INTRODUCTION TO JONAH 4
This chapter gives us an account of Jonah's displeasure at the
repentance of the Ninevites, and at the Lord's showing mercy unto
them, Jonah 4:1; the angry prayer of Jonah upon it, Jonah 4:2; the
Lord's gentle reproof of him for it, Jonah 4:4; his conduct upon that,
Jonah 4:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IT DISPLEASED JONAH EXCEEDINGLY, AND HE WAS VERY ANGRY. Jonah was
"mirabilis homo", as one calls him, an "amazing man"; the strangest,
oddest, and most out of the way man, for a good man and a prophet, as
one shall ever hear or read of. Displeased he was at that, which one
would have thought he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PRAYED UNTO THE LORD,.... But in a very different manner from
his praying in the fish's belly: this was a very disorderly prayer,
put up in the hurry of his spirit, and in the heat of passion: prayer
should be fervent indeed, but not like that of a man in a fever; there
should be a warmth and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE NOW, O LORD, TAKE, I BESEECH THEE, MY LIFE FROM ME,.... Or,
"my soul" x. This, as Drusius remarks, may be observed against those
that think the soul is not immortal; for by this it appears that it my
be taken from the body, and that it exists separate from it, and does
not die with it; and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE LORD, DOST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY?] A mild and gentle
reproof this; which shows him to be a God gracious and merciful, and
slow to anger; he might have answered Jonah's passionate wish, and
struck him dead at once, as Ananias and Sapphira were; but he only
puts this question, and leaves... [ Continue Reading ]
SO JONAH WENT OUT OF THE CITY,.... Had not the inhabitants of it
repented, he had done right to go out of it, and shake the dust of his
feet against it; or, in such a case, had he gone out of it, as Lot out
of Sodom, when just going to be overthrown; but Jonah went out in a
sullen fit, because it wa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD GOD PREPARED A GOURD,.... So the Septuagint render the
word; but some say that a worm will not touch that; Jerom renders it
an ivy; but neither the gourd nor that rise upwards without some props
to support them. The Hebrew word is "kikaion", the same with the
"kiki", or "cici", of Herod... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GOD PREPARED A WORM WHEN THE MORNING ROSE THE NEXT DAY,.... That
God that prepared this plant to rise so suddenly, almost as soon
prepared a worm to destroy it; for it rose up one night, continued one
whole day, to the great delight of Jonah; and by the morning of the
following day this worm or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE SUN DID ARISE,.... After that the gourd
was smitten and withered; when it was not only risen, but shone out
with great force and heat:
THAT GOD PREPARED A VEHEMENT EAST WIND; or, "a deafening east wind" u;
which blew so strong, and so loud, as R. Marinus in Aben Ezra an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD SAID TO JONAH, DOST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY FOR THE GOURD?....
Or, "art thou very angry for it?" as the Targum: no mention is made of
the blustering wind and scorching sun, because the gourd or plant
raised up over him would have protected him from the injuries of both,
had it continued; and i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE LORD, THOU HAST HAD PITY ON THE GOURD,.... Or, "hast
spared it" c; that is, would have spared it, had it lain in his power,
though but a weeds and worthless thing:
FOR THE WHICH THOU HAST NOT LABOURED; in digging the ground, and by
sowing or planting it; it being raised up at once by... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHOULD NOT I SPARE NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY?.... See Jonah 1:2;
what is such a gourd or plant to that?
WHEREIN ARE MORE THAN SIXSCORE THOUSAND PERSONS; or twelve myriads;
that is, twelve times ten thousand, or a hundred and twenty thousand;
meaning not all the inhabitants of Nineveh; for then i... [ Continue Reading ]