KJV King James Version
Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Jonah 3:9
Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
WEB World English Bible
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
ASV American Standard Version
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Who knoweth? He doth turn back, and God hath repented, and hath turned back from the heat of His anger, and we do not perish.’
Surrounding context — Jonah 3
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that [is] in their hands.
9 Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did [it] not.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
מִֽי־H4310 · miwho?יוֹדֵ֣עַH3045 · ya.dato knowיָשׁ֔וּבH7725 · shuvto return: returnוְנִחַ֖םH5162 · na.chamto be sorry: comfortהָאֱלֹהִ֑יםH430 · e.lo.himGodוְשָׁ֛בH7725 · shuvto return: returnמֵחֲר֥וֹןH2740 · cha.ronburning angerאַפּ֖וֹH639 · aphface: angerוְלֹ֥אH3808 · lonotנֹאבֵֽד׃H6 · a.vadto perish
Cross-references
2 Samuel 12:22And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?Joel 2:13-14And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.Luke 15:18-20I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,Psalm 106:45And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.Jonah 1:6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.Amos 5:15Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
CLASSIC COMMENTARY & PREACHING
Spurgeon on Jonah 3:9
Read Charles H. Spurgeon material whose primary Scripture is this verse or passage.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Jonah 3:9
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →