What was the relationship between Nineveh and the children of Israel (what was their history)

Pastor Pearlie Smith

Why didn't Jonah want to go to Nineveh ????  I heard that Nineveh was Israel's enemie

Graham Criddle

Jerry v. Morgan said:

Why didn't Jonah want to go to Nineveh ????  I heard that Nineveh was Israel's enemie

Hi Jerry

I think this is now the third thread you have started regarding this subject. Is there a reason you are doing this?

It just makes it much more difficult to respond to you when there are multiple threads addressing the same question.

Alabama asked some "scoping questions" at http://community.logos.com/forums/p/70892/493422.aspx#493422. If you can respond to him there we should be able to help with your request.

Graham  

Rich DeRuiter

Jerry v. Morgan said:

Why didn't Jonah want to go to Nineveh ????  I heard that Nineveh was Israel's enemie

Jerry, what resources do you have, and what commentaries have you looked at so far?

This kind of sounds like a question that you could answer yourself, if you have the right resources in Logos (commentaries, Bible encyclopedias, etc.). Rather than answer your question directly, it seems better to help you use Logos to find out for yourself. (Don't just give a man a fish to eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a life time.)

Mike Childs

Hi Jerry,

I assume from your question that you are new to Logos and somewhat new in your study of the Bible.  You are exactly right in assuming from the context that Nineveh was Israel's enemy.

If you have any Bible Dictionary in your Logos library, you will find all the information you need under "Nineveh" or "Assyria". 

The neat thing is (I am an old man who still uses words like "neat") that the book of Jonah is not about God being vengeful or full of wrath.  And it is not just a story about a big fish swallowing a man.  Jonah is about God's mercy and love.  It tells of God's mercy to Jonah in rescuing him from drowning, but the main point is God's love and mercy for the wicked and lost city of Nineveh.  That love is demonstrated by God sending them Jonah and by showing mercy when they repented.  The book is how God proved to his self-righteous prophet that God loved everyone, even his enemies.  That is a great book, and must have been inspired by God as it transcends the cultural values of its time. 

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, which destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century B.C.  I would say that qualifies as an enemy.

Logos Bible Software is a great way to learn God's Word.  I hope you enjoy using it.  There are many helpful resources like good Bible Dictionaries, and a lot of them are free.

God bless you, my friend.