Jonah 4 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Jonah 4:1-4
Jonah becomes angry because the LORD spares the Ninevites. He asks the LORD to take his life. The LORD responds to Jonah with a question to urge him to evaluate his anger.
Jonah 4:5-8
While Jonah sits under his shelter outside of Nineveh, God appoints a plant to provide extra shade for him, making him very happy. But when God assigns a worm to destroy the plant and a scorching east wind to cause the sun to beat down on Jonah’s head, he grows faint and wishes to die.
Jonah 4:9-11
God asks Jonah if it is proper to be angry over a plant. Jonah affirms he has every reason to be angry, even to death. God rebukes him for having more sympathy for a plant he neither planted nor cultivated than for the souls of the Ninevites.
Additional Resources
Jonah proclaims the destruction of Nineveh within forty days. The people take the warning to heart and repent, prompting God to spare them. But God’s mercy on Nineveh displeases Jonah, so he asks God to kill him. God responds with a question urging Jonah to evaluate his attitude. Without answering God’s question, the prophet leaves the city, makes a shelter, and waits to see what will happen. God appoints a plant to provide extra shade for Jonah, and he is happy about it. But when God assigns a worm to destroy the plant, and sends a scorching wind to disturb Jonah, he becomes angry. God responds again with a question, asking Jonah if it is proper to be angry. He affirms he has every reason to be angry, even to death. God rebukes him for having more concern for the plant than for the souls of the Ninevites. The outline is as follows:
- Jonah complains about God’s mercy on Nineveh (vv. 1–4).
- God uses a plant as an object lesson to reveal Jonah’s divided heart (vv. 5–8).
- God rebukes Jonah for his divided heart (vv. 9–11).
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