Jonah 4:2

So, 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.

Jonah (Easy-to-Translate)

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

1But 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.)

3So, now, O Yahweh, because you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would, allow me to die. It is better for me to die than to continue to live."

Read all of Jonah 4

Matthew Henry on Jonah 4:2-5

The Prophet's Discontent. ( b. c. 840.) 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 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. 3 Therefore now, O Lord , take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the Lord ,… Read the whole commentary →

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