John Calvin Commentary Jonah 3:9

"Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?" — Jonah 3:9 (ASV)

The mind and design of the king are here more distinctly stated—that he thus endeavored to reconcile himself and the people to God. Some offer a somewhat different rendering: “He who knows will turn and be led by penitence,” etc.; they do not read it as a question, but this rendering cannot stand. There is nothing ambiguous in the Prophet's meaning, for he introduces the king here as expressing a doubt: Who knows whether God will be reconciled to us? We therefore see that the king was not overwhelmed with despair, for he still thought of a remedy; and this is the meaning of the verse.

But this may seem contrary to the nature of faith; and if it is opposed to faith, it follows that it must also be inconsistent with repentance. For faith and repentance are connected, as we have observed in other places. No one can willingly submit to God unless he has previously known His goodness and entertained a hope of salvation; for he who is touched only by fear avoids God’s presence, and then despair prevails, and perverseness follows.

How then was it that the king of Nineveh had seriously and sincerely repented, while he still spoke doubtfully of God's favor? To this I answer that it was a measure of doubt, which was nevertheless connected with faith—a doubt that does not directly reject God's promise but has other hindrances. For instance, when anyone, cast down with fear, afterwards receives courage from the hope of pardon and salvation set before him, he is not immediately freed from all fear. For as long as he looks on his sins and is entangled by various thoughts, he vacillates, he fluctuates.

There is, therefore, no doubt that the king of Nineveh entertained hope of deliverance. However, at the same time his mind was perplexed, both by Jonah's sermon and by the consciousness of his own sins. There were then two obstacles which deprived the king’s mind of certainty, or at least prevented him from immediately apprehending God's mercy and from perceiving with a calm mind that God would be gracious to him.

The first obstacle was the awful message—that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days. For though Jonah, as we have said, might have added something more, yet the denunciation was distinct and express, and tended to cast down the minds of all. The king then had to struggle to overcome this obstacle and to resist this declaration of Jonah insofar as it was found to be without any comfort.

And then the king, while considering his own sins, could not but vacillate for some time. Yet we see that he strove to emerge, though he had these obstacles before his eyes, for he says: Who knows whether God will turn from the fury of His wrath, and repent? We therefore see that the king was in a hard struggle. For though Jonah seemed to have closed the door and to shut the king out from any hope of deliverance, and though his own conscience held him fast bound, he nevertheless perseveres and encourages himself; in short, he aspires to the hope of pardon.

And it must be further noted that this form of expression indicates a difficulty rather than mistrust. The king then asks here, as it were doubtingly, “Who knows whether God will turn?” for it was a difficult thing to believe that God, after long forbearance, would spare the wicked city.

Therefore, the king expresses it as a difficulty, and such a question was no proof of the absence of faith. A similar expression is found in Joel: “Who knows,” etc.? We then stated several things in explaining that passage, but it is enough here briefly to state that the king here does not betray mistrust, but presents a difficulty. And it was evidence of humility that he acknowledged himself and his people to be sunk, as it were, in the lowest hell, and yet did not cease to entertain some hope. For it is a strong proof of hope when we still entertain it, even though this is contrary to the whole order of nature and wholly inconsistent with human reason. So now we see the meaning of the words. Of God's repentance we shall speak later, either tomorrow or the day after.

Lest we perish, he says. We see how a heathen king thought of redeeming himself from destruction: it was by having God pacified. As soon as any danger threatens us, let us remember that no deliverance can be found unless the Lord receives us into favor. Such was the conviction of the king of Nineveh, for he concluded that all things would be well as soon as God should be propitious. We therefore see how much this new and untrained disciple had improved, for he understood that men cannot escape miseries until God is pacified towards them. He also understood that when men return into favor with Him, though they should have perished a hundred times before, they will still be delivered and made safe. For the grace, or the favor, of God is the fountain of life and salvation, and of all blessings.