1:1–3 · The Lord’s first commission to Jonah:While we cannot be certain exactly how God conveyed his message to Jonah, the initial phrase, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah,” typically introduces divine communication in the Old Testament. The Lord commands Jonah literally to “rise and go to Nineveh,” two commands that recur in Jonah’s second commissioning from God (3:1). The text characterizes Nineveh as a great city, most notably as the capital of Assyria. Nineveh’s inhabitants were well known for their barbaric and cruel treatment of their captives, specifically their mistreatment toward Israel; consequently, the depth of Nineveh’s moral decline draws God’s attention. Other prophetic books also describe Ninevites as arrogant and godless (Zeph. 2:13; Nah. 3:19). Jonah’s refusal to trav…