Yunus 1:1

Jonah Tries to Run from the Lord

1:1 The Lord said ¹  to Jonah son of Amittai, ² 

Matius 12:39

12:39 But he answered them, ³  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “The word of the Lord.” The genitive noun in the construction דְּבַר־יְהוָה (dÿvar-yÿhvah, “word of the Lord”) could function as a possessive genitive (“the Lord’s word”; see IBHS 145 §9.5.1g), but more likely it functions as a subjective genitive (“the Lord said”; see IBHS 143 §9.5.1a). The Aramaic translation of Jonah 1:1 (Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible are known as Targums) interprets the Hebrew as “There was a word of prophecy from the Lord” (cf. Tg. Hos 1:1).

[1:1]  ² tn Heb “The word of the Lord was to Jonah…saying….” The infinitive לֵאמֹר (le’mor, “saying”) introduces direct discourse and is untranslated in English.

[12:39]  ³ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.