Christian Authors in Dialogue with Origen’s Interpretation of Jonah’s Flight and Grief

Abstract Arguably the most important biblical scholar of the early Church, Origen shaped the course of Christian interpretation of the book of Jonah. A case in point is his explanation of why Jonah tried to escape from the presence of God and was distressed (Jonah 1:3; 4:1–2): it was not for fear of being called a false prophet, Origen argued, but for foreseeing that the Gentiles’ salvation would mean the falling away of Israel. At least four late-ancient Christian authors entered into a dialogue with and made use of Origen’s non-literal exegesis, albeit in different, even contrasting ways. In Oration 2 Gregory of Nazianzus acknowledges Origen’s exegetical authority and purchases his non-literal explanation at the expense of the literal meaning. In their commentaries on Jonah, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Jerome implicitly incorporate parts of Origen’s interpretation, while Cyril of Alexandria repudiates it as inconsistent with Jonah’s own words. With reactions ranging from praise to criticism, Origen’s legacy on Jonah sparked a lively discussion which transcends the traditional boundaries between Alexandrian and Antiochene exegesis.