Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
The setting
Joppa (modern Tel Aviv), Mediterranean coast. A prophet buys passage on a merchant ship heading west to Spain...
The emotion here: disappointed observation of human rebellion
The original word
barach (בָּרַח) — to flee in terror, like an animal escaping danger
Why it matters
Tarshish was at the opposite end of the known world - like booking a flight to Antarctica today
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jonah 1:3
He 'paid its fare' - running from God cost him money, time, and nearly his life
Common misconceptionPeople think Jonah was afraid of dying in Nineveh, but he was actually afraid they might repent and God would spare them.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jonah 1:3
Bible Genome reading
Jonah 1:3 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jonah 1:3 comes from the book of Jonah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include disobedience, flight from God. Notable phrases: flee to Tarshish; from the presence of Yahweh.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Jonah 1:3 mean to you, today?
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