Jonah 4:1-4

Jonah’s Anger and the Lord’s Compassion

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, ^[a] and ¹he was angry.

2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? ²That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a ³gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ⁴relenting from disaster.

3 ⁵Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, ⁶for it is better for me to die than to live. ”

4 And the Lord said, ⁷“Do you do well to be angry? ”

Jonah 4:1-4 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JONAH 4

This chapter gives us an account of Jonah's displeasure at the repentance of the Ninevites, and at the Lord's showing mercy unto them, Jon 4:1; the angry prayer of Jonah upon it, Jon 4:2,3; the Lord's gentle reproof of him for it, Jon 4:4; his conduct upon that, Jon 4:5; the gourd prepared for him; its rise, usefulness, and destruction, which raised different passions in Jonah, Jon 4:6-8; the improvement the Lord made of this to rebuke Jonah, for his displicency at the mercy he showed to the Ninevites, and to convict him of his folly, Jon 4:9-11.

Cross References

• 1. 4:1 [ver. 4, 9]
• 2. 4:2 ch. 1:3
• 3. 4:2 See Joel 2:13
• 4. 4:2 See Joel 2:13
• 5. 4:3 [1 Kgs. 19:4]
• 6. 4:3 [Eccles. 7:1]
• 7. 4:4 [ver. 1, 9]

Footnotes

• [a] 4:1 Hebrew 'it was exceedingly evil to Jonah'