Zone1 Scripture does not interpret itself... It is insufficient to explain this----

[The Irish Ram]

Have we even been able to establish whether Jonah's big fish story is true yet?

Jonah wasn't swallowed by a whale. Whales have very big mouths and very small throats the size of a grapefruit.
Jonah was swallowed by a leviathan. < Very large fish, some having very, very large throats and stomachs and bladders that gulp down oxygen. When their stomachs start to fill with acid, they puke it out.
Jonah was puked out.

 

[ding]

No, and I didn't suggest that she did.

You did more than just suggest she said it.

 

[ding]

You were asked to behave appropriately here. Please do so and be a part of the discussion.

Would you like to proclaim one of the improbable bible stories to be literally true? Or even false?

I'm not the one being dishonest. You are. Do you think it makes sense to discuss anything with people who act dishonestly?

But the real problem is that this is a habit of yours. You keep doing it over and over again.

 

[Donald H]

I'm not the one being dishonest. You are. Do you think it makes sense to discuss anything with people who act dishonestly?

But the real problem is that this is a habit of yours. You keep doing it over and over again.

If you're trying to start a discussion with me then all you have to do is start being polite. Is that so hard for a Catholic Christian?

 

[Donald H]

Jonah wasn't swallowed by a whale. Whales have very big mouths and very small throats the size of a grapefruit.
Jonah was swallowed by a leviathan. < Very large fish, some having very, very large throats and stomachs and bladders that gulp down oxygen. When their stomachs start to fill with acid, they puke it out.
Jonah was puked out.

The bibles are responsible for the confusion between a big fish and a leviathon. (whale)

Those that made up such stories had no idea. Nor did anybody reading the stories. In any case, your beliefs are not popular with rational Christians any longer. The popular position is that the tale isn't to be taken as literally true,

Same with all of Genesis really.

 

[ding]

If you're trying to start a discussion with me then all you have to do is start being polite. Is that so hard for a Catholic Christian?

You keep doing it over and over again even after you have been asked to stop doing it. Why do you keep doing it?

 

[The Irish Ram]

The bibles are responsible for the confusion between a big fish and a leviathon. (whale)

Those that made up such stories had no idea. Nor did anybody reading the stories. In any case, your beliefs are not popular with rational Christians any longer. The popular position is that the tale isn't to be taken as literally true,

Same with all of Genesis really.

The scripture uses the word, "ketos". That word means a large sea creature. Whales can be described as very large sea creatures. But not all very large sea creatures are whales.
And it wasn't arbitrary. God prepared the fish that swallowed Jonah.

Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow Jonah,

Satan would love for Christians not to take the word of God literally. Because if they don't take Jonah literally, then they don't have to take what Jesus tells us literally either:

Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

It was actual enough for Jesus to refer to it, then it is actual enough for the rest of us.

 

[1miseryindex]

What is interesting... and answers my Qs about this totally

is that after God seemingly backed down--wasn't going to annihilate the idolators-- Moses went down the mountain w/ the Tablets and when he himself saw the idolators and the fake "god" they had made, he got angry enough to throw the Tablets down... and then God ended up getting His "annihilation scheme" implemented after all.

So God appeared to relent... maybe He was just waiting for Moses to be on the same page with Him...

So of course, God knows best.

As Jesus said in His most trying Moment

"Not my will, but Yours be done"

 

[The Irish Ram]

Again:
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

 

[1miseryindex]

some people just believe their own interpretation of the Bible

then others disagree and believe only THEIR interpretation

and so on and so forth

thank you, Heretic Luther!

 

[surada]

No, and I didn't suggest that she did. But she didn't say anything is true either and hence the confusion that is always going to exist. And debates over what some hold to be true and others understand as (whatever?)

Have we even been able to establish whether Jonah's big fish story is true yet? How many years is it going to take Christians to come to some conclusion that will be swallowed by at least 2/3rds. of the flock.

You were asked to behave appropriately here. Please do so and be a part of the discussion.

Would you like to proclaim one of the improbable bible stories to be literally true? Or even false?

Jonah is and illustrative story... a comic nouvella.

 

[surada]

The bibles are responsible for the confusion between a big fish and a leviathon. (whale)

Those that made up such stories had no idea. Nor did anybody reading the stories. In any case, your beliefs are not popular with rational Christians any longer. The popular position is that the tale isn't to be taken as literally true,

Same with all of Genesis really.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333719627_The_Literary_Genre_of_the_Book_of_Jonah#:~:text=After%20a%20hermeneutical%20discussion%20of,'didactic%2C%20satiric%20novella'.

After a hermeneutical discussion of multiple genres within these literary categories that have been used to describe the Book of Jonah, this work concludes that the book is best described as a 'didactic, satiric novella'.

 

[Libby von H]

I was recently reading (re-reading) the story of Moses talking to God about the idolatry of the Israelites. I always laugh at the way God was "dealing with" this problem

He wanted to wipe them out and start all over again with Moses and those who listened to him/them.

So Moses says, words to the effect of "Why should your wrath blaze up against your people?"

Then he goes on to say "The Egyptians will think that you led them out into the desert to die" or something to that effect

So God listens to Moses and relents in his "annihilation scheme"

The part I don't get is: God is listening to a mere human being here... AND doing what he says!

So that's just kind of ODD to me... Yes, I know, Moses was really into God. Jesus quoted Moses.. Moses prophesied about the coming of Christ...

Still...

Well, you could take it that way but I take it as analogous with God speaking with Adam' Where are you? of course He knew, He was giving Adam leeway to repent and admit what he'd done.
As for Moses, He is giving him his first chance to be a mediator, someone who takes a godly interest in the folks committed to his care.

But some think as you do I suppose

 

[Libby von H]

Jonah is and illustrative story... a comic nouvella.

There was no such genre in Jewish literature.
Why would Jesus make the reference to His Ressurection in such terms.
IF anything , Jesus makes me at least think that Jonah must have actually died and after 3 days was belched up onto the shore and revived.

But why illustrate a truth with a fiction ?????t

 

[surada]

There was no such genre in Jewish literature.
Why would Jesus make the reference to His Ressurection in such terms.
IF anything , Jesus makes me at least think that Jonah must have actually died and after 3 days was belched up onto the shore and revived.

But why illustrate a truth with a fiction ?????t

It never happened. It's didactic literature. It's fiction and teaches that God also loved the people of Ninevah. Jonah is disobedient, tries to run away and then pouts and sulks. God gives him shade and then takes it away.

It's funny.

Use the brain God gave you.

 

[luiza]

With hindsight , Moses should have considered himslf lucky to be talking to one of the more moderate Elohim .
Previously they were so irritated that they nearly rubbed us out of existence with their Great Flood, before Enki et al flew off , goodness knows where, to conduct other freaky laboratory tests with other freaky species .

 

[surada]

The bibles are responsible for the confusion between a big fish and a leviathon. (whale)

Those that made up such stories had no idea. Nor did anybody reading the stories. In any case, your beliefs are not popular with rational Christians any longer. The popular position is that the tale isn't to be taken as literally true,

Same with all of Genesis really.

The Many Genres of Scripture - Bible Gateway Blog

This lesson is part of Mel Lawrenz’ “How to Study the Bible” series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. Later today I will go to my mailbox, remove […]

www.biblegateway.com

 

[Woodznutz]

The scripture uses the word, "ketos". That word means a large sea creature. Whales can be described as very large sea creatures. But not all very large sea creatures are whales.
And it wasn't arbitrary. God prepared the fish that swallowed Jonah.

Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow Jonah,

Satan would love for Christians not to take the word of God literally. Because if they don't take Jonah literally, then they don't have to take what Jesus tells us literally either:

Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

It was actual enough for Jesus to refer to it, then it is actual enough for the rest of us.

We should also consider that during the Easter season (three days and three nights).

 

[surada]

Jonah wasn't swallowed by a whale. Whales have very big mouths and very small throats the size of a grapefruit.
Jonah was swallowed by a leviathan. < Very large fish, some having very, very large throats and stomachs and bladders that gulp down oxygen. When their stomachs start to fill with acid, they puke it out.
Jonah was puked out.

Leviathan is the Nile crocodile.

 

[surada]

Summary of Jonah.

Ancient people understood as well as we do that nobody could survive three days in the belly of a fish.

Christians, however, maintained that with God anything was possible, and therefore Jonah could have survived being swallowed by the fish.

But they also understood Jonah allegorically because Jesus did, as a foreshadowing of his own death and resurrection.

And ultimately, Jonah's historicity shouldn't be treated as a stumbling block; if that's the only thing standing between the seeker and faith, let them believe first and unravel the mystery later.