JONAS (2)

jo'-nas (yonah, or yochanan; Iona):

(1) The name given in Matthew 12:39-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32 the King James Version to the Old Testament prophet Jonah (the Revised Version (British and American) renders "Jonah").

See JONAH .

(2) (Ioanes): The name given in John 21:15-16 the King James Version to the father of the apostle Simon Peter. Nothing further is known of him, except the different forms of his name. In John 1:42 the King James Version he is called Jona (compare also Matthew 16:17 the King James Version). In John 1:42; 21:15-16 the Revised Version (British and American) he is called John, with the marginal note "Gr Joanes." In Matthew 16:17 the Revised Version (British and American) Simon Peter is called Simon Bar-Jonah.

Jonas may be a contraction for Joanes (Keim). It has also been suggested that the father of Simon may have had a double name, Jona-Johannes (compare F. H. Chase in HDB, article "John, father of Simon Peter").

C. M. Kerr

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.