Subversive Boundary Drawing in Jonah: The Variation of and as Literary Code-Switching

This study presents literary code-switching as the best explanation for the variation of and in the book of Jonah. The use of Hebrew and a Phoenician-based in the world of the narrative is used both to create and destroy identity boundaries. The switch between and is the central linguistic strategy supporting the subversion of the intended audience's natural reading sympathy (initially with Jonah) and theology (an ethnically exclusive Yahwism). Jonah's use of represents a linguistic flight from his Hebrew identity, while the sailors's and Ninevite king's use of represents their recognition of Yhwh as a god worthy of devotion. And Yhwh's use of both and.. signals the author's view that Yhwh does not exclusively belong to (or care for) the Hebrew people.