Jonah 4:2 kjv
And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Jonah 4:2 nkjv
So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Jonah 4:2 niv
He prayed to the LORD, "Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah 4:2 esv
And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Jonah 4:2 nlt
So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.
Jonah 4 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jonah 4:2 | But it displeased Jonah greatly, and he became angry. | Jonah 4:1 (Action preceding) |
| Exodus 34:6 | The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness | Exodus 34:6 (God's attributes) |
| Psalm 86:15 | But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness | Psalm 86:15 (Similar divine description) |
| Joel 2:13 | 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 revokes his threat. | Joel 2:13 (Repentance and divine response) |
| Psalm 103:8 | The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. | Psalm 103:8 (Divine compassion) |
| Psalm 145:8 | The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. | Psalm 145:8 (Praise of God's nature) |
| Nehemiah 9:17 | ...but you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. | Nehemiah 9:17 (God's forgiveness) |
| Psalm 78:38 | Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not give full vent to his wrath. | Psalm 78:38 (God's restraint of anger) |
| Romans 9:22 | What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? | Romans 9:22 (Divine patience and wrath) |
| Matthew 9:13 | Go and learn what this means: “‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” | Matthew 9:13 (Jesus' emphasis on mercy) |
| Luke 15:7 | Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. | Luke 15:7 (Joy over repentance) |
| Acts 13:47 | For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” | Acts 13:47 (Gentile salvation) |
| Romans 2:4 | Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? | Romans 2:4 (God's kindness leading to repentance) |
| Ephesians 2:4-5 | But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— | Ephesians 2:4-5 (God's rich mercy) |
| 1 Peter 4:8 | Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. | 1 Peter 4:8 (Love covering sin) |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4 | Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant | 1 Corinthians 13:4 (Love's characteristics) |
| 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." | John 3:16 (God's love for the world) |
| Galatians 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. | Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruits of the Spirit including love and patience) |
| Acts 17:30 | The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, | Acts 17:30 (Call to repentance) |
| 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 | All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. | 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (Ministry of reconciliation) |
Jonah 4 verses
Jonah 4 2 Meaning
The verse describes Jonah's anger towards God's compassion and change of mind regarding Nineveh. Jonah recognizes God's inherent character as gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and repentance from disaster. He acknowledges this attribute of God but is deeply displeased by its application in this instance, which he perceives as negating his prophecy and causing him to look foolish.
Jonah 4 2 Context
Jonah had just delivered a stark prophecy of judgment upon Nineveh: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4). The people of Nineveh, from the king down, responded with deep repentance, mourning, and fasting. God, seeing their genuine change of heart and their turning from their wicked ways, relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them (Jonah 3:10). This fulfillment of God's mercy is the direct cause of Jonah's distress described in this verse. The historical context is the Assyrian Empire, of which Nineveh was the capital, a notorious enemy of Israel. Jonah, a Hebrew prophet, likely felt that Nineveh deserved destruction, not forgiveness.
Jonah 4 2 Word analysis
- וַיִּרַע (vayyira‘) - "and it displeased." This is the Niphal (passive) stem of the verb רָעַע (ra‘a‘), meaning "to be bad," "to be evil," or "to be displeasing." Here, it signifies that the event of God sparing Nineveh caused displeasure. It highlights Jonah's subjective negative reaction to an objective divine action.
- אֶל (el) - "to" or "upon." Indicates the object of Jonah's displeasure.
- יוֹנָה (Yonah) - "Jonah." The subject of the verse.
- רָעָה (ra‘ah) - "greatly" or "wickedly." This adverb modifies the verb "displeased," intensifying the negative feeling. It suggests a deep-seated and perhaps even morally objectionable kind of displeasure in Jonah's heart.
- וַיִּחַר (vayyiḥar) - "and he became angry" or "and he burned." This is the Qal (active) stem of the verb חָרָה (ḥarah), which means "to burn," "to be kindled," or "to be angry." It describes the emotional eruption that followed the initial displeasure. The "vav" consecutive with the imperfect form indicates a sequence of events – the displeasure led to anger.
- לוֹ (lo) - "to him." Indicates to whom the anger pertained.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "But it displeased Jonah greatly": This phrase encapsulates Jonah's rejection of God's action. The "but" (וְ, we) signifies a contrast to the preceding divine action. The adverb "greatly" (רָעָה, ra‘ah) emphasizes the depth of his negative emotional response. It is not a minor annoyance but a significant vexation.
- "and he became angry": This shows a progression of emotion. Displeasure (וַיִּרַע, vayyira‘) escalated into anger (וַיִּחַר, vayyiḥar). The Hebrew verb חָרָה (ḥarah) carries a strong sense of internal heat or burning, a passionate emotion. The "and" (ו, va) links these two states of feeling.
Jonah 4 2 Bonus section
Jonah's emotional state is one of self-pity and wounded pride. He prophesied destruction, and when it didn't happen, his credibility was undermined, and his identity as a prophet of doom was challenged. He felt his efforts were wasted, and his reputation was at stake. His subsequent prayer (Jonah 4:3) further reveals his self-centeredness, expressing that he would rather die than live to see his prophecy unfulfilled. This demonstrates a misapplication of divine truth; instead of rejoiced in the salvation of many, he focused on his own perceived loss and humiliation. This stark contrast between Jonah's limited view of God's mercy and God's expansive compassion is the core message of the book of Jonah, extended to all peoples.
Jonah 4 2 Commentary
Jonah's reaction reveals a profound spiritual conflict. He accurately identified God's attributes – grace, mercy, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love (v. 2) – but he did not want these attributes to be exercised towards the Ninevites. His anger stems from a proprietary view of God's favor and a vengeful attitude towards Israel's enemies. He functioned more like a tribal deity's champion who only rejoices in the downfall of adversaries, rather than a prophet of the God of all nations. This highlights a common human tendency to apply divine principles selectively, often aligning them with our own biases and desires for justice (as we define it). Jonah's reaction challenges our own understanding of grace and mercy. Do we expect God's grace only for those we deem worthy or those aligned with us, or do we embrace His boundless, inclusive mercy? His anger foreshadows a larger theme: God's mercy extends beyond human expectations and tribal boundaries.