1. Introduction
The Hebrew of Jonah 1:17 says, “God prepared a great fish.” The Greek LXX, however, translates this phrase as, “God commanded a great fish.” The difference is clear: One phrase requires no obedience from the fish, as God sets up the circumstances. The other phrase requires active obedience from the fish, insinuating it has the ability to obey. The usage of these two terms will be tracked throughout the biblical literature.
2. Lexical and Linguistic Background (1 paragraph)
The word for “prepared” in Hb Jonah 1:17 is Hb “manah,” used 28 times in the WLC Hebrew OT. According to Strongs, this term literally means “to weigh out,” but more figuratively means to “appoint, count, number, prepare.” There is a clear sense of preparation for the object. The object is passive.
The word for “command” in Gr LXX Jonah 1:17 is Gr “prostasso,” used 27 times in the LXX Greek OT and seven times in the TR Greek NT. According to Strongs, this term means to “command.” There is a clear sense of instructing to the object, expecting the object to obey the command. The object, then, is active.
3. The word in the Bible
The Hb “manah” is used 28 times throughout the WLC Hebrew OT. This word appears with highest frequency in Jonah, and acts as a theme word for God’s preparation of the great fish, the plant, the worm, and the hot east wind. This term is mostly used to refer to a kind of counting. For example, 1 Chronicles 21:1 states, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” This term is occasionally used to refer to the placing by a higher power, such as in Daniel 1:11, which states, “So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.”
The Gr “prostasso” is used 27 times in the LXX Greek OT. This word appears in highest frequency in Jonah, appearing five times. It translates Hb “manah” in Jonah every time it appears. Further, it also uses Gr “prostasso” in Jonah 2:10: “So the LORD spoke (lit. “commanded,” Gr “prostasso”) to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Outside of Jonah, this term is typically used as a simple translation of the Hebrew “command,” such as Deuteronomy 27:1, “Now Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded (Gr “prostasso”) the people…”
The TR Greek NT uses Gr “prostasso” a total of seven times. Three of these times is the synoptic story of the cleansing of the leper in Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44, and Luke 5:14, which each include the phrase, “Moses commanded (Gr “prostasso”).” All four of the other instances likewise translate Gr “prostasso” as “commanded.”
4. Synthesis And Conclusion
There is a clear theological shift from the passive preparation of the fish in Jonah 1:17 to an active commanding by God. This may be due many reasons, but the result is clear: The LXX Jonah takes a key theme, the “preparation” of the great fish, plant, worm, and hot east wind, and shifts the theology of God’s involvement and the involvement of the objects prepared.
