CHAPTER X [ In our MS. this is marked as ch. ix. Jalḳuṭ Makhiri, Jonah, ed. Greenup, pp. 6 ff., contains selections from P.R.E. here.] THE HISTORY OF JONAH [11 A. i.] ON the fifth day Jonah [ The story of Jonah belongs to the series of events which happened on a Thursday; moreover, the Leviathan mentioned in connection with the story was created on the fifth day. See Jalḳuṭ, Jonah, § 550, and supra, pp. 63 f.] fled before his God. Why did he flee? Because on the first occasion when (God) sent him to restore the border of Israel, his words were fulfilled, as it is said, "And he restored the border of Israel [ In the MS. the quotation ends here. The first two editions continue as in our translation.] from the entering in of Hamath" (2 Kings 14:25). [ The Oxford MS. (d. 35) continues this verse: “unto the sea of Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, who was of Gathhepher.” In spite of the sins of Israel, this prophecy of Jonah was fulfilled. Jonah is only once referred to in the apocryphal literature, 3 Macc. vi. 8; see LXX text of Tobit xiv. 4.] On the second occasion (God) sent him to Jerusalem to (prophesy that He would) destroy it. But [ The first editions add: “because they repented.”] the Holy One, blessed be He, did according to the abundance of His tender mercy and repented of the evil (decree), and He did not destroy it; [ It is assumed by our Midrash that this prophecy is referred to by Jonah (4:2), “Was not this my saying when I was yet in my country… for I knew that thou art a gracious God… and repentest thee of the evil.” See T.B. Synhedrin, 89b.] thereupon [ The first editions add “Israel.”] they called him a lying prophet. [ See 2 Kings 9:4, 11, 12. The prophet mentioned in these verses is Jonah, according to Rashi and Ḳimchi, in loc.] On the third occasion [ See T.B. Jebamoth, 98a.] (God) sent him against Nineveh [ The first editions read: “to Nineveh.”] to destroy it. Jonah argued with himself, saying, I know that the nations are nigh to repentance, [ See infra, pp. 342 f., and Mekhilta Bô, 1, p. 2; T. J. Synhedrin 11:7, 30b; Tanchuma Vajiḳra, § vii. This is an excellent dictum. The non-Jews are easily turned to repentance. The first editions read: “this nation is nigh to repentance.”] now they will repent and the Holy One, blessed be He, will direct His anger against Israel. And is it not enough for me that Israel should call me a lying prophet; but shall also the nations of the world (do likewise)? Therefore, behold, I will escape from His presence to a place where His glory is not declared. (If) I ascend above the heavens, it is said, [ The Venice edition reads: “it is said that His glory is there, as it is said.”] "Above the heavens is his glory" (Ps. 113:4). (If) above the earth, [ The Venice edition reads: “Above the earth? It is said that His glory is there, as it is said.” For similar questions see Chrysostomus, Homily on Repentance, 3.] (it is said), "The whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:8); behold, I will escape to the sea, [ In the first editions the word (לים) “to the sea” is replaced by (לי) “for myself.”] to a place || where His glory is not proclaimed. Jonah went down to Joppa, but he did not find there a ship in which he could embark, for the ship in which Jonah might have embarked was two days' journey away from Joppa, [ This addition to the Biblical narrative is preserved in the Midrash Jonah (in Jellinek’s Beth Ha-Midrash, i. pp. 96–105), and see the Ẓohar, Gen. 121a, b, for further embellishment. This Midrash, as well as our chapter, undoubtedly formed one of the Homilies for the service of the Day of Atonement, the Book of Jonah forming the lesson from the Prophets for the afternoon service of that day. This point is of importance in our estimate of the probable use which our book was intended to render. Was it a book for the Synagogue? Was it intended to supply Midrashic material for the preacher in his public discourses? As far as this 10th Chapter is concerned, the answer is in the affirmative. We shall find further evidence to support this view in the course of our study of this book.] in order to test [ Perhaps the text should read: “In order to test Jonah what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?”] Jonah. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sent against it a mighty tempest on the sea and brought it back to Joppa. Then Jonah saw and rejoiced in his heart, saying, Now I know that my ways will prosper before me.
He said to the (sailors), We [ The MS. reads: “we will embark.” The 1st and 2nd eds. read: “I will embark.”] will embark with you. They replied to him, Behold, we are going to the islands of the sea, to Tarshish. [ Ibn Ezra on Jonah 1:3 tells us on the authority of Sa’adiah that Tarshish is Tarsus; he also gives another opinion that Tunis in Africa is the port referred to. For other views, see Gesenius (Oxford edition), pp. 1076 f.] He said to them, We [ The MS. reads also here: “we will embark.” The 1st and 2nd eds. read: “I will embark.”] will go with you. Now (this) is the custom on all ships that when a man disembarks therefrom he pays his fare; but Jonah, in the joy of his heart, paid his fare in advance, [ See T.B. Nedarim, 38a, according to which Jonah pays the fares of all on board. See J.E. vii. 226 f. for the story of Jonah in Rabbinical literature.] as it is said, "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord; and he went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, [ Our MS. ends the quotation here, but adds “etc.” The first editions add “etc.” after “Joppa.”] to go with them" (Jonah 1:3).
They had travelled one day's journey, and a mighty tempest [ According to the Midrash Kônen, p. 25, at the creation of the world God stipulated with the sea that it should not suffer Jonah to sail to Tarshish.] on the sea arose against them on their right hand and on their left hand; but the movement [ Lit “way.”] of all the ships passing [ The versions in Tanchuma Vajiḳra, § viii., and Jalḳuṭ Jonah, loc. cit., differ somewhat. Our text is, however, the source whence the Midrashim have drawn their material. Ḳimchi on Jonah 1:7 remarks: “I have found in the Pirḳê R. Eliezer, A great tempest arose against them on the sea, and on their right hand and on their left hand all the ships were passing to and fro in peace in the tranquillity of the sea; and the ship into which Jonah had embarked was in great distress so that one thought that it would be broken in pieces.” See Gen. Rab. 24:4 with reference to the wind sent to hinder Jonah; cf. Lev. Rab. 15:1 on same point.] to and fro was peaceful in a quiet sea, but the ship into which Jonah had embarked was in great peril of shipwreck, as it is said, "But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so [ The first editions omit the preceding part of the quotation.] that the ship was like || to be broken" (ibid. 4).
Rabbi Chanina [ The first editions read “Chananjah.”] said: (Men) of the seventy languages [ The seventy nations of humanity have each one a representative on board. The ship is a type of the world, which only can find its salvation through the willing martyrdom of the Hebrew, who, although he be inoffensive in his conduct with his fellow-men of all nationalities, is nevertheless quite willing to allow himself to be doomed to destruction in order to relieve his fellow-men of their threatened ruin. This universalistic aspect of the mission of the Hebrew is familiar to the student of the Bible. Abraham, Moses, and the suffering servant of God, who is none other than Israel, represent this teaching, which our book enforces. The basis for the Midrashic idea of the seventy nations is afforded by comparing the text of Jonah 1:5, which says, “And every man cried unto his God,” with the text in Mic. 4:5, “For all the people will walk every man in the name of his God.”] were there on the ship, and each one had his god in his hand, (each one) saying: [ The first two editions read here: “as it is said, ‘ Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his God ‘” (Jonah 1:5). The Venice edition adds: “They bowed down saying, Let each man call on the name of his God.”] And the God who shall reply and deliver us from this trouble, He shall be God. [ Cf. Elijah’s appeal on Mount Carmel, 1 Kings 18:24.] They arose and every one called upon the name of his god, but it availed nought. [ See Targum, Jonah 1:5.] Now Jonah, because of the anguish of his soul, was slumbering and asleep. The captain of the ship came to him, saying, Behold, we are standing betwixt death and life, and thou art slumbering and sleeping; of what people art thou? He answered them, "I am an Hebrew" (ibid. 9). (The captain) said to him, Have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? Arise, call upon thy God, perhaps He will work (salvation) for us according to all His miracles which He did for you at the Reed Sea. He answered them, [ The first editions add: “I will not hide from you that.”] It is on my account that this misfortune has befallen you; take me up and cast me into the sea and the sea will become calm unto you, as it is said, "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you" (ibid. 12).
Rabbi Simeon said: The men would not consent to throw Jonah into the sea; but they cast lots among themselves and the lot fell upon Jonah. [ The first editions add here: “as it is said, ‘ So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah’” (Jonah 1:7).] What did they do? They took all their utensils which were in the ship, and cast them into the sea [ See Targum, Jonah, loc. cit., and Midrash Jonah (ed. Jellinek), p. 97.] in order to lighten it for their (safety), but it availed nought. || They wanted to return [ The reading in our MS. is in agreement with the reading of the Tanchuma (loc. cit.) and Jalḳuṭ, Jonah, loc. cit. The printed texts read, “they wanted to row hard,” instead of our reading.] to the dry land, but they were unable, as it is said, "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not" (ibid. 13). [ This quotation is missing in the first two editions.] What did they do? They took Jonah and they stood on the side of the ship, saying, God of the world ! O Lord ! Do not lay upon us innocent blood, for we do not know what sort of person is this man; and he says deliberately, [ Lit. “with his mouth.” The prayer of the sailors here should be compared with the text in Jonah 1:14. The first editions read: “he said to them.”] On my account has this misfortune befallen you. [ The first editions add: “take me and cast me into the sea. Forth-with.”]
They took him (and cast him into the sea) up to his knee-joints, and the sea-storm abated. They took him up again to themselves and the sea became agitated again against them. [ The first editions add: “they cast him (into the sea) up to his navel, and the sea-storm abated. Again they took him up among themselves, and the sea again was agitated against them.”] They cast him in (again) up to his neck, and the sea-storm abated. Once more they lifted him up in their midst and the sea was again agitated against them, until they cast him in entirely and forthwith the sea-storm abated, [ The quotation is not given by the first editions; the last clause is wanting in the MS., being replaced by “etc.”] as it is said, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging" (ibid. 15).
"And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (ibid. 17). [ This quotation occurs here only in the MS. Its presence suggests the probability of our context being part of a Midrash.] Rabbi Ṭarphon said: That fish was specially appointed from the six days of Creation [ See Gen. Rab. 5:5 and T.B. Bechoroth, 8a.] to swallow up Jonah, as it is said, "And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (ibid.). He entered its mouth just as a man enters the great synagogue, and he stood (therein). The two eyes of the fish were like windows [ Our MS. reads “ampumeth.” According to Jastrow, T.D. 78a, this stands for ôphsejanioth, “glass windows.” This represents δψιανóς (obsidian), a stone used as glass, see infra, p. 330. See ‘Arukh, ed. Kohut, i. 24b. Does the “Great Synagogue” refer to the famous Synagogue of Alexandria?] of glass giving light to Jonah.
Rabbi Meir said: || One pearl was suspended inside the belly of the fish and it gave illumination to Jonah, like this sun which shines with its might at noon; and it showed to Jonah all that was in the sea and in the depths, [ The first editions read here: “and concerning him (i.e. Jonah) the Scripture says.” The Ẓohar, Exodus, 48a, offers a parallel to this sentence.] as it is said, "Light is sown for the righteous" (Ps. 97:11).
The fish said to Jonah, Dost thou not know that my day had arrived to be devoured in the midst of Leviathan's mouth? Jonah replied, Take me beside it, and I will deliver thee and myself from its mouth. It brought him next to the Leviathan. (Jonah) said to the Leviathan, On thy account have I descended to see thy abode in the sea, for, moreover, in the future will I descend and put a rope in thy tongue, [ See Job 40:25 (in Heb.= R.V. xli. 1).] and I will bring thee up and prepare [ The first editions read: “to sacrifice.”] thee for the great feast of the righteous. [ The feast of the righteous in the Messianic age is referred to by Jesus in Matt. xxvi. 29; see also T.B. Baba Bathra, 74a, T.B. Chagigah, 14b, and Aboth 4:16, and cf. T.B. Sabbath, 153a. The “secret chambers of Leviathan” are referred to in Cant. Rab. 1:4; Eth. Enoch lx. 7–9 describes the Leviathan and the Behemoth; see also 4 Ezra 6:49–52, and Apoc. Baruch xxix. 4. For further references see Charles’ note on p. 115 of his ed. of Eth. Enoch, and J.E. viii. 37 f.; see also Volz, Jüdische Eschatologie, pp. 351 and 365, and Jellinek, Beth Ha-Midrash, vi. pp. 150 f., on “Leviathan Banquet.”] (Jonah) showed it the seal of our father [ The first editions omit “our father.”] Abraham (saying), [ The Venice edition reads: “he said.”] Look at the Covenant (seal), and Leviathan saw it and fled before Jonah a distance of two days' journey. (Jonah) said to it (i.e. the fish), Behold, I have saved thee from the mouth of Leviathan, show me what is in the sea and in the depths. It showed him the great river of the waters of the Ocean, [ The river of the waters of the ocean means the water which was supposed to surround the earth; see 3 Baruch ii. 1, Apoc. Pauli xxi., xxxi., Eth. Enoch xvii. 5 f., Test. Abraham (A.N.C.L. extra vol.), viii. p. 191.] as it is said, "The deep was round about me" (Jonah 2:5), and it showed him the paths of the Reed Sea [ See infra, p. 330, and cf. J.Q.R. v. pp. 151 f.] through which Israel passed, as it is said, "The reeds were wrapped about my head" (ibid.); and it showed him the place whence the waves of the sea and its billows flow, [ This is the reading in Tanchuma VajiḲra, § viii., and Jalḳuṭ, Jonah, § 550.] as it is said, "All || thy waves and thy billows passed over me" (ibid. 3); and it showed him the pillars of the earth in its foundations, as it is said, "The earth with her bars for the world were by me" (ibid. 6); [ Cf. Ps. 104:5 and T.B. Chagigah, 12b.] and it showed him the lowest Sheol, [ The Venice edition reads “Gehinnom.” See T.B. ‘Erubin, 19a. According to the Midrash Kônen, p. 30, “there is one gate to Gehinnom in the sea of Tarshish.”] as it is said, "Yet hast thou brought up my life from destruction, [ The last words of the quotation do not occur in the MS., but the first editions give them.] O Lord, my God" (ibid.); and it showed him Gehinnom, [ The first editions read: “the lowest Sheol.” The lowest region in Gehenna; see infra, pp. 340 f., 343, 432 f. On the theories about Gehenna see Jellinek, Beth Ha-Midrash, i. pp. 147–149; Jeraḥmeel ix. 11, xiii. 5, xiv. 1 ff.; Eth. Enoch lxiii. 10, with Charles’ note, in loc.] as it is said, "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, [ The first editions give the last words of this quotation, which are missing in the MS.] and thou didst hear my voice" (ibid. 2); and it showed him (what was) beneath the Temple of God, as it is said,"(I went down) to the bottom of the mountains" [ The roots of the seven mountains in Jerusalem whereon the Temple rested. The mountains are designated in the O.T. as follows: Mount Zion, Mount Moriah, The Holy Mount, The Mount of my Holy Beauty, The Mount of the House of the Lord, The Mount of the Lord of Hosts, and The Lofty Mount of the Mountains.] (ibid. 6). Hence we may learn that Jerusalem stands upon seven (hills [ The word for “hills” is missing in the MS.; some other word was inserted and then erased. It occurs in the Oxford MS. (d. 35). In the letter of Aristeas (83 f.) Jerusalem is described as being situated “on the top of a mountain of considerable altitude. On the summit the Temple had been built in all its splendour.”] ), and he saw there the Eben Shethiyah [ According to T.J. Joma v. 4, 42c, it was called Foundation Stone because the whole world was founded thereon; see also T.B. Joma, 54b; T.B. Synhedrin, 26b; cf. Eth. Enoch, xviii. 2; and infra, p. 266.] (Foundation Stone) fixed in the depths. [ The first editions read here: “beneath the Temple of God.”] He saw there the sons of Korah [ Luria notes that according to Midrash Kônen (p. 31) the “company of Korah” are in the third department of Gehenna. Should the reading be “the company of Korah” instead of “the sons of Korah”? Cf. J.Q.R. v. p. 152.] standing and praying over it. They [ The Venice edition and Midrash Jonah, p. 98, read: “The fish said.”] said to Jonah, Behold thou dost stand beneath the Temple of God, pray and thou wilt be answered. Forthwith Jonah said to the fish, Stand in the place where thou art standing, because I wish to pray. The fish stood (still), and Jonah began to pray before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he said: Sovereign of all the Universe ! [ The first editions add: “Thou art called ‘the One who brings up’ and ‘the One who brings down.’ I have gone down, now bring me up.”] Thou art called "the One who kills" and "the One who makes alive," behold, my soul has reached unto death, now restore me to life. He was not answered until this word came forth from his mouth, "What I have vowed I will perform" (ibid. 9), namely, I vowed to draw up Leviathan and to prepare [ The first editions read: “to sacrifice.” See Midrash Jonah, p. 99.] it before Thee, I will perform (this) on the day of the Salvation [ This is the day of the Messianic judgment. For the idea of salvation in the Messianic age see Singer, pp. 49 (second paragraph), 101 (last paragraph), and 129. See also Volz, op. cit. pp. 226 f.] of Israel, as it is said, "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving" (ibid.). [ This quotation is missing in the first editions.] Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, hinted (to the fish) and it vomited out [ The first editions read: “it cast forth.”] Jonah || upon the dry land, as it is said, "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah [ The first editions continue the verse as in the translation; the MS. omits “upon the dry land.”] upon the dry land" (ibid. 10).
The sailors saw all the signs, the miracles, and the great wonders which the Holy One, blessed be He, did unto Jonah, and they stood and they cast away [ The first editions add: “into the sea.”] every one his God, as it is said, "They that regard lying vanities forsake their own shame" [ See Ḳimchi, in loc., for the meaning of Chesed. Ḳimchi quotes in his commentary on Jonah 2:9 our passage with a variant reading.] (ibid. 8). They returned to Joppa and went up to Jerusalem and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, as it is said, "And the men [ The text of the Bible reads here “men,” as in our MS., but the first editions read “the sailors.” See Ẓohar, Ex. 231a.] feared the Lord exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto the Lord" (ibid. i. 16). Did they offer sacrifice? [ The first editions add: “Is it not (a fact) that they do not accept sacrifices from the nations?” See T.B. Menachoth, 73b, and cf. Paul’s attitude towards the table of the idolaters of his day (see 1 Cor. x. 21).] But this (sacrifice) refers to the blood of the covenant of circumcision, which is like the blood of a sacrifice. [ Cf. Ex. Rab. xvii. 3 and 5.] And they made vows every one to bring his children and all belonging to him to the God [ The first editions read: “They vowed and performed (it) that each one should bring his wife and all his household to the fear of the God of Jonah.” The “Phoboumenoi” and “Sebomenoi” correspond to these proselytes who fear God. On the subject see Schürer, 11. ii. 311–319 (E.T.).] of Jonah; and they made vows and performed them, and concerning them it says, "Upon the proselytes, the proselytes of righteousness." [ This refers to the Shemoneh ‘Esreh, the xiiith benediction (Singer, p. 48, last paragraph). See also T.B. Megillah, 17b, and Midrash Jonah, loc. cit. This chapter should be compared with the Midrash Jonah (ed. Jellinek, and ed. Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, pp. 217b ff.). Our book was the source used by the author of the Midrash. The variant readings which a comparison of the two texts affords may be illustrated by one example: instead of “the day of the salvation of Israel,” the Midrash reads, “the day of my salvation.” Again, the prayer of Jonah in the Midrash is considerably longer than that of P.R.E. The story of Jonah is interpreted in a fine Midrashic spirit by Zeno in his 17th tractate. Ephraim (29th chap. on the prophet Jonah) refers to Jonah’s dread of being called a “lying prophet,” and mentions also the dread inspired by Jonah among the terrible monsters of the deep. A very interesting point is suggested by a passage in Origen, contra Celsum, vii. 57, according to which Jonah was considered to be the Messiah in place of Jesus. Our book ascribes certain Messianic functions to Jonah in connection with the Leviathan and the Day of Israel’s salvation. Perhaps he is a type of the “Messiah ben Joseph” who is to overcome the Anti-Christ or Satan (i.e. the Leviathan). The New Testament connects the story of Jonah with its Messiah; see Matt. xii. 39–41 and ibid. xvi. 4; cf. Luke xi. 29–32. The “Fish” as a Christian Messianic emblem may be associated with the Jonah legends.]