The Book of Jonah

In the literature on the book of Jonah, not many works focus on social justice like Shmuly Yanklowitz’s new commentary, aptly titled The Book of Jonah: A Social Justice Commentary. Instead of a verse-by-verse analysis of the text, Yanklowitz explores elements within Jonah’s narrative that pertain to today’s social context. In particular, he aims to “apply traditional Jewish knowledge to our contemporary world and questions” (xxv). To this end, he offers twenty-five bite-sized chapters that identify universal ethics within the book of Jonah and apply those ethics to a modern society. Yanklowitz surveys a mix of social topics like depression, climate change, and nuclear weapons, along with religious themes such as repentance, God’s immutability, and human-animal relationships. Yanklowitz even notes that the book of Jonah uses the masculine and feminine Hebrew word for fish to refer to the same creature and develops this observation into an entire chapter on gender. The book concludes with five concise takeaways that help the reader summarize the critical points of the book. The volume also includes the New Jewish Publication Society's translation of Jonah parallel to the Hebrew text for reference and comparison.

Yanklowitz follows the plot of the story of Jonah and relates its elements to today's context. The book begins by noting that Jonah's call to proclaim truth to an unjust society is similar to contemporary protests highlighting injustices. The next few chapters address Jonah's mental state and mental health, linking them to challenges in today's society. The book continues by addressing God's relationship with animals, recalling Jonah's episode on the sea and then in the belly of the fish. Yanklowitz concludes with an abrupt turn to weightier theological matters, addressing God's ability to change, God's justice, and the human capacity for destruction.

One of the book's major strengths is the sheer volume of quotations, ranging from the Mishnah to Peter Berger. The citations from rabbinic literature enrich this volume by adding perspectives on the text that commentaries often overlook. In one instance, Yanklowitz expounds on Jewish attitudes towards fish and creation by citing four sources—the Babylonian Talmud, Maimonides, midrash on Exodus (Sh'mo Rabbah), and the modern Rabbi Shai Held. However, Yanklowitz’s sourcing is not always so wide, and he relies heavily on Erica Brown's 2017 commentary, Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet (Maggid Books), citing her nine times (xxi, 30, 37, 41, 73, 74, 82, 95-96). Regardless, the commentary's citations of Jewish literature alone make the book an excellent addition to the libraries of academics or religious leaders.

Another key strength of the book is its ability to translate prophetic material into action. For example, Yanklowitz highlights the redemptive role of the fish within the story of Jonah and shows how its God-ordained role should drive humans to care for creation. Each chapter includes such rich analysis and provocative suggestions that readers might consider reading only one chapter a day, savoring its insights. Study or discussion questions at the end of each chapter would make the book a perfect resource for personal or group study.

Reader should note that Yanklowitz seems to be writing to a Jewish faith. Twice he states that "as Jews," his audience should act based on his commentary on society (19, 22). At other times, he refers to Jews as "us" and to "our [Jewish] theology" (5, 110). While these phrases are likely not meant to be exclusive, they may distract non-Jewish readers.

One minor weakness of this volume is that the title may be misleading. Typically, commentaries provide insight to the text. Thus, a reader may expect for this volume to discuss social justice during the time of Jonah. While Yanklowitz addresses some of these issues, the majority of the commentary focuses on social justice in today's context, to the point that the book may elucidate more about today's society than the one depicted in the book of Jonah. In a typical passage, Yanklowitz likens Jonah's three days in a fish to solitary confinement in today’s criminal justice system. This comparison is thought-provoking, but it primarily contains implications for justice in today’s culture, rather than during Jonah’s day. Hence, the book sometimes treats Jonah's text as a springboard to talk about contemporary issues instead of as a commentary on social issues within Jonah's environment.

Overall, this commentary successfully extracts ethical teachings from the book of Jonah and applies them to today's society. Yanklowitz is also correct to complain that academic discussions overlook the book of Jonah. His volume offers one step toward correcting this omission, and his work deserves scholarly attention and study by religious leaders and laypeople alike.

Scott Bayer is an adjunct professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at William Jessup University.

Scott Bayer

Date Of Review:

January 28, 2020