The Book of Jonah in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
This little roll of four short chapters has given rise to
almost as much discussion and difference of opinion as the
first four chapters of Genesis. It would be presumptuous to
think that one could, in a brief article, speak the final
word on the questions in debate.
I. Contents of the Book.
The story is too well known to need retelling. Moreover, it
would be difficult to give the events in fewer words than
the author employs in his classic narrative. One event grows
out of another, so that the interest of the reader never
flags.
1. Jonah Disobedient, Jonah 1:1-3:
When the call came to Jonah to preach in Nineveh, he fled in
the opposite direction, hoping thus to escape from his
unpleasant task. He was afraid that the merciful God would
forgive the oppressing heathen city, if it should repent at
his preaching. Jonah was a narrow-minded patriot, who feared
that Assyria would one day swallow up his own little nation;
and so he wished to do nothing that might lead to the
preservation of wicked Nineveh. Jonah was willing to
prophesy to Israel; he at first flatly refused to become a
foreign missionary.
2. Jonah Punished, Jonah 1:4-16:
The vessel in which the prophet had taken passage was
arrested by a great storm. The heathen sailors inferred that
some god must be angry with some person on board, and cast
lots to discover the culprit. When the lot fell upon Jonah,
he made a complete confession, and bravely suggested that
they cast him overboard. The heathen mariners rowed
desperately to get back to land, but made no progress
against the storm. They then prayed Yahweh not to bring
innocent blood upon them, and cast Jonah into the sea. As
the storm promptly subsided, the heathen sailors offered a
sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows. In this part of the story
the mariners give an example of the capacity of the Gentiles
to perform noble deeds and to offer acceptable worship to
Yahweh...
Link: https://bible-history.com/isbe/J/JONAH,+THE+BOOK+OF/