Overview – Sefer Yonah/0
Overview – Sefer Yonah
Structure of the Book
Sefer Yonah is a neatly structured book, dividing into two halves which are to some extent symmetrical in content, as illustrated in the Table in the pane to the right. Chapters 1-2 detail Yonah's flight from his mission and its consequences, while Chapters 3-4 detail his fulfillment of his mission and its aftermath. Each unit opens with Hashem's call and the prophet's disobedience or compliance. This is followed by a description of people in danger of destruction whose ensuing actions and cries to God lead to their salvation. Both units end with a focus on the prophet Yonah who prays (first for salvation then for death) and is answered with miraculous messages. Click to see an outline of the book's structure to the right. [Press on the plus signs to expand.]
For further discussion of the book's structure, see Structure – Sefer Yonah.
