Bible Commentaries
Jonah 4

Verses 1-3

Jon 4:1-3

GOD’S MESSENGER RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD—
THE DISPLEASURE OF JONAH

TEXT: Jonah 4:1-3

Jonah feels his mission is a failure when Nineveh is not destroyed, He cannot go back and preach to his wicked countrymen with any forcefulness because God is merciful, Jonah would rather be dead.

Jonah 4:1-3 . . . IT DISPLEASED JONAH EXCEEDINGLY . . . THEREFORE . . . TAKE . . . MY LIFE FROM ME . . . There are about as many different opinions as to the cause of Jonah’s anger as there are commentators. We prefer Professor Fairbairn’s evaluation. We just cannot bring ourselves to characterize Jonah as a man so full of hate that his primary vexation is due to a cold-blooded desire to see hundreds of thousands of heathen slain. Fairbairn says, “Jonah was disconcerted and downcast because the example of severity had been withheld, which he thought would operate so beneficially upon the minds of his countrymen and without which he seemed to have no means of attaining the great end and object of his life.” Hugh Martin, in The Prophet Jonah, says, “In Jonah’s judgment the sparing of Nineveh would eclipse the honor of God, destroy the credit of his ministry, and harden the hearts of his countrymen.”

The people of Israel in Jonah’s day were in a state of terrible degeneracy and profligacy. All the efforts of God, sending them prophets, had thus far failed to bring them to their senses and repentance. So the Lord, before abandoning them finally to their fate, sought once more to move them from their downward plunge, by working upon them through feelings of jealousy and shame while at the same time giving them an example of His mercy and loving-kindness when repentance is shown. For this purpose God did with Nineveh what He did not usually do with other heathen nations. Living in the age of ease, comfort, luxury, during national ascendency of Jeroboam II when the people were almost totally libertine, Jonah preached in vain month after month, year after year. All the while his own countrymen and neighbors despised everything he was attempting to do on their behalf. It is no wonder Jonah, like Elijah of old, after waiting month after month for some fearful, sudden, decisive turning-point to come in the form of wrath from the Lord, would feel discouraged by the thought of the Lord’s mercy. When he thought of this at his first call it would cause him to despair of any thing effectual being accomplished toward bringing his own countrymen to their senses. Then after his own experience in the sea monster’s belly, he might stand in the midst of Nineveh and imagine that in forty days he would at last obtain the very example of the wrath of God upon sin that he hoped would come and that he could take back to Israel and persuade them to turn from their sin.

It requires no stretch of the imagination, then, to see what a disappointment it was for him to see Nineveh spared, and the very weapon snatched from his hand by which he hoped to prevail against the sin of his countrymen. Jonah was not so much concerned with his own reputation nor so full of hate and vengeance that he would have taken some fiendish delight in the slaying of thousands of people; but he loved his own people so intensely, and was so firmly persuaded that an act of severity was required to shake them from their false security he was grieved and frustrated. Instead of having the vantage point of a tremendous illustration of God’s wrath upon sin he felt his whole purpose in life had been defeated and there was nothing left for him but to die.

Neither Jonah nor Elijah were right. Both of them were out of harmony with God’s will. Both of them misunderstood God’s plan and had only a partial view of His purposes and therefore made hasty, carnal judgments as to how God should govern. The lesson for us is that God’s way is still the best; for He sees the end from the beginning, and directs all with infinite skill and unerring wisdom. If we could alter the plan of God it would not be for the better but for the worse. We must take the attitude of Habakkuk who, when he could not understand why God would use a heathen nation to punish the covenant people, said, “I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower, and look forth to see what he will say to me . . . behold . . . the righteous shall live by faith.”

Questions

1. Why do you think Jonah was displeased with God’s mercy on Nineveh?

2. What other prophet had the same concept of how God should govern?

3. What lesson should we learn from this?

Verses 1-11

Jon 4:1-11

Jonah’s anger and will to Die (Jon 4:1-11)

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovinkindness, and repentest thee of the evil” (Jonah 4:1-2).

It is now clear why Jonah disobeyed God at Jonah 1:1 ff. Jonah had a conversation with God after the Lord gave him the command to go to Nineveh and preach. The text clearly states that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and preach repentance because he knew that God was “merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repents of the evil.” Jonah wanted no part of Nineveh’s repentance. The result of Jonah’s preaching has caused Jonah anger and God a change of heart toward the people of Nineveh. Interestingly, Jonah desired and prayed fervently for God’s mercy as he was in the fish yet now that Nineveh is in danger of perishing the prophet seems to be callous to their need.

“Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. And Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry? Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city” (Jonah 4:3-5).

The value of human life seems to be the thrust of much of the book of Jonah. The mariners were afraid for their lives and did not want to perish (Jonah 1:5-6). The people of Nineveh did not want to perish either (Jonah 3:9). Jonah; however, is ready to have God take his life from him due to his anger. The Lord asks Jonah, “Doest thou well to be angry?” Is it really better to die than to live? Anger at God’s will is nothing more than giving “regard to lying vanities” (cf. Jonah 2:8). Jonah’s anger at God’s desire for Nineveh would certainly cause him to perish. No, Jonah does not well to be angry because God exercised mercy on the people of Nineveh. Jonah has now sunk lower than the Gentiles. At least the Gentile people of Nineveh desired to live rather than perish. They did what God’s will was to keep from perishing. Jonah would rather perish than see God’s will for Nineveh be accomplished. Jonah’s heart was certainly hardened against the Lord (see study # 13; Hard Hearts). Jonah goes outside the city. There the prophet sits in the shade of a handmade booth and watched the city to see what would become of it. Would God destroy or save?

“And Jehovah God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his evil case. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the gourd” (Jonah 4:6).

The intense heat had the potential of doing the prophet harm. God caused a gourd (a plant) to grow up over Jonah that he may be protected from the heat.

Jonah was “exceedingly glad because of the gourd.” The plant gave the prophet relief from the heat and a confident heart that God cared for him.

“But God prepared a worm when the mourning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:7-8).

Once again life and death are put before us. The prophet obviously had an interest in living due to the fact that the gourd made him exceedingly happy. It shaded and protected Jonah from the scorching heat. When the gourd was gone Jonah considered God’s favor gone and thereby life was not worth living. God “prepared a great fish” (cf. Jonah 1:17), “prepared a gourd” (Jonah 4:6), and now the Lord “prepared a sultry east wind” to beat upon the head of the prophet. God’s providential care for Jonah was in areas that the prophet did not see as care.

“And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death” (Jonah 4:9).

God had earlier asked Jonah if he did well to be angry because He saved the people of Nineveh but the prophet gave no answer (Jonah 4:4). God, once again, asks Jonah if it was good for him to be angry at the gourd seeing that it has died and he is under the duress of the hot sun. Jonah answers, “I do well to be angry, even unto death.” Jonah was so hardened against God that he is willing to take death before changing his tone. This is again very interesting. The people of Nineveh were given the choice between life and death and they gladly chose life. Jonah; however, would rather die than exhibit a spirit of humility and asks the Lord to forgive him for his lack of love for the souls of Nineveh. While we may make many excuses for Jonah, in relationship to his hatred for the Assyrians, we cannot excuse his sinful behavior.

“And Jehovah said, Thou hast had regard for the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I have regard for Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:10-11).

Jonah’s “regard for the gourd” is related to his “regard for lying vanities” (Jonah 2:8). To have regard for things that do not save the soul is loose all hope of receiving God’s mercy (cf. Jonah 2:8). What was the gourd? The plant came up in one night, offered shade to Jonah, and then died. Jonah did not have to work for this relief and neither did he do anything to make it grow. God did all these things for Jonah. Yet when the blessing of God was gone the prophet was angry. Jonah was to see that it was not the gourd that he was to be thankful toward but rather God. God cares for people. The gourd came and then perished forever. God would not desire this for the people of Nineveh nor their cattle and neither should Jonah.

Human life is precious and is to be desired by all. We ought never wish death upon even the worst of our enemies. Once they die there remains no more hope of change toward salvation. Jonah did not think right when wishing for the death of the people of Nineveh. How would death help them with eternity? We are not told of Jonah’s response. Did the prophet finally see eye to eye with God? We have no answer to such a question yet you and I ought to learn to value the souls of all men.

Verses 4-10

Jon 4:4-10

GOD’S MESSENGER RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD—
THE DEMONSTRATION BY JEHOVAH

TEXT: Jonah 4:4-10

Jonah succumbs to discouragement. God gives him an object lesson. God is about to show Jonah how inconsistent his thinking is.

Jonah 4:4-5 . . . DOEST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY? . . . JONAH WENT OUT OF THE CITY . . . TILL HE MIGHT SEE WHAT WOULD BECOME OF THE CITY. God asks, Are you certain that your concept of how I should deal with the Ninevites is correct? are you certain that My dealing with them as I have is grievous? It would seem that God is giving Jonah opportunity to think, perhaps to pray, and learn a new lesson about God’s purposes and ways. The Lord plants the idea in Jonah’s heart that he may not be doing well in being grieved.

Zerr: Jonah 4:4. When the Lord asks a question it is never for the purpose of obtaining information for himself. This one means as if He said, “Do you think you have reason to be angry?" The statement implies that Jonah was not justified in giving way thus to hts feelingill, and the implication is that the Lord gave him to understand that his prayer would not be granted. Jonah 4:5. Having heen denied his request, and being given to understand that the Lord was determined to go through with His plan, Jonah wondered what the fate of Nineveh would be now that it had exhibited the signs of penitence and God had reversed his threat. So he went outside the city and took a position under a temporary shelter from the sun, there to maintain a season of "watchful waiting."

But Jonah could not yet believe that the Ninevites would be allowed to resume their former course of peace and prosperity without a strong demonstration of God’s wrath. And, as we have said before, this lingering concept in the mind of Jonah was not due to any maliciousness or bloodthirstiness. Even when he knew the people had repented he might have considered some form of punishment still perfectly compatible with God’s righteousness and justice. Many have still felt the consequences of their sins long after they have repented (cf. David, Moses, etc.). After all, Jonah took his revelation of God’s nature from the Old Testament and not from the New. And there is a difference! Fairbairn says, “These considerations appear to me perfectly sufficient to account for a state of mind in Jonah such as might induce him, without any disobedience to the will of God, so far as that had yet been made known to him, to go and erect a booth at some distance from the city, where he might wait in anxious expectation to see what would become of it.” All of Jonah’s knowledge of how God dealt with sin, especially heathen wickedness, was learned from the O. T. What Jonah needed still to learn, and what God had not yet shown him, was the largeness of the mercy to be extended to Nineveh—that it amounted to an entire remission of the threatened penalty. To teach him this, to show him it was reasonable and just on the part of God, yea, even of urgent necessity in the best interests of those whom Jonah loved so dearly, his own countrymen, Jonah’s temporary shelter from the burning sun was turned into a school of discipline.

This “booth” which Jonah built was a temporary, small, lean-to affair, built usually of palm leaves, or at other times with any type of leafy tree branch, which would afford shade from the searing desert sun.

Jonah 4:6-8 . . . JEHOVAH PREPARED A GOURD . . . JONAH WAS EXCEEDING GLAD . . . BUT GOD PREPARED A WORM . . . AND IT SMOTE THE GOURD, THAT IT WITHERED . . . GOD PREPARED A SULTRY EAST WIND . . . JONAH . . . FAINTED, AND REQUESTED . . . THAT HE MIGHT DIE . . . God knows exactly how to correct Jonah’s mistaken concept of the Divine purpose for Nineveh’s salvation. Jonah needed something that would graphically turn his thoughts from the channel they were in to ideas of God’s purpose which had never entered his imagination, For this purpose God permitted him to go construct his frail booth near the city and to experience there for a time inconvenience and discomfort. Then suddenly God brought over Jonah, without any exertion on the part of Jonah at all, the shadow of a broad foliage by the growth of the gourd vine. Then, just as suddenly, God made him feel again, in an even more intense way, the scorching sun and parching wind, by causing a worm to destroy the gourd vine. Jonah suffered a mild sunstroke and fainted from the exposure and said he would have found death itself a happy release.

Zerr: Jonah 4:6. Gourd is from qtyqayown which Strong defines, “The gourd (as nauseous)." He also says it is derived from another Hebrew word that means “To vomit.” I shall quote from Smith’s Bible Dictionary on the subject. “The plant which ia intended by this word, and which afforded shade to the prophet Jonah before Nineveh, is the Ricinus communis, or castor-oil plant, which, a native of Asia, is now naturalized in America Africa and the south of Europe. This plant varies considerably in size, being in India a tree, hut in England seldom attaining a greater height than three or four feet. The leaves are large and palmate [shaped like a palm leaf), with serrated [notched) lobes, and would form an excellent shelter for the sun- stricken prophet. The seeds contain the oil so well known under the name of. ’castor oil,’ which has for ages been in high repute as a medicine. It is now thought by many that the plant meant is a vine of the cucumber family, a genuine gourd, which is much used for shade in the East.” I have quoted the entire paragraph which presents the two opinions as to the plant meant by the gourd, in order to give the reader “the benefit of the doubt.” The marginal rendering in the common Bible favors the first of the two descriptions, likewise the definition of Strong which refers to the feeling of nausea or act of vomiting, which would agree with one effect of the castor bean. However, in either case the plant would furnish additional protection from the strong rays of the sun which could penetrate through the booth that Jonah was enabled to make for the moment. The double arrangement for shade would provide the advantage of insulation between the booth and the plant somewhat like a tent under a tree. The situation accomplished the Lord’s pur-pose, for It, is stated that Jonah was exceeding glad of [because of] the gourd. Jonah 4:7, Physical experience is often the most effective way of impressing a lesson on the mind of a man. It is the same principle as corporal punishment Inflicted on the body of a child. He may not be capable of seeing the lesson with his reason alone, hence it is necessary to reach his mind through his body. It is the same in the case of an adult, except that a form of physical punishment may be used of such a character that the victim can understand as well as feel the force of the chastisement. In the present case God started the punishment by using a worm that destroyed the gourd. Jonah 4:8. After destroying the gourd the Lord left conditions as they had been by the normal heat of the sun. Next some additional distress was to be inflicted upon him by another miracle upon the elements. Vehement is from CHABiYSHiY and Strong defines it. "In the sense of silence; quiet, i. e. sultry (as noun feminine, the sirocco or hot east wind).” The idea is that it was not a rushing current of air, for that motion itself wouid have somewhat counteracted the desired effect. Instead, it was a quiet but intensely hot and sultry wave of air that was terribly depressing. Jonah’s request to die was from a different cause described in verse 3, but his attitude toward death should have the same comments as are offered in that verse.

Jonah 4:9-10 . . . DOEST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY FOR THE GOURD? . . . THOU HAST REGARD FOR THE GOURD, FOR WHICH THOU HAST NOT LABORED . . . God is leading him slowly but surely to an ever higher plan concerning the Divine behavior. In other circumstances it would have been a matter of little significance to Jonah what happened to the gourd vine. Situated as he was, however, depending for his comfort, and in a sense, also for his life on its ample foliage, its sudden destruction necessarily came upon him as a terrible tragedy—a calamity. This is exactly the relationship God would have him consider concerning Nineveh. Nineveh, a city that feared the name and obeyed the voice of God, God had need of it in this time of extreme necessity in the case of Israel. God’s cause would suffer by its annihilation.

Zerr: Jonah 4:9. The Lord’s question calls for the same comments as the ones on verse 4. Jonah will be sho.. n the reasons for which he had no valid cause for wishing death just because the gourd had withered and died. Jonah 4:10. The comparative unimportance of the gourd when considered with the importance of a city of people is the thought in this verse. Pity on the gourd means that Jonah would have spared it because of its usefulness to him. And all this in spite of the truth that he had put no time or effort into it to bring it Into existence, while God was the maker of the city and all things therein. If the personal interest of Jonah In the plant would justify his regret, at seeing it destroyed, he should have praised God for sparing a city that was destined in the near future to co-operate with Him in one of the great events concerning Israel.

If there had been any hope of the people in Israel being still brought permanently to repentance by some great example of the wrath of God, God would have known it and brought it to pass. But this hope could no longer be entertained. Everything of this sort had already been tried with Israel and still their hearts waxed hard and cold.

Questions

1. Why did God allow Jonah to leave the city and sit and wait?

2. Why might Jonah still cling to the hope that the city would be destroyed?

3. What was God’s purpose in shading Jonah with a gourd vine and then taking it away?

Verse 11

Jon 4:11

GOD’S MESSENGER RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD—
THE DECLARATION OF JEHOVAH

TEXT: Jonah 4:11

God reveals to Jonah His purpose in sparing Nineveh.

Jonah 4:11 . . . SHOULD I NOT HAVE REGARD FOR NINEVEH . . . God must use other means than a demonstration of His wrath upon Nineveh if He is to bring any heartfelt repentance to the calloused Israelites of Jeroboam’s day. He must call their jealousy into action, (cf. comments on Jonah 1:1-2). God seeks to arouse Israel, by the example of this heathen nation spared due to repentance, to the startling consideration that the favor of God was bestowed on those of every race who work righteousness—and of the possibility that the kingdom of heaven might be transplanted to a people more spiritually prepared to receive it! Yes, the Lord at this time peculiarly had need of Nineveh in its penitent state; “the cause of righteousness in the earth could ill afford to spare so singular a witness to the truth; the spiritual good of Israel itself in particular required it.”

Zerr: Jonah 4:11. The gourd was small even from the standpoint of mater’al volume, while the city contained 120,000 human beings. Cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand is a figure of speech used to describe the ignorance of the people as to what is right and wrong. This does not contradict the comments on Jonah 3:8 as to the people’s knowledge of right and wrong, for it is shown there that they knew it only after the Lord had informed them through the prophet.

This singular demonstration of God’s mercy and forgiveness and salvation would also furnish hope for the faithful remnant later in captivity. This concept which the Lord sought to impress even on Jonah personally in his own experience in the sea, and which was taught again in the experience of the gourd, provided for all the faithful among the future exiles a sure ground of consolation and hope. There would be hope for them even in what might seem to be despair and grief,

And so ends this remarkable history of a remarkable prophet of God. There are some significant lessons to be learned from this account.

1. Beware of letting our ideas of the results of God’s work interfere with carrying out His present will for our lives.

2. Beware lest we belittle what can be or what is accomplished for God by our ideas of the significance or insignificance of the place of service.

3. Wherever and whenever God is pleased to manifest His grace and goodness it is our obligation and privilege to acknowledge and rejoice in that manifestation.

4. God’s ways are not our ways. God does not change; man must change!

Questions

1. What was the ultimate purpose in sparing Nineveh?

2. What hope would the sparing of Nineveh give to the Israelites of the captivity?

3. How did God compare Jonah’s grief for the gourd to His concern for Nineveh?

Bible Questions for Jonah Chapter Four

Jonah 4:1 How did Jonah feel about what the people of Nineveh did?

Jonah 4:2 Name five (or more) things that Jonah knew about God.

Jonah 4:3 What did Jonah ask God to do? What did Jonah think was better for him?

Jonah 4:4 How did the *Lord reply to Jonah’s anger?

Jonah 4:5 Tell the story of what Jonah did? What did he want to see?

Jonah 4:6 What did the *Lord do for Jonah? What did Jonah do about it?

Jonah 4:7 What did the *Lord do? What happened?

Jonah 4:8 What did God do? What happened to Jonah? Is death better than life?

Jonah 4:9 What do you learn about God’s view of anger and Jonah’s view?

Jonah 4:10 What did God do to help Jonah understand?

Jonah 4:1 What do you learn about God’s care? What do you learn about the people of Nineveh?