according to the Zwickau manuscript. *)
Delivered probably in February 1525; printed in 1886.
Translated from Latin.
The prophet Jonah.
[V. 1.) "Amithai" [stands in Hebrew instead of Amathi in the Vulgate]. [V 2.J in is as much as ad; quia as much as quoniam. [V 3.] naulum is "ferry money."
The first question is about the time and person of this [prophet]. Before the time of a great disturbance, there came prophets [whom God sent] to save some. In the time of Jeroboam there were many prophets; at that time it seems to me that this Jonah was. See the second book of Kings, where Jonah 1) is spoken of [Cap. 14, 25. 27.]: For the Lord would not destroy Israel, as he spake [by his servant Jonah] etc. This passage indicates the time of the prophet. He was at the same time as Amos and others. If this is so, the fable of Jonah falls that he was the son of the widow of Zarpath etc. As this is easily [said], 2) so it is also easily despised. This prophet was a Jew, that one the son of a Gentile. Amithai means [taken appellatively]: my truth. See the passage in the [first] book of Kings [Cap. 17] of the widow etc. with Elijah. 3) "Amithai" is the name of the father. Thus I hold for it.
His office was to prophesy to the Gentiles and to preach to the Assyrians at Nineveh. Therefore, the king of Assyria had not yet disturbed Israel. At that time, the kingdom of the Assyrians was the most powerful dominion.
1) In our original, certainly erroneously: äs äosia.
2) In the original: ste.
3) In the manuscript: eurn Isais, which the Erlanger has retained.
However, it is a great burden and [a heavy] office that a few man should attack a whole kingdom, and the most powerful one at that. God "has lifted up the prophet," it is a great task. And here you see that God also cares for the Gentiles, for the enemies of His people, so that He sends a prophet from among His people. The Jews alone boasted of the law etc., Rom. 2, 23. Below [Cap. 3, 5.J it is said: They feared the Lord etc. There is no circumcision, and so God has had His Christians and saints throughout the world, though we do not see it. That one is sent is a glorious and inestimable sign of love, Rom. 3, 29. The Jews are ordained that they should keep what God has spoken through the prophets about Christ, that he should be preached in the whole world etc. [If we consider what the word has accomplished, it is an exceedingly glorious history, otherwise it seems to be small. 4) The fruit of the word is described exceedingly abundantly in Jonah. Hardly any apostle would have directed [what] he directed in three days etc. So much for the ministry.
With the holy fathers this fault is that they want to absolve the saints from sins, and also to us it is offensive that we see the saints stumbling. [They raise the question whether Jonah sinned in that he be-
4) Set by us according to the Altenburg manuscript instead of ste.
pale to throw him into the sea. Jerome answers that this is allowed when chastity is in danger]. 1) They did not pay attention to the realm of grace. The judgment according to faith "cannot fail me", according to works I cannot judge etc. One man kills and does not sin, another man kills and sins, because the spirit of the one is different from that of the other, the faith of the one is different from that of the other. A Christian must be judged by the favor and grace of God, etc., or by the realm of favor shown to man, not by that shown to man. The saints had flesh and blood like us, but when the Spirit came upon them, they prophesied etc. [Jac. 5:17:] "Elias was a man like unto us." They had the same word, the same spirit [as we have]; if I sometimes judge foolishly, so did they etc. A Christian "must not" be judged by outward appearance, but by the Spirit etc. We are under the kingdom of grace, not of the law. Thus we say that Jonah sinned as we do. Either he did so full of faith and the Spirit, or empty of the Spirit etc. God judges him by the spirit etc. As long as a prophet lives in the flesh, he sins and falls as we do etc. Surely the sin was great; the punishment, the retribution
1) This is inserted by us after the Hallische and the Altenburger manuscript instead of the sentence incomprehensible in its abruptness: Oastitus uou perictitatur nisi per me jpsuiu etc..
of sin shows all this, the impetuosity of the sea. He has the word: "Go", and he does not go etc. We magnify the sin of Jonah, so that we poor sinners who fall daily 2) may have comfort etc. Because he would not have been under the kingdom of grace and a dear child (filius albae gallinae - a lucky child), he would certainly not have returned, but would have had to pay for this neglect with death etc. Of the fish he knew nothing. To be punished with such a cruel death is certainly something great; something great is also to be able to persevere in faith with such a conscience. He committed the sin of disobedience: according to his office he was a prophet and should have preached; secondly, he had a peculiar profession etc. This is written for us, that we may not despair, though punishment and vengeance be present etc. It is great faith when one feels the punishment and has an evil conscience, and yet perseveres. [Ps. 117, 18.:] "The Lord chasteneth me well [, but giveth me not to death]." The fathers "may have had a mind," but surely they lacked judgment. Here we are concerned with the sanctity of grace, not works etc. They have made of the Scriptures a terror to us, not a comfort. Although those who are in the kingdom of grace sin, they are not condemned because they are in the kingdom of mercy etc.
2) Weimar edition: tiakcutss instead of laksutss.