Jonah 4:1

But when Yahweh did not punish Nineveh, this distressed/displeased Jonah very much! And he became very angry. (The people in Nineveh were not Jews, and Jonah did not think that God should act mercifully toward people who were enemies to the Jews.)

Jonah (Easy-to-Translate)

In The King James Version

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

In Context

2So, Jonah complained to Yahweh, saying: "O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home. That is why I decided immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish city. I did so because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionate toward all people. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing sinful people when they repent. complained OR prayed [with bitterness] You love people very much OR You keep your promises to people You love people very much The Hebrew word *khesed *remains the foremost characteristic for God, meaning covenant loyalty. The Greek equivalent is “faithful(ness)”. you, O God, act very kindly and compassionate *toward all people*. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing *sinful people when they repent*. Exodus 34:6; Jeremiah 18:1-11 you, O God, act very kindly and compassionate *toward all people*. You do not quickly become angry with people who do evil things. You love people very much, and you change your mind about punishing *sinful people when they repent*. Jonah is summarizing a passage about Yahweh that is repeated very often throughout Scripture. allow me to die OR kill me now It is not right/good for you to be angry about my not destroying the city OR Is it right for you to be angry about my not destroying the city? It is not right/good for you to be angry about my not destroying the city In Hebrew, this is a rhetorical question, not a real question. You may translate it either as a strong statement, or as a rhetorical question that is designed to make the listener/reader think.

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Cross References

Jonah 4:9But God asked Jonah, "Is it right/good for you to be angry because the vine died?" Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died? OR You have no right to be angry just because this plant died/withered OR You should not be angry that the plant withered! Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died? This may be a rhetorical question, not a real question. Yes, it is right! Now I am very angry and I want to die! OR I am right to be angry so much that I wish I were dead.

Matthew Henry on Jonah 4:1

We read, with a great deal of pleasure, in the close of the foregoing chapter, concerning the repentance of Nineveh; but in this chapter we read, with a great deal of uneasiness, concerning the sin of Jonah; and, as there is joy in heaven and earth for the conversion of sinners, so there is grief for the follies and infirmities of saints. In all the book of God we scarcely find a "servant of the Lord" (and such a one we are sure Jonah was, for the scripture calls him so) so very much out of temper as he is here,… Read the whole commentary →

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