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Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Jonah 4:7

But at dawn the next day, at God's command, a worm attacked the plant, and it died.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gourd;   Miracles;   Presumption;   Worm;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Worm;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gourd;   Worm;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gourd;   Insects;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jonah;   Jonas;   Worm;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gourd,;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gourd;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Worm;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Intercession;   Jonah, the Book of;   Worm;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Worm;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
Hebrew Names Version
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.
King James Version (1611)
But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
King James Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
English Standard Version
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
New American Standard Bible
But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.
New Century Version
But the next day when the sun rose, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it died.
Amplified Bible
But God prepared a worm when morning dawned the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, & it smote the gourd, that it withered.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered.
Legacy Standard Bible
But God appointed a worm at the breaking of dawn the next day, and it struck the plant, and it dried up.
Berean Standard Bible
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.
Contemporary English Version
but early the next morning the Lord sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the vine dried up.
Complete Jewish Bible
But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up.
Darby Translation
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Easy-to-Read Version
The next morning, God sent a worm to eat part of the plant. The worm began eating the plant, and the plant died.
George Lamsa Translation
But the next day at dawn, God commanded a worm, and it smote the gourd so that it withered.
Lexham English Bible
So God appointed a worm at daybreak the next day, and it attacked the plant, and it withered.
Literal Translation
But God appointed a worm at the rising of the dawn of the next day, and it struck the plant, and it withered.
American Standard Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Bible in Basic English
But early on the morning after, God made ready a worm for the destruction of the vine, and it became dry and dead.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But God prepared a worme, when the morning rose the next day, which smote the gourde, that it withered.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it smote the gourd, and it withered away.
English Revised Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
World English Bible
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And God made redi a worm, in stiyng up of grei dai on the morewe; and it smoot the yuy, and it driede up.
Update Bible Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Webster's Bible Translation
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
New English Translation
So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up.
New King James Version
But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
New Living Translation
But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.
New Life Bible
But at the beginning of the next day, God sent a worm to destroy the plant and it dried up.
New Revised Standard
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But God appointed a worm, at the uprisings of the dawn, the next day, - and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But God prepared a worm, when the morning arose on the following day: and it struck the ivy and it withered.
Revised Standard Version
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered.
Young's Literal Translation
And God appointeth a worm at the going up of the dawn on the morrow, and it smiteth the gourd, and it drieth up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But vpo the nexte morow agaynst the springe of the daye, the LORDE ordened a worme, which smote the wylde vyne, so that it wethered awaye.
THE MESSAGE
But then God sent a worm. By dawn of the next day, the worm had bored into the shade tree and it withered away. The sun came up and God sent a hot, blistering wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah's head and he started to faint. He prayed to die: "I'm better off dead!"

Contextual Overview

5 Jonah went out east of the city and sat down. He made a shelter for himself and sat in its shade, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh. 6 Then the Lord God made a plant grow up over Jonah to give him some shade, so that he would be more comfortable. Jonah was extremely pleased with the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day, at God's command, a worm attacked the plant, and it died. 8 After the sun had risen, God sent a hot east wind, and Jonah was about to faint from the heat of the sun beating down on his head. So he wished he were dead. "I am better off dead than alive," he said. 9 But God said to him, "What right do you have to be angry about the plant?" Jonah replied, "I have every right to be angry—angry enough to die!" 10 The Lord said to him, "This plant grew up in one night and disappeared the next; you didn't do anything for it and you didn't make it grow—yet you feel sorry for it! 11 How much more, then, should I have pity on Nineveh, that great city. After all, it has more than 120,000 innocent children in it, as well as many animals!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

prepared: Job 1:21, Psalms 30:6, Psalms 30:7, Psalms 102:10

it withered: Psalms 90:5, Psalms 90:6, Isaiah 40:6-8, Joel 1:12

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:39 - for the worms Hosea 5:12 - rottenness Jonah 4:8 - that God James 1:11 - risen

Cross-References

Genesis 3:16
And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him."
Genesis 4:6
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face?
Genesis 4:8
Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.
Genesis 4:9
The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"
Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge.
Genesis 4:11
You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him.
Genesis 4:12
If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."
Genesis 4:13
And Cain said to the Lord , "This punishment is too hard for me to bear.
Genesis 19:21
He answered, "All right, I agree. I won't destroy that town.
Numbers 32:23
But if you do not keep your promise, I warn you that you will be sinning against the Lord . Make no mistake about it; you will be punished for your sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day,.... That God that prepared this plant to rise so suddenly, almost as soon prepared a worm to destroy it; for it rose up one night, continued one whole day, to the great delight of Jonah; and by the morning of the following day this worm or grub was prepared in, it, or sent to it, to the root of it: this shows that God is the Creator of the least as well as the largest of creatures, of worms as well as whales, contrary to the notion of Valentinus, Marcion, and Apelles; who, as Jerom s says, introduce another creator of ants, worms, fleas, locusts, c. and another of the heavens, earth, sea, and angels: but it is much that. Arnobius t, an orthodox ancient Christian father, should deny such creatures to be the work of God, and profess his ignorance of the Maker of them. His words are,

"should we deny flies, beetles, worms, mice, weasels, and moths, to be the work of the King Omnipotent, it does not follow that it should be required of us to say who made and formed them for we may without blame be ignorant who gave them their original;''

whereas, in the miracle of the lice, the magicians of Egypt themselves owned that the finger of God was there, and were out of their power to effect; and to the Prophet Amos the great God was represented in a vision as making locusts or grasshoppers, Amos 7:1; and indeed the smallest insect or reptile is a display of the wisdom and power of God, and not at all below his dignity and greatness to produce; and for which there are wise reasons in nature and providence, as here for the production of this worm: the same God that prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and a gourd to shadow him, and an east wind to blow upon him, prepared this worm to destroy his shade, and try his patience:

and it smote the gourd, that it withered; it bit its root, and its moisture dried up, and it withered away at once, and became useless: that same hand that gives mercies can take them away, and that very suddenly, in a trice, in a few hours, as in the case of Job; and sometimes very secretly and invisibly, that men are not aware of; their substance wastes, and they fall to decay, and they can scarcely tell the reason of it; there is a worm at the root of their enjoyments, which kills them; God is as a moth and rottenness unto them; and he does this sometimes by small means, by little instruments, as he plagued Pharaoh and the Egyptians with lice and flies.

s Prooem. in Philemon. ad Paulam & Eustochium. t Adv. Gentes, l. 2. p. 95.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When the morning rose - , i. e., in the earliest dawn, before the actual sunrise. For one day Jonah enjoyed the refreshment of the palm-christ. In early dawn, it still promised the shadow; just ere it was most needed, at God’s command, it withered.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jonah 4:7. But God prepared a worm — By being eaten through the root, the plant, losing its nourishment, would soon wither; and this was the case in the present instance.


 
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