Jonah 4:1 kjv
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
Jonah 4:1 nkjv
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:1 niv
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:1 esv
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Jonah 4:1 nlt
This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
Jonah 4 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jonah 4:1 | But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. | Direct statement of Jonah's reaction |
| Exodus 34:6 | The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness... | God's character that angered Jonah |
| 1 Sam 15:35 | ...and the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. | God's power to relent, mirroring Jonah's desire for consistency in judgment |
| Ps 78:38 | But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; often he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. | God's consistent mercy despite human sin |
| Ps 103:8 | The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. | Echoes God's compassionate nature |
| Ps 103:9 | He will not always contend, nor will he keep his anger forever. | Reinforces God's tendency to forgive |
| Ps 111:4 | He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. | God's gracious remembrance of His acts |
| Prov 14:29 | Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts his folly. | Contrasts Jonah's reaction with godly wisdom |
| Prov 14:17 | A man of quick temper causes strife, and the hot-tempered man multiplies transgressions. | Describes the negative impact of anger |
| Prov 15:18 | A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is slow to anger calms a controversy. | Further contrast of dispositions |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." | Divine perspective vs. human perspective |
| Jer 18:7-8 | If at any time I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in my sight, not obeying my voice, then I will think the good that I had purposed to do to them, and I will repent of the evil that I had purposed to do to them. | God's conditional judgments |
| Ezek 33:11 | Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, and why will you die, O house of Israel?' | God's desire for repentance, not destruction |
| Joel 2:13 | Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love; he relents of punishment. | Prophetic call for repentance and God's response |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." | God's love extending to all humanity |
| Rom 9:20-21 | But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? | The sovereignty of God and human limitations |
| 2 Cor 5:20 | Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. | Ministry of reconciliation that Jonah failed to embrace |
| Phil 2:3-4 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. | Calls for humility and consideration of others |
| 1 Peter 4:8 | Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. | Emphasizes the importance of love |
| Matt 11:29 | Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. | Jesus' gentle and humble nature |
Jonah 4 verses
Jonah 4 1 Meaning
This verse introduces Jonah's profound displeasure and anger following God's gracious relenting concerning Nineveh. Jonah's reaction is one of personal grievance and disappointment that his prophecy of destruction did not come to pass.
Jonah 4 1 Context
Following Jonah's preaching in Nineveh and the city's widespread repentance, God demonstrates mercy and withholds the promised judgment. This outcome, while a testament to God's character and a fulfillment of His willingness to show compassion, deeply displeases Jonah. His anger stems from his perception that God's action contradicts his own expectations, likely rooted in a nationalistic or retributive theology. He anticipated the destruction of a known enemy of Israel, and God's mercy on these Assyrians, rather than their downfall, causes him personal offense and profound distress.
Jonah 4 1 Word Analysis
וַיִּרַ֥ע (way-yi-ra'): This verb, in the Hiphil (causative) or Niphal (passive/reflexive) conjugation, commonly means "to be displeased," "to be sorry," "to be bad," or "to seem evil." Here, in Niphal, it conveys Jonah's feeling of displeasure or distress. It signifies a strong negative emotional reaction. The root רע suggests something bad or evil.
יוֹנָ֔ה (Yō-nāh): This is the proper name "Jonah."
חֹ֛ל (ḥōl): Means "exceedingly," "very much," or "greatly." It intensifies the displeasure expressed by the preceding verb.
וַֽ֭יֶּחֱרֶה (way-yeḥĕ-rĕh): This verb, from the root חרה (ḥārâ), means "to burn with anger," "to be hot," or "to be incensed." It signifies a fiery and strong emotional response of anger.
לוֹ (lō): A preposition meaning "to him" or "for him." It indicates that the anger was directed toward or experienced by Jonah.
Jonah's Displeasure and Anger: The combination of "way-yi-ra'" and "way-yeḥĕ-rĕh" highlights the depth and intensity of Jonah's emotional turmoil. He is not merely slightly annoyed; he is profoundly distressed and burning with anger. This double expression underscores the significance of his reaction.
Exceedingly: The intensifier "ḥōl" amplifies the stated displeasure, making it clear this is not a mild sentiment but an overwhelming feeling that dominates Jonah.
Personal Grievance: The verse establishes a contrast between God's merciful action and Jonah's personal emotional response. His focus is on his own disappointed expectation, rather than on God's character or the positive outcome of repentance.
Theological Disconnect: Jonah's reaction implicitly reveals a perceived discrepancy between his understanding of divine justice and God's actual merciful nature. He wanted a predicted judgment executed, rather than a prophecy shown to be conditionally effective through repentance.
Jonah 4 1 Bonus Section
Jonah's anger here can be seen as a form of spiritual pride or an expectation that God’s covenantal blessings and judgments for Israel should extend as rigidly to Gentiles. He may have felt his own prophetic credibility was undermined by God's mercy. The text in chapter 4 presents Jonah's perspective as a case study on the challenges of embracing God's universal compassion. The entire book explores the tension between God's specific relationship with Israel and His sovereign care for all nations, a tension Jonah struggled to bridge. This passage serves as a profound, though challenging, lesson for believers on the nature of God’s grace and the need for a missionary, outward-looking perspective rather than a narrowly exclusive one.
Jonah 4 1 Commentary
Jonah's reaction in this verse is pivotal, marking a stark departure from the ideal prophet who rejoices in God's mercy and the salvation of even enemies. His extreme displeasure and burning anger reveal a heart far from God's own heart, which rejoices over the sinner who repents. This episode showcases human tendency to allow personal desires, nationalistic pride, or rigid adherence to predicted outcomes to override God's expressed attributes of compassion and grace. Jonah's prophetic declaration was designed to prompt repentance, and its success highlights God's responsive mercy, which Jonah found deeply unsettling because it contradicted his expected outcome and perhaps his underlying view of Nineveh. His anger is directed at God for being too merciful, demonstrating a profound misunderstanding of God's salvific will for all nations.