The Meaning of Jonah 3:7 Explained

Jonah 3:7

KJV: And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

YLT: and he crieth and saith in Nineveh by a decree of the king and his great ones, saying, 'Man and beast, herd and flock -- let them not taste anything, let them not feed, even water let them not drink;

Darby: And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water;

ASV: And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he caused [it] to be proclaimed  and published  through Nineveh  by the decree  of the king  and his nobles,  saying,  Let neither man  nor beast,  herd  nor flock,  taste  any thing:  let them not feed,  nor drink  water: 

What does Jonah 3:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse further describes how seriously the king and his nobles regarded their situation and to what extent they went to encourage citywide contrition. They did not regard their animals as needing to humble themselves but viewed them as expressing the spirit of their owners.

Context Summary

Jonah 3:1-10 - A Repentant City
Peter was not only forgiven, but restored to his office; so also was Jonah again sent to Nineveh. Thank God for our second chances! There was no hesitancy this time. The prophet arose and went. The story of his deliverance seems to have reached Nineveh and to have prepared its people to receive his word, Luke 11:30. We must deliver God's messages and preach only as He bids us. He will tell us what to say.
Nineveh is said to have been sixty miles in circuit, the distance of a three days' journey. It was full of violence and cruelty. But the sight of that strange figure, clad in a rude sheep-skin mantle, smote its conscience. The alarm spread from the streets to the palace. Even the great king felt it within his sculptured chambers. It stirred him to action, so that king and court, peers and people, and even the brute creation, became united in one act of common humiliation. The repentance was city-wide in its scope, Jonah 3:5; was practical, Jonah 3:8; and directed toward God, Jonah 3:9. What a contrast to Israel! There, prophet after prophet was exposed to refusal and even to cruel usage. Whatever fear there may have been upon man's side, there was no hesitation upon God's. He abundantly pardoned! See Isaiah 55:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jonah 3

1  Jonah, sent again, preaches to the Ninevites
5  Upon their repentance,
10  God relents

What do the individual words in Jonah 3:7 mean?

And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles saying man nor beast herd nor flock neither let taste anything Not do let them eat or water nor drink
וַיַּזְעֵ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִטַּ֧עַם הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וּגְדֹלָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָדָ֨ם וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה הַבָּקָ֣ר וְהַצֹּ֗אן אַֽל־ יִטְעֲמוּ֙ מְא֔וּמָה אַ֨ל־ יִרְע֔וּ וּמַ֖יִם אַל־ יִשְׁתּֽוּ

וַיַּזְעֵ֗ק  And  he  caused  [it]  to  be  proclaimed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  published 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔ה  throughout  Nineveh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נִינְוֵה  
Sense: capital of the ancient kingdom of Assyria; located on the east bank of the Tigris river, 550 miles (880 km) from its mouth and 250 miles (400 km) north of Babylon.
מִטַּ֧עַם  by  the  decree 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: טַעַם  
Sense: taste, judgment.
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וּגְדֹלָ֖יו  and  his  nobles 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָאָדָ֨ם  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה  nor  beast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
הַבָּקָ֣ר  herd 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וְהַצֹּ֗אן  nor  flock 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
אַֽל־  neither 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
יִטְעֲמוּ֙  let  taste 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: טָעַם  
Sense: to taste, perceive, eat.
מְא֔וּמָה  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.
יִרְע֔וּ  do  let  them  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
וּמַ֖יִם  or  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אַל־  nor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
יִשְׁתּֽוּ  drink 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.