Set in the eighth century BCE, Sefer Yona stands apart from the rest of the Prophets. Instead of focusing on a prophet’s preachings, it tells the gripping story of the man himself. In just four short chapters, we follow Jonah as he tries to flee his mission to warn the great city of Nineveh. We witness a raging storm, a giant fish, a miraculous second chance, and the city’s sudden repentance. The story culminates in Jonah's bitter anger at God's forgiveness, ending with a powerful lesson about divine compassion taught through a single, dying plant.
 
This volume of The Daʿat Tanakh Series presents the original Hebrew text alongside a fresh, accessible English translation. To bring the story to life, it features a unique, blended commentary that weaves together the wisdom of three of history's most brilliant Jewish scholars:
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1089–1167)
Rabbi Yehuda ibn Balʿam (c. 1000–c. 1090)
Rabbi David Qimḥi (c. 1160–c. 1235)
 
Also included is a Geonic essay by Rav Hai Gaon (939–1038) exploring the ultimate question: Why did Jonah run away?
 
Blending intellectual rigor with deep faith, this book illuminates exactly why we read Jonah at the climax of Yom Kippur—and what it truly means when God's strict judgment transforms into mercy.