Jonah 4:3

So now, O Yahweh, since you will not destroy Nineveh city as you said you would, allow me to die, because it would be better for me to die than to continue to live.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

In Context

2He prayed to Yahweh, “O Yahweh, what you have done is what I thought that you would do, before I left home [RHQ]. That is why I decided immediately to run away, and go to Tarshish city, because I knew that you, O God, act very kindly and compassionately 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 people who sin.

4Yahweh replied, “◄Why is it right for you to be angry about my not destroying the city?/It is not right for you to be angry about my not destroying the city!► [RHQ]”

Read all of Jonah 4

Cross References

Numbers 11:15If you intend to act like this toward me, kill me now. If you are really concerned about me, be kind to me and kill me to end my misery of trying to take care of them!”

1 Kings 19:4Then he went by himself further south into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that Yahweh would allow him to die. He said, “Yahweh, I’ve had enough. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than being with my ancestors who have died.”

Job 6:8“I wish that God would do for me what I have requested from him [DOU].

Job 7:16I detest continuing to be alive; I do not want to live for many years [HYP]. Allow me to be alone, because I will be alive for only a very short remaining time [HYP].

Ecclesiastes 7:9Do not quickly ◄lose your temper/react to things angrily►, because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.

Jonah 4:8Then, when the sun rose high in the sky, God sent a very hot wind from the east, and the sun shone very strongly on Jonah’s head, with the result that he felt faint. He wanted to die, and he said, “It would be better for me to die than to continue to live!”

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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