EKSEGESIS GRAMATIKAL-HISTORIS YUNUS 2:2: REINTEPRETASI FUNGSI IKAN BESAR SEBAGAI INSTRUMEN KESELAMATAN
Abstract
This study presents an in-depth analysis of the narrative of the prophet Jonah through a grammatical-historical exegetical approach, particularly in the text of Jonah 2:2. This analysis challenges the conventional paradigm that views the great fish as an instrument of punishment for Jonah’s escape from the divine call. By dissecting the original Hebrew linguistic structure, it is found that the use of the perfect tense verb (qatal) indicates that Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish is not a request for forgiveness, but rather a hymn of thanksgiving for the salvation he had experienced earlier in the depths of the sea. This chronological shift indicates that the great fish functions as a “lifeboat” sent by God to prevent Jonah’s death by drowning. The theological implications reveal that Jonah's obedience in Nineveh in chapter three is the fulfillment of a “vow” for physical salvation, not a manifestation of sincere repentance. This explains Jonah’s inconsistency in chapter four, where he rejects grace for other nations, while also emphasizing the sovereignty of God's love that transcends human religious exclusivism.References
Auxerre, Haimo of. Commentary on the Book of Jonah. Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications, 2002.
Bolin, Thomas M. Freedom beyond Forgiveness – The Book of Jonah Re-Examined. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997.
Djuharto, Gumulya. “Analisa Panggilan Yunus Dalam Kitab Yunus 1:1-17.” Jurnal Theologi Aletheia 16, no. 6 (2014): 1–32.
Elen, Maria, and Alnodus Jamsenjos Indirwan Ziliwu. “Eksplorasi Kepercayaan Orang Niniwe Kepada Allah Ditinjau Dari Yunus 3:1-10.” Angelion: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pendidikan Kristen 4, no. 2 (February 11, 2024): 228–44. https://doi.org/10.38189/jan.v4i2.663.
Erickson, Amy. Jonah: Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021.
Havea, Jione. Jonah – An Earth Bible Commentary. London: T & T Clark International, 2020.
Junior, Raymond F. Person. In Conversation with Jonah – Conversation Analysis, Literary Criticism, and the Book of Jonah. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996.
Junior, W. Dennis Tucker. Jonah – A Handbook on the Hebrew Text. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2006.
Limburg, James. Jonah – A Commentary. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993.
Marbun, Tolop. “Kajian Konsep Keselamatan Dalam Kitab Yunus.” JURNAL LUXNOS 6, no. 2 (December 2, 2020): 235–53. https://doi.org/10.47304/jl.v6i2.31.
Miller, Stephen M. Panduan Lengkap Alkitab. Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2020.
Moo, Douglas J., ed. Ensiklopedi Alkitab Masa Kini (Jilid 2:M-Z). Jakarta: Yayasan Komunikasi Bina Kasih, 1996.
Morris, Henry M. The Remarkable Journey of Jonah – A Verse-by-Verse Exposition of His Amazing Record. Green Forest: New Leaf Publishing Group, 2023.
Muryati, Muryati, Gernaida Pakpahan, and Junifrius Gultom. “Sastra Satire Kitab Yunus: Analisis Naratif Prolog Dan Epilog Kitab Yunus.” SOTIRIA (Jurnal Theologia Dan Pendidikan Agama Kristen) 3, no. 2 (December 29, 2020): 106–18. https://doi.org/10.47166/sot.v3i2.25.
Nababan, Howard Wirayudha. “The Consequences of Jonah Disobedience to Himself and People Around Him.” Studium Biblicum: Jurnal Teologi Dan Studi Biblika 1, no. 2 (2024): 38–53.
Nowell, Irene. “Yunus.” In Tafsir Alkitab Perjanjian Lama, edited by Dianne Bergant and Robert J. Karris. Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 2002.
Roop, Eugene F. Ruth, Jonah, Esther – Believers Church Bible Commentary. Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1942.
Sasson, Jack M. Jonah – A New Translation with Introduction, Commentary, and Interpretations. 1st ed. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1990.
Setiawan, Markus, Jawa Agriani Sunyono, Robinson Rimun, and Jhon Leonardo Presley Purba. “Kajian Tipologi Yunus Di Perut Ikan Dan Yesus Di Perut Bumi Sebagai Antitipe.” ELEOS: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pendidikan Agama Kristen 1, no. 2 (January 21, 2022): 63–74. https://doi.org/10.53814/eleos.v1i2.7.
Sharp, Carolyn J., ed. The Oxford Handbook of the Prophets. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Sin, Sia Kok. “Keunikan Kitab Yunus Dan Metode Penafsirannya.” The New Perspective in Theology and Religious Studies 3, no. 1 (June 3, 2022): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.47900/nptrs.v3i1.57.
Stuart, Douglas. Hosea-Jonah – Word Biblical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.
Tiemeyer, Lena-Sofia. Jonah, Through the Centuries - Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2022.
Yohanes, Sukirdi, and Seri Damarwanti. “Yunus: Miskin Visi Dan Tidak Misioner?” SANCTUM DOMINE: JURNAL TEOLOGI 10, no. 1 (December 29, 2020): 85–100. https://doi.org/10.46495/sdjt.v10i1.93.
