Jonah 3 · Verse 7

Jonah 3:7

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:
Jonah 3:7, King James Version

Jonah 3:7 in other translations

BSBThen he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
WEBHe made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
ASVAnd he made proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
YLTand he crieth and saith in Nineveh by a decree of the king and his great ones, saying, ‘Man and beast, herd and flock--let them not taste anything, let them not feed, even water let them not drink;
DARBYAnd 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 anything: let them not feed, nor drink water;
BBEAnd he had it given out in Nineveh, By the order of the king and his great men, no man or beast, herd or flock, is to have a taste of anything; let them have no food or water:
WebsterAnd 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:

What does Jonah 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. neither ... beast ... taste any thing--The brute creatures share in the evil effects of man's sin (Jon 4:11; Ro 8:20, 22); so they here according to Eastern custom, are made to share in man's outward indications of humiliation. "When the Persian general Masistias was slain, the horses and mules of the Persians were shorn, as well as themselves" [Newcome from Plutarch; also Herodotus, 9.24].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 3:5-10

There was a wonder of Divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh. It condemns the men of the gospel generation, Mt 12:41. A very small degree of light may convince men that humbling themselves before God, confessing their sins with prayer, and turning from sin, are means of escaping wrath and obtaining mercy. The people followed the example of the king. It became a national act, and it was necessary…

Read the full comment on Jonah 3:5-10 →

Jonah 3:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּזְעֵ֗קvai.yaz.'Ekand he had a proclamation madeH2199
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
בְּנִֽינְוֵ֔הbe.ni.ne.Vehin NinevehH5210
מִטַּ֧עַםmi.Ta.'amfrom [the] decree ofH2940
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
וּגְדֹלָ֖יוu.ge.do.Lavand great [people] hisH1419
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הָאָדָ֨םha.'a.Damthe peopleH120
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הve.ha.be.he.Mahand the livestockH929
הַבָּקָ֣רha.ba.Karthe cattleH1241
וְהַצֹּ֗אןve.ha.Tzonand the flock[s]H6629
אַֽל\־'al-may notH408
יִטְעֲמוּ֙yit.'a.Muthey tasteH2938
מְא֔וּמָהme.'U.mahanythingH3972
אַ֨ל\־'Al-may notH408
יִרְע֔וּyir.'Uthey grazeH7462
וּמַ֖יִםu.Ma.yimand waterH4325
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יִשְׁתּֽוּ\׃yish.Tuthey drinkH8354

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jonah 3:7

  • 2 Chronicles 20:3

    And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

  • Joel 2:15-16

    Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

  • Joel 1:18

    How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

  • Jonah 3:5

    So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

  • Ezra 8:21

    Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

  • Romans 8:20-22

    For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
caused.
5; 2Ch 20:3; Ezr 8:21; Joe 2:15,16
published. Heb. said. nobles. Heb. great men. herd.
Joe 1:18; Ro 8:20-22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

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.

  • Jonah 3:7

    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:

  • Jonah 3:8

    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.

Read all of Jonah 3

Jonah 3:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
E hizo pregonar y anunciar en Nínive, por mandado del rey y de sus grandes, diciendo: Hombres y animales, bueyes y ovejas, no gusten cosa alguna, no se les dé alimento, ni beban agua:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il fit crier et dire dans Ninive, par un édit du roi et de ses grands, disant: Que les hommes, et les bêtes, le gros et le menu bétail, ne goûtent de rien; qu’ils ne paissent pas et ne boivent pas d’eau;
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er ließ in Ninive, auf Befehl des Königs und seiner Großen, ausrufen und sagen: Menschen und Vieh, Rinder und Kleinvieh sollen gar nichts kosten, sie sollen nicht weiden und kein Wasser trinken;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et clamavit, et dixit in Ninive ex ore regis et principum ejus, dicens: Homines, et jumenta, et boves, et pecora non gustent quidquam: nec pascantur, et aquam non bibant.