Difference between revisions of "Structure – Sefer Yonah/0"
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<category>Subdivision of Unit I: First Mission | <category>Subdivision of Unit I: First Mission | ||
| − | <p><b>A. Near Destruction of Boatmen  (Chapter 1)</b><br/><b>B. Miracles and Prayer (Chapter 2)</b> </p> | + | <p><b>A. Near Destruction of Boatmen  (Chapter 1)</b><br/><b>B. Miracles and Prayer (Chapter 2)</b></p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li><b>Content </b>– While the first chapter focuses on near destruction, the second highlights salvation.<fn>Commentators dispute the nature of <a href="Yonah's Prayer" data-aht="page">Yonah's Prayer</a>, with some reading it as a prayer of thanksgiving and others as a request for salvation. However, even those who read it as a petition, agree that the overall tone is positive as the prophet expresses his confidence in being saved.</fn></li> | <li><b>Content </b>– While the first chapter focuses on near destruction, the second highlights salvation.<fn>Commentators dispute the nature of <a href="Yonah's Prayer" data-aht="page">Yonah's Prayer</a>, with some reading it as a prayer of thanksgiving and others as a request for salvation. However, even those who read it as a petition, agree that the overall tone is positive as the prophet expresses his confidence in being saved.</fn></li> | ||
Version as of 13:46, 24 August 2020
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 describe Yonah's aborted mission and Hashem's lesson that one cannot flee from God. Chapters 3-4, in contrast, describe Yonah's fulfilling of his mission and Hashem's message regarding the importance of mercy.
- Each of the two units contains a secondary story regarding the near destruction of non-Israelites who are saved as they turn to God.
- 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 nearly identical language, with the second adding only that Hashem called "a second time", clearly marking the book's division into two.
- Parallel structure – See below that there is a symmetry in the overall structure of the two units, further supporting the division.
Subdivision of Unit I: First Mission
A. Near Destruction of Boatmen (Chapter 1)
B. Miracles and Prayer (Chapter 2)
- Content – While the first chapter focuses on near destruction, the second highlights salvation.1
- Location – Chapter 1 takes place on the boat, while Chapter 2 takes place in the body of the fish.
- Characters – The first chapter focuses on the interplay between the sailors and Yonah. In contrast, Yonah is the sole character of Chapter 2.
- Genre – While Chapter 1 is written in prose, Chapter 2 is mainly poetry.
- Literary indicators – Chapter 2 is framed by the fish swallowing / releasing Yonah, clearly setting it off as a unit of its own.
Subdivision of Unit II: Second Mission
A. Near Destruction of Nineveh (Chapter 3)
B. Prayer and Miracle (Chapter 4)
- Content – While Chapter 3 highlights the repentance of Nineveh, Chapter 4 focuses on Yonah's reaction to it.
- Characters – The people of Nineveh are the focus of Chapter 3, with Yonah acting as a secondary character. In contrast, Yonah (and Hashem) is the central figure of Chapter 4.
- Location – Chapter three all occurs within Nineveh, while the events of Chapter 4 take place on the outskirts of the city.
Parallel Structure
The events and content of the two halves of the book are somewhat parallel as illustrated by the following chart:
