In Porgy and Bess Sportin’ Life sings that of some of the things you read in the Bible: “It ain’t necessarily so.” One of the things that he is skeptical about is that “Jonah he lived in da whale.” This serves as a good reminder that a true understanding of the Bible requires understanding what the Biblical author intended. The story of Jonah is exactly that, a story. The author is writing a novella to make a comment on God’s mercy, not to report on an historical incident. Nowadays there would be a disclaimer that “this is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.” We read the story of Jonah for its truth, not its facts.
