11 And should not I spare H2347 Nineveh, H5210 that great H1419 city, H5892 wherein are H3426 more H7235 than sixscore H8147 H6240 thousand H7239 persons H120 that cannot discern H3045 between their right hand H3225 and their left hand; H8040 and also much H7227 cattle? H929
Arise, H6965 go H3212 to Nineveh, H5210 that great H1419 city, H5892 and cry H7121 against it; for their wickedness H7451 is come up H5927 before H6440 me.
Moreover your little ones, H2945 which ye said H559 should be a prey, H957 and your children, H1121 which in that day H3117 had no knowledge H3045 between good H2896 and evil, H7451 they shall go in H935 thither, and unto them will I give H5414 it, and they shall possess H3423 it.
Shouldest G1163 not G3756 thou G4571 also G2532 have had compassion G1653 on thy G4675 fellowservant, G4889 even G2532 as G5613 I G1473 had pity G1653 on thee? G4571
And G1161 he was angry, G3710 and G2532 would G2309 not G3756 go in: G1525 therefore G3767 came G1831 his G846 father G3962 out, G1831 and intreated G3870 him. G846 And G1161 he answering G611 said G2036 to his father, G3962 Lo, G2400 these many G5118 years G2094 do I serve G1398 thee, G4671 neither G3763 transgressed I G3928 at any time G3763 thy G4675 commandment: G1785 and G2532 yet G2532 thou G1325 never G3763 gavest G1325 me G1698 a kid, G2056 that G2443 I might make merry G2165 with G3326 my G3450 friends: G5384 But G1161 as soon as G3753 this G3778 thy G4675 son G5207 was come, G2064 which G3588 hath devoured G2719 thy G4675 living G979 with G3326 harlots, G4204 thou hast killed G2380 for him G846 the fatted G4618 calf. G3448 And G1161 he said G2036 unto him, G846 Son, G5043 thou G4771 art G1488 ever G3842 with G3326 me, G1700 and G2532 all G3956 that I have G1699 is G2076 thine. G4674 It was G1161 meet G1163 that we should make merry, G2165 and G2532 be glad: G5463 for G3754 this G3778 thy G4675 brother G80 was G2258 dead, G3498 and G2532 is alive again; G326 and G2532 was G2258 lost, G622 and G2532 is found. G2147
These wait H7663 all upon thee; that thou mayest give H5414 them their meat H400 in due season. H6256 That thou givest H5414 them they gather: H3950 thou openest H6605 thine hand, H3027 they are filled H7646 with good. H2896
Come now, H3212 and let us reason together, H3198 saith H559 the LORD: H3068 though your sins H2399 be as scarlet, H8144 they shall be as white H3835 as snow; H7950 though they be red H119 like crimson, H8438 they shall be as wool. H6785
Arise, H6965 go H3212 unto Nineveh, H5210 that great H1419 city, H5892 and preach H7121 unto it the preaching H7150 that I bid H1696 thee. So Jonah H3124 arose, H6965 and went H3212 unto Nineveh, H5210 according to the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068 Now Nineveh H5210 was an exceeding H430 great H1419 city H5892 of three H7969 days' H3117 journey. H4109
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jonah 4
Commentary on Jonah 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
We read, with a great deal of pleasure, in the close of the foregoing chapter, concerning the repentance of Nineveh; but in this chapter we read, with a great deal of uneasiness, concerning the sin of Jonah; and, as there is joy in heaven and earth for the conversion of sinners, so there is grief for the follies and infirmities of saints. In all the book of God we scarcely find a "servant of the Lord' (and such a one we are sure Jonah was, for the scripture calls him so) so very much out of temper as he is here, so very peevish and provoking to God himself. In the first chapter we had him fleeing from the face of God; but here we have him, in effect, flying in the face of God; and, which is more grieving to us, there we had an account of his repentance and return to God; but here, though no doubt he did repent, yet, as in Solomon's case, no account is left us of his recovering himself; but, while we read with wonder of his perverseness, we read with no less wonder of God's tenderness towards him, by which it appeared that he had not cast him off. Here is,
Man's badness and God's goodness serve here for a foil to each other, that the former may appear the more exceedingly sinful and the latter the more exceedingly gracious.
Jon 4:1-4
See here,
Jon 4:5-11
Jonah persists here in his discontent; for the beginning of strife both with God and man is as the letting forth of waters, the breach grows wider and wider, and, when passion gets head, bad is made worse; it should therefore be silenced and suppressed at first. We have here,
Let us therefore own that we do ill, that we do very ill, to be angry for the gourd; and let us under such events quiet ourselves as a child that is weaned from his mother.