Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Midrash for Sanhedrin 178:5

והא יונה דהדרי ביה ולא אודעוהו יונה מעיקרא נינוה נהפכת אמרי ליה איהו לא ידע אי לטובה אי לרעה

But perhaps they [sc. the Heavenly Court] repented thereof?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When a prophecy of doom was revealed to a prophet, as in the case of Jonah, it might subsequently have been withdrawn and therefore the prophecy was suppressed. How then can that prophet be flogged? ');"><sup>9</sup></span> — Had they repented, all prophets would have been informed. But in the case of Jonah they did repent, yet Jonah himself was not informed! — Jonah was originally told that Nineveh would be turned, but did not know whether for good or for evil.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., whether 'turned' meant 'overturned', or 'turned to repentance'. ');"><sup>10</sup></span>

Sifrei Devarim

"to turn you astray from the way": It is written here "turning astray," and, elsewhere (Ibid. 11) (in respect to one who incites to idol worship), "turning astray." Just as there the punishment is stoning, so, here. R. Shimon says: This one's death is only by strangulation.
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