Bible Activity/Discussion

Bible’s Most Asked Questions #1: Does Jonah actually gets swallowed by a whale?

Diana (Fille de Dieu) 🛐

Jonah getting swallowed by a whale is often ridiculed by people who can’t simply get behind the fact that God is all-powerful and can humble us in ways He sees fit, people who think the story is a myth and by people who don’t understand the symbolic meaning of this incident. Jonah spent three days in the fish’s belly; yes, this ties into Jesus spending three days and three nights in the earth’s belly. This is something I’ll get into later on, but if the story of Jesus isn’t true, then the story of Jonas is false.

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Back to the origin of this post. 

In primary school, we had a Religious Instructions class where all the faiths came together as one. There was one song that went: I don’t want to be like Jonah. To be swallowed by a whale. Down to Ninevah I must go. When my Savior tells me so…

I loved that song! Until I started studying the Bible and discovering the truth. So did Jonah get swallowed by a whale? Let’s consult our Bible:

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17

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Jonah gets swallowed by a GREAT FISH. Not by a whale, not by a mermaid, not by the Loch Ness monster, but by a great fish. This is why it’s important to read and study the Bible. Little details like these are very important.

May God continue to bless and guide you as you seek to enrich your spiritual life.

Bible character

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EDIT (31st March 2018): This is why we cross-reference.

I was wrong about Jonah not being swallowed by a whale for according to Matthew 12:40, he was “3 days and 3 nights in the whale’s belly”. I have no idea why this didn’t register with me although I would’ve eventually come back to it. Thank you, Margaret for pointing this out. 💙 Forgive me for my ignorance.

Published by Diana (Fille de Dieu) 🛐

I am a daughter of God and I live for His will to be fulfilled in me. I thirst after His Word, and every beat of my heart belongs to Him. 💙

36 thoughts on “Bible’s Most Asked Questions #1: Does Jonah actually gets swallowed by a whale?”

  3. :):):) Thanks Diana. I think the “whale” is another way that man has tried to help other men understand God’s Word verses just accepting it at face value. Every one wants it to make sense, to understand, but God is beyond our understanding. Faith is in believing, not having to have proof. One of my favourite verses, from Jonah is “Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?” 4:4 I meditated on that verse many, many times, and will use it when I see someone getting angry or who is angry or if I start to get angry. Thanks for sharing this Diana. I can always feel everything you say being full of God, and it comforts me more than you will ever know.

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    2. I think it is too, but man is always coming up with ways to alter God’s teaching to please mankind. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. Amen! He certainly is beyond our understanding and that’s a level none of us can get on. He’s all-powerful! He’s Alpha and Omega! I love that verse! That’s a great way to use it. Thank you for your kind words. ❤

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      2. Sister I was so wrong about this, it was a whale. It was a whale according to Jesus. “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40 I hope you forgive me for my ignorance. I’ve read that verse, and it just never clicked but the Good Lord made sure this time because as sson as I read it I remembered my comment here.

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      3. I was also wrong! I can’t believe that it didn’t register with me and that’s a verse that has been drilled into my head at one point. Forgive me of my ignorance as well. I’ll have to do more cross referencing before posting. Thank you. I’m going to put a note at the end of the post now.

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      1. This is also in God’s word concerning Jonah: Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (NIV) Jesus speaking of his death and resurrection.

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      2. This is the part I wanted to cover when I reached the Book of Jonah as I plan on doing a Bible book series, but thank you for this. ❤

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  10. You are so right about details!!! And God prepared this great fish. We already know He is the Creator of all things, but this scripture just reminds us of the fact God was in control at all times, He prepared this fish.

    Our human minds struggle so much because we try to put God into this box of our own understanding. I have issues when people don’t understand they are doing this, and unfortunately, there is no way to tell them because they simply are in disbelief. But I’ve seen that the believers who try to put God under their logic are the believers who struggle to understand greater concepts of God.

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    1. Yes, He is always in control, Amen!

      And he can’t be boxed. He can’t be categorized either. I know it’s hard for some people/believers out there to understand, but that’s why those who have ears to hear will hear and eyes to see will see instead of questioning our Creator.

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  11. Hi Diana–I am so glad you posted this! I’m actually reading the book of Jonah right now and just realized the facts you are stating. Jonah was in the belly of a great fish, not a whale, for 3 days and nights. It was in that belly, where he realized the greatness of God, how he spared him from drowning in the depths of the sea because of his disobedience. From there, he was encouraged to fulfill God’s command, which was to go to Ninevah. Thanks for sharing this!!!

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    1. Yes, and even after he fulfilled God’s command, he still was not satisfied. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate it. 🙂

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