Where is Nineveh in the Bible?
Nineveh was the capital city of the ancient Assyrian Empire, located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in modern-day Iraq. It is first mentioned in the Bible as one of the cities founded by Nimrod, along with Rehoboth-Ir (Gen. 10:11-12). Nineveh appears in 17 verses across 8 books of the Bible.
What happened at Nineveh?
Nineveh was the capital city of the ancient Assyrian Empire, located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in modern-day Iraq. It is first mentioned in the Bible as one of the cities founded by Nimrod, along with Rehoboth-Ir (Gen. 10:11-12). Nineveh became the capital of Assyria during the reign of Sennacherib (c. 705-681 BC) and was known for its size, power, and splendor (Jonah 3:3; 4:11). In the book of Jonah, Nineveh is portrayed as a city of great wickedness, whose evil had come to God's attention (Jonah 1:2). Jonah was sent to preach against Nineveh, warning of its impending destruction. To Jonah's surprise, the people of Nineveh, from the king to the lowliest citizen, repented in response to his message (Jonah 3:5-9). As a result, God relented and spared the city (Jonah 3:10). Despite this remarkable event, Nineveh remained a symbol of Assyrian power and a threat to Israel and Judah. The prophets Nahum and Zephaniah both foretold the eventual destruction of Nineveh as a judgment against Assyria's wickedness and oppression (Nah. 1:1; 2:8; 3:7; Zeph. 2:13). Nineveh fell to the Babylonians and Medes in 612 BC, marking the end of the Assyrian Empire. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to the repentance of the Ninevites as a rebuke to his unbelieving generation (Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:30, 32).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Nineveh appear in the Bible?
Nineveh is referenced in 17 verses across 8 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 2 Kings 19:36
- Genesis 10:11
- Genesis 10:12
- Isaiah 37:37
- Jonah 1:2
- Jonah 3:2
- Jonah 3:3
- Jonah 3:4
- Jonah 3:6
- Jonah 3:7
- Jonah 4:11
- Luke 11:32
- Matthew 12:41
- Nahum 1:1
- Nahum 2:8
- Nahum 3:7
- Zephaniah 2:13
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Nineveh.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Nineveh?
Nineveh appears in 17 verses across 8 books, most often in Jonah, which accounts for 7 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Nineveh?
Jonah, Nahum, Genesis, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Luke, Matthew, Zephaniah.
Where can I read every verse about Nineveh?
This page lists 17 of them. Protos carries all 17, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
