Jonah: A Commentary

In this volume of the Old Testament Library, Juliana Claassens delves into the theological questions posed by the book of Jonah in the context of a community making sense of their harrowing experiences of imperial domination.

Attending to the historical and literary elements of the text, Claassens traces the narrative of Jonah as one that is steeped in the trauma inflicted by successive ancient empires and that urges its original and ongoing readers to grapple with the woundedness of the prophet and of the community that Jonah represents. 

Reading Jonah through the lens of trauma hermeneutics and in conversation with feminist, postcolonial, and queer interpreters, this commentary seeks to reveal new layers of theological meaning. In particular, these interpretive strategies aim to take seriously the continuing legacies of trauma, as readers across time have reflected on the book’s theological purposes—and their consequences. Opening up how interpreters from various religious and sociocultural locations have engaged with this intriguing and confounding tale, this commentary refers at several points to Jonah’s reception in literary and artistic works, featuring illustrations throughout.

The Old Testament Library series provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing. The editorial board consists of William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary; Brent A. Strawn, Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law, Duke University; and C. L. Crouch, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism, Radboud University.