Jonah 3:9
New International Version
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

New Living Translation
Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

English Standard Version
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Berean Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”

King James Bible
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

New King James Version
Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

New American Standard Bible
Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

NASB 1995
“Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

NASB 1977
“Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Who knows, God may turn and relent and turn away from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

Amplified Bible
Who knows, God may turn [in compassion] and relent and withdraw His burning anger (judgment) so that we will not perish.”

Christian Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.

American Standard Version
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Who knows if God turns and shows mercy upon us and turns from us the heat of his wrath that we will not be destroyed!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who knows if God will repent, and turn from his fierce anger, and so we shall not perish?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish?

English Revised Version
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who knows? God may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won't die."

Good News Translation
Perhaps God will change his mind; perhaps he will stop being angry, and we will not die!"

International Standard Version
Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'

Literal Standard Version
Who knows? He turns back, and God has relented, and has turned back from the heat of His anger, and we do not perish.”

Majority Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”

New American Bible
Who knows? God may again repent and turn from his blazing wrath, so that we will not perish.”

NET Bible
Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die."

New Revised Standard Version
Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”

New Heart English Bible
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

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?”

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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nineveh Repents
8Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands. 9Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.” 10When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:22
David answered, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.'

Psalm 85:3
You withheld all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.

Psalm 90:13
Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.

Jeremiah 26:13
So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.

Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."

Joel 2:14
Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him--grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

Jonah 1:6
The captain approached him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish."


Treasury of Scripture

Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Jonah 1:6
So 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.

2 Samuel 12:22
And 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?

Psalm 106:45
And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

Jump to Previous
Anger Burning Changing Compassion Destruction Fierce Heat Overtake Perish Purpose Relent Repent Repented Turn Turned Turning Whether Withdraw Wrath
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Anger Burning Changing Compassion Destruction Fierce Heat Overtake Perish Purpose Relent Repent Repented Turn Turned Turning Whether Withdraw Wrath
Jonah 3
1. Jonah, sent again, preaches to the Ninevites.
5. Upon their repentance,
10. God relents.














Verse 9. - Who can tell? (2 Samuel 12:22). An expression of hope that the Divine, wrath may be averted by the timely repentance. It is the same form of words as in Joel 2:14, "Perhaps God would thereby indicate that he had himself put it into their mouths" (Pusey; comp. Jeremiah 18:11). If God; i.e. the one God, whom the king and his people now acknowledge as supreme, like the idol worshippers at Carmel, when they fell on their faces, crying, "Jehovah, he is the God" (1 Kings 18:39).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

knows?
יוֹדֵ֣עַ (yō·w·ḏê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

God
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

may turn
יָשׁ֔וּב (yā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

and relent;
וְנִחַ֖ם (wə·ni·ḥam)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5162: To sigh, breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity, console, rue, to avenge

He may turn
וְשָׁ֛ב (wə·šāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

from His fierce
מֵחֲר֥וֹן (mê·ḥă·rō·wn)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2740: A burning of anger

anger,
אַפּ֖וֹ (’ap·pōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

so that we will not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

perish.”
נֹאבֵֽד׃ (nō·ḇêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish


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OT Prophets: Jonah 3:9 Who knows whether God will not turn (Jon. Jh)
Jonah 3:8
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