Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion

Jonah 4

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, 1 and y he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? z That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and a relenting from disaster. 3 b Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, c for it is better for me to die than to live." 4 And the Lord said, d "Do you do well to be angry?"

5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and e made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant 2 and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. 3 So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching f east wind, g and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he h was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, c "It is better for me to die than to live." 9 But God said to Jonah, i "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." 10 And the Lord said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity j Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much k cattle?"

  1. Cross References
    Jonah 4:4
    And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?
    Jonah 4:9
    But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.
  2. Cross References
    Jonah 1:3
    But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
  3. Cross References
    Joel 2:13
    And rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
  4. Cross References
    Joel 2:13
    And rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:4
    But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.
  6. Cross References
    Ecclesiastes 7:1
    A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
  7. Cross References
    Jonah 4:1
    But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
    Jonah 4:9
    But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.
  8. Cross References
    Nehemiah 8:15
    And that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 18:17
    Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 121:6
    The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
  11. Cross References
    Amos 8:13
    In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst.
  12. Cross References
    Jonah 4:3
    Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
  13. Cross References
    Jonah 4:1
    But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
    Jonah 4:4
    And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?
  14. Cross References
    Jonah 1:2
    "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
  15. Cross References
    Jonah 3:7
    And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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