Jon 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly - This hasty, and indeed inconsiderate prophet, was vexed because his prediction was not fulfilled. He had more respect to his high sense of his own honor than he had to the goodness and mercy of God. He appeared to care little whether six hundred and twenty thousand persons were destroyed or not, so he might not pass for a deceiver, or one that denounced a falsity.
And he was very angry - Because the prediction was not literally fulfilled; for he totally lost sight of the condition. Or “very grieved.” The word expresses also the emotion of burning grief, as when Samuel was grieved at the rejection of Saul, or David at “the breach upon Uzzah” 2Sa_6:8; 1Ch_13:11. Either way, he was displeased with what God did. Scripture says that he was displeased, because the Ninevites were spared. It seems likely, that it was a mistaken patriotism, which idolized the well being of his own and God’s people, and desired that its enemy, the appointed instrument of its chastisement, should be itself destroyed.
And he was very angry - literally, "hot." How sad the contrast between God's feeling on the repentance of Nineveh Nineveh
Jon 4:2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
And he prayed unto the Lord - Jonah, at least, did not murmur or complain about God. He complained to God of Himself. He expostulates with Him. Shortsighted indeed and too wedded to his own will! Yet his will was the well-being of the people whose prophet God had made him. He tells God, that this it was, which he had all along dreaded. He does not hesitate to tell God that this was the cause of his first rebellion! Perilous to the soul, to speak without penitence of former sin; yet it is to God that he speaks and so God, in His wonderful condescension, makes him teach himself.
And he prayed unto the Lord - But in a very different manner from his praying in the fish's belly: this was a very disorderly prayer, put up in the hurry of his spirit, and in the heat of passion: this is called a prayer, because Jonah thought it to be so, and put it up to the Lord as one. It begins in the form of a prayer; and it ends with a petition, though an unlawful one; and has nothing of true and right prayer in it; no celebration of the divine Being, and his perfections; no confession of sin, ore petition for any blessing of providence or grace; but mere wrangling, contending, and quarrelling with God:
I knew that Thou art a gracious God - He repeats to God to the letter His own words by Joel 2:13 Yes, tear your heart and not your robes, and turn to the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He pities because of the evil. Israel knew, that to the pagan also God was intensely, infinitely full of gracious and yearning love, by the might and intensity of His gracious love, “slow to anger” and delaying it, “great in loving tenderness,” and abounding in it; and that toward them also, when the evil is about to be inflicted, or has been partially or wholly inflicted, He will repent of it and replace it with good, on the first turning of the soul or the nation to God.
was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? - was not this what I thought, that this would be the issue and consequence of going to the Ninevites; they would repent of their sins, and thou wouldst forgive them; and so thou wouldst be reckoned a liar, and I a false prophet? and thus he suggests that he had a greater or better foresight of things than God himself; and that it would have been better if his saying had been attended unto, and not the order of him to Nineveh; how audacious and insolent was this!
Jon 4:3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
Therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech Thee my life from me - He had rather die, than face the disgrace of being called a false prophet, disgraced and upbraided by hardened sinners, who will brand him for a liar or see the evil that would come to Israel due to the Ninevites. Impatient though he was, under disappointed hopes of Israel Nineveh
Jon 4:4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
dost thou well to be angry? - A mild and gentle reproof this; which shows him to be a God gracious and merciful, and slow to anger; he might have answered Jonah's passionate wish, and struck him dead at once, as Ananias and Sapphira were; but he only puts this question, and leaves it with him to consider of.
Jon 4:5 So 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 shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
So Jonah went out of the city - The form of the words implies (as in the English Version), that this took place after Jonah was convinced that God would spare Nineveh; and since there is no intimation that he knew it by revelation, then it was probably after the 40 days .
made him a booth - a temporary hut of branches and leaves, so slightly formed as to be open to the wind and sun's heat.
see what would become of the city -- Jonah did not know that anything more than a suspension, or mitigation, of judgment had been granted to Nineveh Nineveh
Jon 4:6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
And the Lord God prepared a gourd - God again commanded the gourd, as he did the whale, willing only that this should be. Forthwith it springs up beautiful and full of flower, and straightway was a roof to the whole booth, and anoints him so to speak with joy, with its deep shade.
And the Lord God prepared a gourd – It seems to be a plant frequent in Egypt, of which the Egyptians made an oil; which is well known to be the "ricinus", or "palma Christi" by the description of it, what we call a castor oil plant; it rising up to the height of a tree, an olive tree, having very large broad leaves, like those of vines, or of plantain; and springing up suddenly.
and made it to come up over Jonah - over his head, as follows; and it may be over the booth he had built, which was become in a manner useless; the leaves of the boughs of which it was made being withered with the heat of the sun; it came over him so as to cover him all over; which may denote both the necessity of outward mercies, as food and raiment, which the Lord knows his people have need of; and the sufficiency of them he grants, with which they should be content:
Jon 4:7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
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. 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. The same hand that gives mercies can take them away, and that very suddenly. It should silence discontent to remember, that when our gourd is gone, our God is not gone.
Jon 4:8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
a vehement east wind - or, "a deafening east wind"; which blew strong, and loud. East wind is associated with judgment.
A vehement east wind - Which was of itself of a parching, withering nature; and the sun, in addition, made it intolerable. Chărīshith, to be silent or quiet, is to be taken when used of the wind in the sense of sultry. These winds are both scorching and suffocating in the East, for deserts of burning sand lay to the east or south-east; and the easterly winds often brought such a multitude of minute particles of sand on their wings, as to add greatly to the mischief
He wished in himself to die - (literally he asked as to his soul, to die). He prayed for death. It was still the same dependence upon God, even in his self-will. He did not complain, but prayed God to end his life here. When men are already vexed in soul by deep inward griefs, a little thing often oversets patience. Jonah’s hopes had been revived by the mercy of the palm-christ; they perished with it. Perhaps he had before him the thought of his great predecessor, Elijah, how he too wished to die, when it seemed that his mission was fruitless. They differed in love. Elijah’s preaching, miracles, toil, sufferings, seemed to him, not only to be in vain, but (as they must, if in vain), to add to the guilt of his people. God corrected him too, by showing him his own short-sightedness, that he knew not of “the seven thousand who had not bowed their knees unto Baal,” who were, in part, doubtless, “the travail of his soul.” Jonah’s mission to his people seemed also to be fruitless; his hopes for their well-being were at an end; the temporal mercies of which he had been the prophet, were exhausted; Nineveh was spared; his last hope was gone; the future scourge of his people was maintained in might. The soul shrinks into itself at the sight of the impending visitation of its country. But Elijah’s zeal was “for” his people only and the glory of God in it, and so it was pure love. Jonah’s was directed “against” the Ninevites, and so had to be purified.
and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah - the boughs of trees, of which the booth was made, being withered, and his gourd, or whatever plant it was, also, he had nothing to shelter him from the heat of the sun; but the beams of it darted directly upon him, so that he was not able to sustain them; they quite overwhelmed him, and caused him to faint, and just ready to die away:
Jon 4:9 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.
I do well to be angry, even unto death - Many persons suppose that the gifts of prophecy and working miracles are the highest that can be conferred on man; but they are widely mistaken, for the gifts change not the heart. Jonah had the gift of prophecy, but had not received that grace which destroys the old man and creates the soul anew in Christ Jesus. This is the love of which St. Paul speaks, which if a man have not, though he had the gift of prophecy, and could miraculously remove mountains, yet in the sight of God, and for any good himself might reap from it, it would be as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Jonah was a prophet, and yet had all his old bad tempers about him, in a shameful predominancy. Balaam was of the same kind. So we find that God gave the gift of prophecy even to graceless men. But many of the prophets were sanctified in their nature before their call to the prophetic office, and were the most excellent of men.
I do well to be angry, even unto death - See the Antitype Mat_26:38 Then He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Wait here and watch with Me.
Jon 4:10 Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
Which came up in a night - The expressions coming up in a night and perishing in a night are only metaphorical to express speedy growth and speedy decay.
Then said the Lord, thou hast had pity on the gourd - It was not till he had persisted in his ill-will, even after this divine admonition within, that Jehovah pointed out to him how wrong his murmuring was. Jehovah's speaking in Jon_4:9 is a manifestation of the divine will by supernatural inspiration. Jehovah directs Jonah's attention to the contradiction into which he has fallen, by feeling compassion for the withering of the miraculous tree, and at the same time murmuring because God has had compassion upon Nineveh with its many thousands of living beings, and has spared the city for the sake of these souls, many of whom have no idea whatever of right or wrong.
Then said the Lord, thou hast had pity on the gourd - Or, "hast spared it"; that is, would have spared it, had it lain in his power, though but a weeds and worthless thing: by which the Lord suggests to Jonah the vast difference between the gourd he would have spared, and for the loss of which he was so angry, and the city of Nineveh the Lord spared, which so highly displeased him; the one was but an herb, a plant, the other a great city; that a single plant, but the city consisted of thousands of persons; the plant was not the effect of his toil and labor, but the inhabitants of this city were the works of God's hands. If Jonah so pities a plant which cost him no toil to rear, and which is so short lived and valueless, much more must Jehovah pity those hundreds of thousands of immortal men and women in great Nineveh whom He has made with such a display of creative power, especially they repent.
Compare the same argument drawn from God's justice and mercy in Gen_18:23-33.
23 And Abraham drew near and said, Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it?
25 Far be it from You to act in this manner, to kill the righteous with the wicked. And far be it from You, that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the LORD, who am but dust and ashes.
28 Perhaps there will be five lacking from the fifty righteous. Will You destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it .
29 And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Lo now, I have taken upon me to speak to the LORD. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh do not let the LORD be angry, and I will speak only once more. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the LORD went His way as soon as He had left off talking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.
A similar illustration from the insignificance of a plant is given by Christ to prove that God will care for the infinitely more precious bodies and souls of men who are to live for ever Mat_6:28-30 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin, but I say to you that even Solomon in his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much rather clothe you, little-faiths? One soul is of more value than the whole world; surely, then, one soul is of more value than many gourds.
If there were any hope of Israel's being awakened by Nineveh's destruction to fulfil her high destination of being a light to surrounding heathenism, then there would not have been the same need to God's cause of Nineveh's preservation, (though there would have always been need of saving the penitent). But as Israel, after judgments, now with returning prosperity turns back to apostasy, the means needed to vindicate God's cause, and provoke Israel, if possible, to jealousy, is the example of the great capital of heathendom suddenly repenting at the first warning, and consequently being spared. Thus Israel Nineveh Israel Israel Israel
Romans 11
Romans 11
7 What then? Israel has not obtained that which it seeks, but the election obtained it , and the rest were hardened
8 even as it is written, "God gave to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not seeing, and ears not hearing" until this day.
9 And David said, "Let their table become for a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and their back always bowing."
11 I say then, Did they not stumble that they fall? Let it not be! But by their slipping away came salvation to the nations, to provoke them to jealousy.
12 But if their slipping away is the riches of the world, and their default is the riches of the nations, how much more their fullness?
13 For I speak to you, the nations; since I am the apostle of the nations, I glorify my ministry;
14 if by any means I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy, and might save some of them.
15 For if their casting away is the reconciling of the world, what is the reception except life from the dead?
Jon 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
From this short prophecy many useful lessons may be derived. The Ninevites were on the verge of destruction, but on their repentance were respited. They did not, however, continue under the influence of good resolutions. They relapsed, and about one hundred and fifty years afterwards, the Prophet Nahum was sent to predict the miraculous discomfiture of the Assyrian king under Sennacherib, an event which took place about 710 b.c., and also the total destruction of Nineveh by Cyaxares and his allies which happened about 606 b.c.
Jonah was a type of the resurrection of Christ; nothing farther seems revealed in this prophet relative to the mysteries of Christianity.
sixscore thousand persons - that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; do not know one from another; cannot distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong; are not come to years of maturity and discretion; children. It is generally calculated that the young children of any place are a fifth of the inhabitants, and consequently the whole population of Nineveh
that cannot discern between their right hand and their left--children under three of four years old Deu_1:39 And your little ones, who you said would be a prey, and your sons who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in there. And I will give it to them, and they shall possess it.
much cattle--God cares even for the brute creatures, of which man takes little account. These in wonderful powers and in utility are far above the shrub which Jonah is so concerned about. Yet Jonah is reckless as to their destruction and that of innocent children.
