“Is it Right for You to be Angry?” Gaslighting and Pathologizing the Resisting Voice in Jonah 4:1–11

Abstract

Abstract It is not without reason that generations of interpreters have often characterized Jonah in a negative light. This paper argues that the rhetorical workings of Jon. 4:1–11 can be seen as a gaslighting strategy, as the text guides its readers to delegitimize and pathologize the resistant voice of Jonah to elevate yhwh’s universalistic and impartial mercy. Drawing upon research literature in gaslighting studies and discussing how gaslighting can be a helpful lens for analyzing ancient texts, I explore how the text utilizes the voice of yhwh to subject Jonah to a “crazy-making” process by sidestepping the issue, attributing flaws to Jonah’s logic and emotions, and finally silencing the prophet with the deliberate ending in the coda.