Jonah

it displeased Jonah exceedingly (cf. the esv footnote, “it was exceedingly evil to Jonah”). In the previous episode (see 3:10) the pagans got rid of their “evil” and God got rid of the “disaster” he had threatened (both Hb. ra‘ah). The pagans are in harmony with God, but Jonah is not, as he alone is now characterized by “displeasure” (or “evil”; Hb. ra‘ah).

This is Jonah’s second prayer; the repetition of prayed to the LORD (see 2:1) invites the reader to compare the two. gracious God … relenting from disaster. These same words occur in Joel 2:13 as the basis for hope (see Ex. 34:6–7; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 145:8). Ironically, this standard confession of the compassionate character of God is the root of Jonah’s anger. Steadfast love, when extended to Jonah, filled him with thanksgiving (Jonah 2:8), but when extended to the Ninevites, filled him with anger.

My life translates Hebrew napshi (“my soul”), and to live translates Hebrew khayyay (“my life”). These two expressions occur in Jonah’s first prayer, where he is grateful that his “life” was brought up from the pit (2:6) and his fainting “life/soul” was revived (2:7). Ironically, when God extends the same mercy to the Ninevites, Jonah wishes his “life” and “soul” to be taken.

Jonah’s Lesson about Compassion. The seventh and final episode has no parallel and thus stands out as the climax of the story.

Jonah went out … till he should see. Apparently, Jonah hopes that God still will not relent but will destroy the city after all. sat under it in the shade. Jonah is hot—both emotionally (i.e., angry) and physically.

the LORD God appointed. This is the second use of the verb “appoint” (see 1:17). The kind of plant appointed is not known; the term (Hb. qiqayon) occurs nowhere else in the Bible, but a castor oil plant or a gourd plant, both of which have large leaves, are the most common suggestions. Discomfort (or “evil,” Hb. ra‘ah; see esv footnote and note on 1:2) refers both to Jonah’s outer “discomfort” and to his inner “evil.” Jonah was exceedingly glad. The grammar of this phrase is identical to that at the beginning of 4:1 (“It displeased Jonah exceedingly”) and underscores the contrast between Jonah’s anger at the salvation of the Ninevites and his joy at his own salvation.

God appointed a worm … God appointed a scorching east wind. These are the third and fourth uses of the verb “appoint” (see note on v. 6). The “east wind” is a drying wind from the desert.

angry for the plant. As God had questioned the justice of Jonah’s anger over the salvation of the Ninevites (v. 4), he now questions the justice of Jonah’s anger over the destruction of the plant.

perished. Finally Jonah expresses concern over something perishing (see note on 3:9), but ironically it is a plant, not the 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left, an idiom for being morally and spiritually unaware, that probably refers to the entire population. Jonah’s compassion for the plant explains the rather odd expression that translates the final words in the Hebrew text, and also much cattle. The ironic question raised by these words is: If Jonah will not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the 120,000 people whom God created and cares for, will Jonah not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the animals, since after all, Jonah was willing to have compassion on a plant? The question is left unanswered so that the readers of the book may answer it for themselves.