In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

PREFACE TO THE COMMENTARY ON JONAH HE DIVINELY inspired Jonah was the son of Amittai, and came from Gath-hepher, a little city or town of the land of the Jews, so the story goes. He probably delivered his prophecy at the same time as those before him, namely, Hosea, Amos, Micah, and the rest.1 You could find him uttering a great number of oracles to the Jewish populace, transmitting the words from God on high and clearly foretelling the future. Though no other prophetic text from him is extant than this one, therefore, the divinely inspired Scripture confirms that he continued predicting to the Jewish masses what would happen in future times. In the second book of Kings, remember, the sacred text reports the discourse about Jeroboam—not the first of that name in the beginning, the son of Nebat, who “caused Israel to sin,” as Scripture says,2 namely, by persuading them to worship the golden heifers—(561) but the other Jeroboam, who came after many others. Now, what blessed Jonah prophesied the text made clear: “He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. For the Lord saw that the distress of Israel was very bitter; there were few survivors, suffering need and affliction, and there was no one to help Israel. The Lord had not said that he would blot out 147 1. The mention in 2 Kgs 14.25 of a Jonah son of Amittai prophesying in the reign of Jeroboam II is sufficient for Cyril to group him with other eighthcentury prophets. This time Cyril seems to be following the sequence of the LXX in omitting Joel from the opening group, whereas Jerome (and Theodore’s Antioch text) had led him to comment on him after Hosea in accordance with the Heb. He does not begin by distinguishing between author and eponymous hero, nor does he bother to locate Gath-hepher in Galilee. 2. 2 Kgs 13.11. 148 CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA their offspring from under heaven; and he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.”3 The phrase “by the hand of” means “through”; Jeroboam, who was the son of Jehoash, as I said, made war on the Philistines, brought once more under his control the cities seized from the land of the Jews, and was of no little assistance to the people of Israel, thanks to God’s protection and willingness to bring salvation, despite their being reduced to extreme hardship. While other prophetic words came to blessed Jonah at various times as well, then, the account of him in this case has been recorded for our benefit and as part of the divine plan; it is in fact worth hearing, namely, his preaching to the Ninevites and his experiences in the meantime. It describes in shadows, as it were, the mystery of the Incarnation of our Savior as well; Christ himself, at any rate, said in addressing the Jews, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah: just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster for three days and three (562) nights, likewise the Son of Man also will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.”4 The mystery of Christ, therefore, is foreshadowed and somehow represented to us in the story of the divinely inspired Jonah; I shall see it as my task to explain that to the readers. When a text is developed at a spiritual level, and its central character is selected and adopted as a representation of Christ the Savior of us all, a person of wisdom and understanding should judge which details are irrelevant to the purpose in question , and which in turn are relevant and applicable, and likely to be of particular benefit to the listeners.5 Take as an example blessed Moses: he represented Israel to God on Mount Sinai, becoming mediator between God and man. In fear, the people of 3. 2 Kgs 14.25–27. 4. Mt 12.39–40 (omitted in PG ed.); cf. Mk 8.12; Lk 11.29–32. Cyril and Theodoret take a leaf out of Theodore’s book in seeing...

Share