John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city , etc.] That is, arise from the place where he was, and leave the business he was about, and prepare for a long journey to the place mentioned, and be as expeditious in it as possible.
Nineveh was the metropolis of the Assyrian empire at this time; it was an ancient city built by Ashur, not by Nimrod; though he by some is said to go into Ashur or Assyria, and build it, ( Genesis 10:11); and called it after the name of his son Ninus; for it signifies the mansion or palace of Ninus; and by most profane writers is called Ninus; according to Diodorus Siculus f12 , and Strabo f13 , it was built by Ninus himself in Assyria, in that part of it called by him Adiabena. It is said to be a great city, as it must, to be three days’ journey in compass, and to have in it six score thousand infants, besides men and women, ( Jonah 3:3 4:11). It is allowed by Strabo to be larger than Babylon. Diodorus says that it was in compass of sixty miles; and had a wall a hundred feet high, and so broad that three chariots or carriages might go abreast upon it; and it had, fifteen hundred towers, two hundred feet high. Aben Ezra calls it the royal city of Assyria, which is at this day destroyed; and the wise men of Israel, in the country of Greece, say it is called Urtia; but, whether so or not, he knew not: and cry against it ; or prophesy against it, as the Targum; he was to lift up his voice, and cry aloud, as he passed along in it, that the inhabitants might hear him; and the more to affect them, and to show that he was in earnest, and what he delivered was interesting to them, and of the greatest moment and importance: what he was to cry, preach, or publish, (see Jon 3:2,4); for their wickedness is come up before me ; it was come to a very great height; it reached to the heavens; it was not only seen and known by the Lord, as all things are; but the cry of it was come up to him; it called aloud for vengeance, for immediate vengeance; the measure of it being filled up, and the inhabitants ripe for destruction; it was committed openly and boldly, with much impudence, in the sight of the Lord, as well as against him; and was no more to be suffered and connived at: it intends and includes their idolatry, bloodshed, oppression, rapine, fraud, and lying; (see Jon 3:8 Na 3:1).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-3 - It is sad to think how much sin is committed in great cities. Their wickedness, as that of Nineveh, is a bold and open affront to God Jonah must go at once to Nineveh, and there, on the spot, cry agains the wickedness of it. Jonah would not go. Probably there are few amon us who would not have tried to decline such a mission. Providenc seemed to give him an opportunity to escape; we may be out of the way of duty, and yet may meet with a favourable gale. The ready way is no always the right way. See what the best of men are, when God leave them to themselves; and what need we have, when the word of the Lor comes to us, to have the Spirit of the Lord to bring every though within us into obedience.
Original Hebrew קום6965 לך1980 אל413 נינוה5210 העיר5892 הגדולה1419 וקרא7121 עליה5921 כי3588 עלתה5927 רעתם7451 לפני׃6440
