Jon 3:5 | NETfull | STEP | The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Jonah 3:5

5 The people ^{▼▼ Heb “men.” The term is used generically here for “people” (so KJV, ASV, and many other English versions); cf. NIV “the Ninevites.”} of Nineveh believed in God, ^{▼▼ The people of Nineveh believed in God…. Verse 5 provides a summary of the response in Nineveh; the people of all ranks believed and gave evidence of contrition by fasting and wearing sackcloth (2 Sam 12:16, 19–23; 1 Kgs 21:27–29; Neh 9:1–2). Then vv. 6–9 provide specific details, focusing on the king’s reaction. The Ninevites’ response parallels the response of the pagan sailors in 1:6 and 13–16.} and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ^{▼▼ Heb “from the greatest of them to the least of them.”}