; in the other he heeds the call.
EN/HEע/E
| (א) וַיְהִי דְּבַר י״י אֶל יוֹנָה בֶן אֲמִתַּי לֵאמֹר. (ב) קוּם לֵךְ אֶל נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה וּקְרָא עָלֶיהָ | (א) וַיְהִי דְבַר י״י אֶל יוֹנָה שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר. (ב) קוּם לֵךְ אֶל נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה וּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ |
| (ג) וַיָּקׇם יוֹנָה לִבְרֹחַ תַּרְשִׁישָׁה מִלִּפְנֵי י״י | (ג) וַיָּקׇם יוֹנָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל נִינְוֵה כִּדְבַר י״י |
Subdivision of Unit I
I. Near Destruction at Sea
II. Prayer for/ from Salvation
