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Texts -- Jonah 4:1-11 (NET)

Context
Jonah Responds to God’s Kindness
4:1 This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry . 4:2 He prayed to the Lord and said , “Oh , Lord , this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country . This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish !– because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate , slow to anger and abounding in mercy , and one who relents concerning threatened judgment . 4:3 So now , Lord , kill me instead , because I would rather die than live !” 4:4 The Lord said , “Are you really so very angry ?” 4:5 Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city . 4:6 The Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery . Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant . 4:7 So God sent a worm at dawn the next day , and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. 4:8 When the sun began to shine , God sent a hot east wind . So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head , and he grew faint . So he despaired of life , and said , “I would rather die than live !” 4:9 God said to Jonah , “Are you really so very angry about the little plant ?” And he said , “I am as angry as I could possibly be !” 4:10 The Lord said , “You were upset about this little plant , something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow . It grew up overnight and died the next day . 4:11 Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh , this enormous city ? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong , as well as many animals !”

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Bible Dictionary

  • WORM; SCARLET-WORM

    [isbe] WORM; SCARLET-WORM - wurm, skar'-let-wurm: (1) tola`, tole`ah, tola`ath, tola`ath, from tala`; compare Arabic tala, "to stretch the neck"; usually with shani, "bright" (of Arabic sana, "a flash of lightning"), the term tola`...

  • VEHEMENT, VEHEMENTLY

    [isbe] VEHEMENT, VEHEMENTLY - ve'-he-ment, ve'-he-ment-li (charishi; epipothesis): "Vehement" (from Latin vehere, "to carry," or ve, "out of," and mens, "mind"), carried away by the mind or force of passion, occurs twice in the Old...

  • Tent

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'ohel (Gen. 9:21, 27). This word is used also of a dwelling or habitation (1 Kings 8:66; Isa. 16:5; Jer. 4:20), and of the temple (Ezek. 41:1). When used of the tabernacle, as in 1 Kings 1:39, it denotes the coveri...

  • SUN, SMITING BY

    [isbe] SUN, SMITING BY - smit'-ing: Exposure of the uncovered head to the heat of the sun is likely to produce either of two conditions; the commoner is heat exhaustion with faintness, the rarer is heatstroke with fever and paralys...

  • SHIPS AND BOATS

    [isbe] SHIPS AND BOATS - || I. THE HEBREWS AND THE SEA II. SHIPS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE APOCRYPHA 1. Among the Hebrews (1) In Early Times (2) During the Monarchy (3) In Later Times 2. Among Neighboring Nations (1) Egypt (2) A...

  • SHADE; SHADOW; SHADOWING

    [isbe] SHADE; SHADOW; SHADOWING - shad, shad'-o, shad'-o-ing (tsel; skia): A shadow is any obscuration of the light and heat with the form of the intervening object, obscurely projected, constantly changing and passing away. "Shado...

  • SABBATICAL YEAR

    [isbe] SABBATICAL YEAR - sa-bat'-ik-al, shenath shabbathon; eniautos anapauseos, "a year of solemn rest"; or shabbath shabbathon; sabbata anapausis, "a sabbath of solemn rest" (Lev 25:4); or shehath ha-shemittah; etos tes apheseos,...

  • Presumption

    [nave] PRESUMPTION. Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11, 12; Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30; Num. 16:41; Num. 21:5; Deut. 29:19, 20; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; Job 15:25; Psa. 19:13; Psa. 131:1; Prov. 18:12, 13; Prov. 25:6, 7; Isa. 5:18-25; Isa. 10:15; Isa...

  • PITY

    [isbe] PITY - pit'-i (chamal, chuc; eleeo): "Pity," probably contracted from "piety," is tender feeling for others in misery or distress. It is allied to compassion (which see), but differs in respect of the object that causes the ...

  • LONGSUFFERING

    [isbe] LONGSUFFERING - long-suf'-er-ing ('erekh 'appayim; makrothumia): The words 'erekh 'appayim, translated longsuffering, mean literally, "long of nose" (or "breathing"), and, as anger was indicated by rapid, violent breathing t...

  • KINDNESS

    [isbe] KINDNESS - kind'-nes (checedh; chrestotes): "Kindness" in the Old Testament is (with one exception) the translation of checedh, "kindness," "favor," "mercy," etc., used chiefly of man but also of God (Gen 20:13; 40:14; 1 Sam...

  • Jonah

    [smith] (dove), the fifth of the minor prophets, was the son of Amittai, and a native of Gath-hepher. (2 Kings 14:25) He flourished in or before the reign of Jeroboam II., about B.C. 820. Having already, as it seems, prophesied to...
    [nave] JONAH, called also Jonas. A prophet of Israel, 2 Kin. 14:25. Sent by God to warn Nineveh, Jonah 1:1, 2. Disobedience and punishment of, Jonah 1:3-17. Repentance and deliverance of, Jonah 2; Matt. 12:40. Brought Ninevites ...

  • Gourd

    [ebd] (1.) Jonah's gourd (Jonah 4:6-10), bearing the Hebrew name kikayon (found only here), was probably the kiki of the Egyptians, the croton. This is the castor-oil plant, a species of ricinus, the palma Christi, so called from ...
    [isbe] GOURD - gord, goord (qiqayon): The Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has hedera ("ivy"), which is impossible. Philologically qiqayon appears to be connected with kiki, which was the Egyptian name for the castor oi...
    [smith] Kikayan only in (Jonah 4:6-10) The plant which is intended by this word, and which afforded shade to the prophet Jonah before Nineveh, is the Ricinus commnunis , or castor-oil plant, which, a native of Asia, is now naturaliz...
    [nave] GOURD Jonah's, believed to be a vine resembling the American squash, used in Assyria to cover booths, Jonah 4:6-10. The wild gourd mentioned 2 Kin. 4:39 is supposed to be a plant in appearance like the cucumber.

  • GRIEF; GRIEVE

    [isbe] GRIEF; GRIEVE - gref, grev: There are some 20 Hebrew words translated in the King James Version by "grief," "grieve," "to be grieved," etc. Among the chief are chalah, choli, yaghon, ka`ac, atsabh. They differ, partly, in th...

  • GENESIS, 1-2

    [isbe] GENESIS, 1-2 - jen'-e-sis: I. GENERAL DATA 1. The Name 2. Survey of Contents 3. Connection with Succeeding Books II. COMPOSITION OF GENESIS IN GENERAL 1. Unity of the Biblical Text (1) The Toledhoth (2) Further Indication of...

  • FAINT

    [isbe] FAINT - fant (`ayeph, `uph, ya`aph, `alaph, aTaph, dawway, yaghea`, macac, rakhakh, paghar, kahah; ekluo, ekkakeo, kamno): The Hebrew vocabulary for the depressing physical conditions and mental emotions which are rendered i...

  • East wind

    [ebd] the wind coming from the east (Job 27:21; Isa. 27:8, etc.). Blight caused by this wind, "thin ears" (Gen. 41:6); the withered "gourd" (Jonah 4: 8). It was the cause and also the emblem of evil (Ezek. 17:10; 19:12; Hos. 13:15...

  • Complaint

    [nave] COMPLAINT of Israelites against Moses, Ex. 5:21; 15:24; 16:2, 3; Num. 16:2, 3, 13, 14, 41; 20:2-4. Against God Ex. 5:22, 23; Ex. 16:8, 12; Num. 14:26-37 Num. 17:10, 11. Job 15:11-13; Job 33:12, 13; Job 34:37; Psa. 37:1; Ps...

  • COUNTRY

    [isbe] COUNTRY - kun'-tri ('erets, "land," sadheh, "field"; agros, "field," chora, "region"): The foregoing are the principal words rendered "country" in English Versions of the Bible, though we find also 'adhamah, "earth" (Jon 4:2...

  • COMPASSION

    [isbe] COMPASSION - kom-pash'-un: Compassion is the translation of racham, "to love," "pity," "be merciful" (Dt 13:17; 30:3); of rachamim, "mercies" (1 Ki 8:50); of chamal, "to pity," "spare" (Ex 2:6; 1 Sam 23:21); rachum (Ps 78:38...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 145:8-10 Verses 8 and 9 are a classic expression of praise for God's character. The same statement in Hebrew occurs in six other places in the Old Testament (Exod. 34:6; Neh. 9:7; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2). God...
  • 4:11-12 The Lord also said that when this invasion would come it would descend like a violent wind from the north. It would be far more severe than an ordinary attack that the prophet compared to a gentle breeze that would wi...
  • 2:12-13a Speaking for the Lord, Joel urged his hearers even now--even though judgment was threatened--to repent. However, he clarified that their repentance needed to be wholehearted, not just external. Fasting, weeping, and ...
  • The rest of the book is quite different from what has preceded because of its positive message. As is true of other eighth-century prophets to Israel and Judah, Amos included hope in his prophecy (cf. Isa. 40-66; Hos. 1:10-2:...
  • Jonah is the fifth of the Minor Prophets (the Book of the Twelve) in our English Bibles. It is unique among the Latter Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) in that it is almost completely narrative similar to the histories of El...
  • The Book of Jonah does not contain the record of a prophet's message as much as the record of a prophet's experience. That feature makes Jonah distinctive among the prophetic books. This prophet's experiences are what we need...
  • I. The disobedience of the prophet chs. 1-2A. Jonah's attempt to flee from God 1:1-3B. Jonah's lack of compassion 1:4-6C. Jonah's failure to fear his sovereign God 1:7-10D. The sailors' compassion and fear of God 1:11-16D. Jo...
  • The story opens with God commissioning His prophet and Jonah rebelling against His will.1:1 The book and verse open with a conjunction (Heb. wa, Eng. "Now"). Several versions leave this word untranslated because it makes no s...
  • 1:4 Jonah subjected himself to dangers that Israel and the entire ancient Near East viewed as directly under divine control when he launched out on the sea. The sea to them was the embodiment of the chaotic forces that humans...
  • God gave Jonah a second chance to obey Him as He has many of His servants (e.g., Peter, John Mark, et al.).3:1 The writer did not clarify exactly when this second commission came to Jonah. It may have been immediately after J...
  • Jonah's proclamation moved the Ninevites to humble themselves and seek divine mercy.3:5 The people believed in God because of the message from God that Jonah had brought to them. Fasting and wearing sackcloth were signs of se...
  • The reader might assume that the Lord's deliverance of the Ninevites from imminent doom is the climax of the story. This is not the case. The most important lesson of the book deals with God's people and specifically God's in...
  • The Lord proceeded to teach Jonah His ways and to confront him with his attitude problem.4:5 We might have expected Jonah to leave what so angered him quickly, as Elijah had fled from Israel and sought refuge far from it to t...
  • The story now reaches its climax. God revealed to Jonah how out of harmony with His own heart the prophet, though obedient, was. He contrasted Jonah's attitude with His own.Compassion (Heb. hus, concern [NIV], be sorry for [N...
  • Though God had not responded to the prophet's questions previously, He did eventually, and Habakkuk recorded His answer. The form of this revelation is an oracle.1:5 The Lord told Habakkuk and his people (plural "you"in Hebre...
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