The 'great fish' has probably made Jonah the best known of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. The book bearing his name, comprising just 48 verses, has tantalized and intrigued its readers throughout the ages.
However, undue preoccupation with the fish may cause us to miss what is actually going on in this narrative. Although the story of Jonah seems fairly straightforward on the surface, Rosemary Nixon explores its fascinating complexity to show how the author grapples with conflicting perceptions of God. While we might question some of the story's extra-ordinary features, we ourselves are also questioned by the God who called Jonah, and challenged to hear His word afresh.
The Bible Speaks Today series covers every book of the Old and New Testaments, as well as Bible themes that run through the whole of Scripture. These revised editions are redesigned inside and out and have been sensitively updated with contemporary language and Bible translations to help you follow, study and teach the Bible in today's world.

Rosemary Nixon was pastor to the Community of Durham Cathedral and formerly vicar of All Saints' Church in Cleadon, Sunderland. She also served as principal of the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, director of the urban studies unit in the parish of Gatehead, and tutor in Old Testament studies at Cranmer Hall, Durham.