Misinterpretations of Jonah 3:3 often include taking 'three days' journey' literally as Jonah's travel time to the city rather than a description of Nineveh's immense size, encompassing its surrounding districts; others erroneously view Jonah's compliance here as full repentance, ignoring his ongoing internal conflict revealed later, or assume the verse exaggerates for effect without recognizing ancient Near Eastern hyperbolic language to emphasize the city's strategic importance and the daunting scope of the prophetic task.
Jonah 3:3
King James Version (1769)
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
Jonah 3:3 depicts the prophet's obedience to God's command as he journeys to Nineveh, a vast metropolis described as an exceeding great city requiring three days to traverse, underscoring the scale of his mission to warn a powerful pagan capital of impending judgment and highlighting God's authority in redirecting even a reluctant servant toward mercy and repentance for others.