Table Of ContentConiectanea Bíblica • New Testament Series 27
SIMON CHOW
The Sign of Jonah Reconsidered.
A STUDY OF ITS MEANING IN THE GOSPEL TRADITIONS
Almqvist & Wiksell International
Stockholm, Sweden
Doctoral dissertation at Uppsala University 1995
Abstract
Chow, S., 1995. The Sign of Jonah Reconsidered. A Study of Its Meaning in the
Gospel Traditions. Coniectanea Biblica. New Testament Series 27. 244 pp.
Uppsala. ISBN 91-22-01695-3
This study aims to search out the meaning of the sign of Jonah in Matthew, Luke
and “Q”. The texts are investigated with special attention to the textual and
historical backgrounds of the authors and their intended readers. The dissertation
consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the problem, the state of research
and the method of the present study. After an examination of Jonah in Jewish
traditions (Chapter 2), the Matthean and Lucan texts are analysed in synchronic
and diachronic dimensions (3.1 and 3.2). In 3.3 the text of “Q” is reconstructed
and studied synchronically. Chapter 4 deals with the question of how the sign of
Jonah was understood and what the image of Jonah was in early Christian
tradition. Chapter 5 summarizes the results.
Findings: Just as the Book of Jonah was used in different ways in Jewish
tradition, the three Gospel traditions interpret the sign of Jonah differently,
according to the distinct situations in which they were written. “Q” understands
the sign as representing the coming of the Son of Man in the parousia. For
Matthew the sign points to the death and resurrection of Jesus, but Luke connects
it with the preaching of the Church. Although the application of the story of Jonah
in general differed according to its various contexts in the early Church, with
regard to the sign of Jonah specifically, it was the Matthean interpretation that
dominated. This interpretation is an important factor in our understanding of
contemporary representations of Jonah in the arts where he stands for the Christian
hope of resurrection.
Key words: Jonah, the sign of Jonah, the Book of Jonah, Jewish tradition,
Christian tradition, Matt 12:15-50, Luke 11:14-36, “Q”, parousia, judgment, death
and resurrection, preaching, the word of God, church fathers, Jonah artifacts.
Simon Chow. Lutheran Theological Seminary, P. O. Box 20, Shatin, N. T., Hong
Kong.
© Simon Chow 1995
ISBN 91-22-01695-3
Printed in Sweden by Graphic Systems 1995
To Ethel,
Shirley, Anders
and my parents
Chinese “household” code handwritten by the author’s father and copied
here to honour him. He has been seriously sick during the years when
this book was in formation. Now he is no longer able to write and too
weak to understand what his son has written.
Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 11
1.1 The Problem 11
A. Prehistory of the Gospel Versions 12 — B. Suggestions for the
Meaning of the Sign 15 — 1. The Sign of Jonah as John the Baptist 15
— 2. The Sign of Jonah as the Dove — Israel 16 — 3. The Sign of
Jonah as the Eschatological Judge 16 — 4. The Sign of Jonah as One
Who was Resurrected from Death 17 — 5. The Sign of Jonah as the
Preacher of Repentance 17 — C. Comments on the Suggested Solutions
18
1.2 The Method 19
A. Methodological Inadequacies of Previous Work 19 — B. Our
Approach 23
2 JONAH IN JEWISH TRADITION 25
2.1 Introduction 25
2.2 Jonah in Jewish Tradition 27
A. The Book of Jonah 27 — B. 3 Macc 6:8 28 — C. The Lives of the
Prophets 29 — D. Josephus: Jewish Antiquities 9.205-214 32 — E. De
Jona 34 — F. Fragment Targum and Neofiti 1 (Deut. 30:12-13) 37 —
Excursus I: Dura Europos 39 — G. M. Ta 'an. 2:4 41
2.3 Reflections on the Findings 42
3 THE SIGN OF JONAH: TEXT ANALYSIS 45
3.1 Matt 12:15-50 45
3.1.1 Narrative Analysis 45
3.1.1.1 Context 45
3.1.1.2 Reasons for the Delimitation of Matt 12:15-50 48
3.1.1.3 The Relation between vv. 15-21, 22-37 and 38-50 48
3.1.1.4 Key Words 49
3.1.1.5 The Narrative Structure of Matt 12:15-50 50
3.1.1.6 The Characters 53
3.1.1.7 The Flow of Thought and the Arguments 54
A. Vv. 15-21 The Introduction 55 — B. Vv. 22-24 The Occasion 55 —
Excursus 2: The Son of David 56 — C. Vv. 25-37 Reaction against the
First Attack of the Pharisees 58 — 1. V. 25a The Situation 58 — 2.
Vv. 25b-37 The Defence and Counter-Attack 58 — a. Vv. 25b-27 Two
Arguments 58 — b. Vv. 28-30 The Counter Attack 59 — c. Vv. 31-37
8
Continuation of the Polemic and Admonitions 60 — D. Vv. 38-45 The
Second Attack of the Pharisees and Jesus’ Reaction Against it 61 —
1. V. 38 The Situation 61 — 2. Vv. 39-45 The Defence and Counter-
Attack 62 — a. V. 39 The Sign of Jonah 62 — b. V. 40 The
Explanation 64 — c. Vv. 41-42 Further Statements: The Judgment 66
— d. Vv. 43-45 The Conclusion of Judgment 67 — E. Vv. 46-50
Further Development and Admonition of the Crowds 68
3.1.1.8 Character Assessment and Summary 68
A. Character Assessment 69 — B. Summary 70
3.1.2 Redaction Analysis 71
3.1.2.1 General Observation 71
3.1.2.2 The Matthean Redaction 71
A. Vv. 15-21 72 — B. Vv. 22-23 72 — C. V. 24a 74 — D. V. 24b 74
— E. Vv. 25-28 75 — F. Vv. 29-30 75 — G. Vv. 31-32 76 — H. Vv.
33-35 77 — I. Vv. 36-37 77 — J. Vv. 38-45 78 — K. Vv. 46-50 80
3.1.2.3 Comments on the Matthean Redaction 80
A. Matt 12:15-50 and Isa 42 81 — B. Significant Emphases in the
Matthean Redaction 82 — 1. The Supremacy of Jesus: Christology 82
— 2. The Situation of the Enemies of Jesus 84 — 3. The Formation of
a New People 85
3.1.3 The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah and the Function
of Matt 12:15-50 in Its Matthean Context 88
A. The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah in Matthew 88 — B. The
Function of Matt 12:15-50 in general 89 — C. The Function of the
Sign of Jonah in Particular 90
Excursus 3: The Sign of Jonah in Matt 16:1-4 — 92
A. Some General Remarks 92 — B. The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah
in Matt 16:1-4 and Its Function 92
3.2 Luke 11:14-36 95
3.2.1 Narrative Analysis 95
3.2.1.1 Wider Context: The Travel Narrative 95
A. General Features 95 — B. The Travel Narrative and the
Transfiguration (9:28-36) 96
3.2.1.2 Narrower Context: 9:51-13:21 99
A. Discipleship 100 — B. Division between the People 100 — C. The
Kingdom of God and Its Antagonist 101
3.2.1.3 Reasons for the Delimitation of Luke 11:14-36 102
3.2.1.4 The Relation between the Beelzebul Charge
and the Request for a Sign 103
9
3.2.1.5 The Narrative Structure of Luke 11:14-36 103
3.2.1.6 The Characters 105
3.2.1.7 The Flow of Thought and the Arguments 106
A. Vv. 14-16 The Situation and the Two Charges 106 — B. Vv. 17-19
The Two Arguments 107 — C. Vv. 20-26 The Two Theses and Their
Illustrations 107 — D. Vv. 27-28 The Conclusion 110 — E. Vv. 29-36
The Answer to the Request for a Sign 111 — 1. Some Observations for
vv. 29b-32 112 — 2. V. 29b 113 — 3. V. 30 114 — 4. Vv. 31-32 115
— 5. The Precise Meaning of the Sign in the Light of Acts 117 — 6.
Vv. 33-36 The Concluding Admonitory Remarks 118 — Excursus 4:
The Single Eye 119
3.2.1.8 Character Assessment and Summary 122
A. Character Assessment 122 — B. Summary 123
3.2.2 Redaction Analysis 124
3.2.2.1 The Lucan Redaction 124
A. V. 14 124 — B. Vv. 15-16 126 — C. Vv. 17-19 127 — D. V. 20
129 — E. Vv. 21-23 132 — F. Vv. 24-26 133 — G. Vv. 27-28 134 —
H. Vv. 29-32 135 — I. Vv. 33-36 138
3.2.2.2 Comments on the Lucan Redaction 139
3.2.3 The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah and the Function
of Luke 11:14-36 in Its Lucan Context 142
A. The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah in Luke 142 — B. The Function
of the Passage in Its Lucan Context 143
3.3 Q 147
3.3.1 The Reconstruction of the Text 147
3.3.2 The Narrative Structure 151
3.3.3 Some Features in Q 153
3.3.4 The Characters 157
3.3.5 The Flow of Thought and the Arguments 158
A. ##1-21 The Beelzebul Dispute 158 — 1. ##1-3 158 — 2. ##4-5 158
— 3. ##7-14 159 — 4. ##15-19 159 — 5. ##20-21 160 — B. ##22-45
The Request for a Sign 160 — 1. ##22-28 160 — 2. The Three
Alternatives 161 — 3. ##29-36 165 — 4. ##37-45 167
3.3.6 The Meaning and the Function of the Sign of Jonah
in Its Q Context 167
A. The Meaning of the Sign of Jonah in Q 167 — B. The Function of
the Passage in Q 171
4 JONAH IN EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITION 175
4.1. Preliminary Remarks 175
