Jonah: The Angsty Teenage Prophet
A retelling that isn’t about the whale
The story of Jonah and the whale is familiar in popular culture and is even referenced secularly. Jonah and the whale (or “big fish”) are depicted in the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) as well as the Quran of Islam.
How highly Jonah is regarded as a prophet depends on who you ask. In the Christian Scriptures, Jonah’s time in the belly of the big fish is relayed by Jesus in relation to the Son of Man’s own three-day story yet to come. In Islam, Jonah is regarded as one of the highest prophets, always steadfast in his devotion to God (Allah).
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the book of Jonah is a short adventure story placed between the other prophet writings of the Nevi’im. Jonah’s prophecy involves the fall of a city, Nineveh. On the way, Jonah spends three days in the belly of a big fish, which is often depicted as a whale in art.
You can read the short Book of Jonah for yourself in the Jewish, Christian, or Islam texts.
Below is my retelling of Jonah’s story, with some creative license taken.
(I didn’t exaggerate a whole lot, honestly. Read it for yourself or compare my story to the verses I notate.)
