Lexham Research Commentary: Jonah

by Wendy Widder

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2017

Jumpstart Your Research

The book of Jonah is about divine mercy, divine justice, and God’s freedom to offer each to whomever he chooses—whether Israel’s oppressive enemy, a rebellious prophet, or God’s elect people. Yahweh is not bound by anyone’s opinion of how he should act or what he must do to remain just, merciful, or compassionate. The book offers a contrast between the strict and swift justice Jonah wants and the undeserved mercy God offers.

The Lexham Research Commentary is your starting point for study and research. Each volume gives you the tools you need to find answers quickly. This commentary is designed to do the time-consuming work of searching through commentaries, journal articles, and monographs to find the information you need, saving you valuable time by curating all of the best literature in one place—it’s a commentary on the commentaries. The annotated notes on the various viewpoints and interpretive options within the text allow you to quickly synthesize a broad range of views on a particular passage. Dense, jargon-filled research is distilled into easy-to-understand comments. As you critically study the text, the contextual notes help you place the passage within the narrow context of the biblical book and the broader context of the entire canon.

 

The Lexham Research Commentaries were formerly known as the Lexham Bible Guides.

A Smart Way to Study the Bible

• Find things fast. There’s no need to locate, read, and notate dozens of reference materials. Everything is in one spot. It’s concise enough to digest, but broad enough so you know everything’s covered.
• See connections. The overview format leads you to research topics you may have never read about or heard of. This snapshot view of the text provides an ideal starting point for sermon preparation or academic research.
• Gain perspective. You’ll get an overview of all the relevant issues related to a particular biblical passage, from exegetical topics like structure and genre, to interpretive issues presented by commentators. You’ll also find links to lexicons and commentaries for word studies in Logos, plus lots of links to related literature for further study. Everything is organized and summarized in one spot—only a click away.
• Designed digital-first. These commentaries are written from the ground up to take full advantage of Logos’ platform. The interconnectivity of the Lexham Research Commentaries within the Logos library provides you with relevant, curated content at a click. There’s no need to flip through pages, pore over commentaries, or search through dictionaries. You get access to the best content available—instantly.

 

Contents

Top Highlights

“inconsistency of one graciously brought back from the brink of deserved destruction churlishly” (Jonah 2:2–9)

“First, the city and the Assyrian Empire it represented were famous for their wickedness and brutality.” (Jonah 1:2)

“Regardless of the book’s date, it is reasonable to conclude that the writer intended to address the notion of God’s exclusive concern for the Jewish people by emphasizing the inclusive nature of God’s mercy and compassion.” (source)

“Rather, the lessons we learn from Jonah should challenge us to examine our own attitudes about God’s mercy and grace and about his desire to accomplish his purposes through us.” (source)

“Third, the Ninevites’ response to Jonah’s message was part of God’s plan to call his own people to repentance” (Jonah 1:2)

Contents

The Lexham Research Commentary provides the following for each literary unit:

• An introductory overview
• An outline of the unit’s structure and biblical significance
• A summary and explanation of key words, important facts, and controversial issues
• A listing and description of related literature for further study
• An application overview
• Concluding thoughts

Product Details

• Title: Lexham Research Commentary: Jonah
• Author: Wendy Widder
• Editor: Douglas Mangum
• Series: Lexham Research Commentaries
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2017

About Wendy Widder

Dr. Wendy Widder contracts with Faithlife as a contributing editor for Logos Mobile Education, but has spent much of her career in the classroom. She began with fifth graders, then made her way into the college and seminary environments. Presently, Widder enjoys teaching and preaching in her local church as opportunities arise.

She has a PhD in Near Eastern studies from the University of the Free State, South Africa, and has also earned an MA in Hebrew and Semitic studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as an MDiv with an emphasis in educational ministries from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

Widder is the author of two books for singles, Living Whole without a Better Half (2nd edition; Kregel Publications, 2014) and A Match Made in Heaven: How Singles and the Church Can Live Happily Ever After (Kregel Publications, 2003). She also coauthored a book with her father for Christian school teachers, The Forest and the Trees: Helping Teachers Integrate a Biblical Worldview across the Curriculum (Wipf and Stock, 2008). Additionally, her master’s thesis and PhD dissertation have been published by Logos Bible Software and Walter de Gruyter, respectively.  Widder is currently writing commentaries on the book of Daniel for two new series by Zondervan (The Story of God; Hearing the Message of Scripture). Her greatest passions are writing biblically and theologically solid materials for laypeople, as well as teaching the Bible in an engaging way.