jo'-nas (yonah, or yochanan; Iona):
(1) The name given inMt 12:39-41;16:4;Lu 11:29-32the King James Version to the Old Testament prophet Jonah (the Revised Version (British and American) renders "Jonah").
SeeJONAH.
(2) (Ioanes): The name given inJoh 21:15,16the King James Version to the father of the apostle Simon Peter. Nothing further is known of him, except the different forms of his name. InJoh 1:42the King James Version he is called Jona (compare alsoMt 16:17the King James Version). InJoh 1:42;21:15,16the Revised Version (British and American) he is called John, with the marginal note "Gr Joanes." InMt 16:17the 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