TRADITION VS SCHOLARSHIP

The Hebrew of God's last words in Jonah 4:11 can be read two ways. Besides a question about caring for Nineveh, what else can it say?

The answer

"But as for me, I will not pity Nineveh." Most scholars read the verse as a question, the way the NRSVue prints it. The Hebrew grammar also allows it as a statement.

Why it’s interesting

With a "not" in front of it, the same Hebrew verb often marks God's resolve to punish without pity. Jeremiah 13:14 is one example: "I will not pity or spare or have compassion when I destroy them."

Genuinely debated

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