Jonah 4 5

Jonah 4:5 kjv

So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

Jonah 4:5 nkjv

So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

Jonah 4:5 niv

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.

Jonah 4:5 esv

Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Jonah 4:5 nlt

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.

Jonah 4 verses

Jonah 4 5 Meaning

Jonah stands outside the city, watching to see what will happen to Nineveh, highlighting his discontent with God's mercy. He desires to see the city destroyed, indicating his personal emotional investment in judgment rather than redemption.

Jonah 4 5 Context

This verse occurs at the end of the Book of Jonah. After Jonah preached to Nineveh, the people repented, and God relented from destroying the city. Jonah, however, was angry and displeased by this outcome. He had expected and desired judgment. He went out of the city to a place east of it and built himself a shelter, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh. This sets the stage for the final interaction between Jonah and God regarding the growth and subsequent decay of a plant, emphasizing God's lesson to Jonah about compassion.

Jonah 4 5 Word Analysis

• וַיֵּצֵא יוֹנָה (vayyetzeh Yonah)

  • וַיֵּצֵא (vayyetzeh): And he went out. From the root "yatsa" (יָצָא), meaning to go out, to depart, to proceed.
  • יוֹנָה (Yonah): Jonah. The prophet's name.
  • Meaning: "And Jonah went out." This action signifies his physical departure from the city and, more importantly, his emotional and spiritual separation from God's compassionate will for Nineveh.

• מִן־הָעִיר (min-ha'ir)

  • מִן־ (min-): From.
  • הָעִיר (ha'ir): the city.
  • Meaning: "from the city." His going out signifies his detachment from the place where God's mercy was displayed.

• וַיֵּשֶׁב (vayyeshev)

  • וַיֵּשֶׁב (vayyeshev): And he sat down. From the root "yashab" (יָשַׁב), meaning to sit, to dwell, to remain.
  • Meaning: "and he sat down." This denotes a passive, waiting posture, a deliberate withdrawal. He is settling in to observe the consequences he anticipated.

• מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem)

  • מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem): From the east / in the east. Literally, "from before" or "from the direction of the rising sun."
  • Meaning: "to the east." The location is significant, facing away from the city he prophesied against and towards the sunrise, symbolizing perhaps a new day he wished to see unfold with destruction for Nineveh.

• אֶל־מִזְרָח (el-mizrach)

  • אֶל־ (el-): To.
  • מִזְרָח (mizrach): sunrise, east.
  • Meaning: "to the east." Reinforces the location and orientation of his waiting.

• הָעִיר (ha'ir)

  • הָעִיר (ha'ir): the city.
  • Meaning: "of the city." Specifies that his observation post is overlooking Nineveh.

• וַיַּעַשׂ־לוֹ (vayya'as-lo)

  • וַיַּעַשׂ (vayya'as): and he made. From the root "asah" (עָשָׂה), to do, to make, to fashion.
  • לוֹ (lo): for himself.
  • Meaning: "and he made for himself." This action is about providing for his own comfort or shelter, indicative of his persistent self-focus.

• שָׁם (sham)

  • שָׁם (sham): there.
  • Meaning: "there." Locating the construction of his shelter outside the city walls.

• וַיֵּשֶׁב (vayyeshev)

  • וַיֵּשֶׁב (vayyeshev): and he sat.
  • Meaning: "and he sat." The repetition emphasizes his continued passive and waiting state.

• תַּחַת־ (tachat-)

  • תַּחַת־ (tachat-): Under.
  • Meaning: "under." This is in anticipation of the next event in the chapter, the shelter provided by a plant.

• הַקִּיקוֹם (haqqiqayon)

  • הַקִּיקוֹם (haqqiqayon): the plant. A Kikayon. Its exact identification is debated, but it provided shade.
  • Meaning: "the plant." This introduces the specific object of God's lesson that follows.

• וַיִּתֵּן (vayyitten)

  • וַיִּתֵּן (vayyitten): and he made (God made it happen). From "natan" (נָתַן), to give, to put, to provide. The implied subject is God.
  • Meaning: "and He provided" or "and it was provided." This highlights God's direct intervention, using natural means (a plant) to teach Jonah.

• אֱלֹהִים (Elohim)

  • אֱלֹהִים (Elohim): God. The Hebrew plural noun for God, often used with singular verbs.
  • Meaning: "God." The ultimate actor behind the provision.

• אֲשֶׁר (asher)

  • אֲשֶׁר (asher): which. A relative pronoun.
  • Meaning: "which." Introducing the description of the plant.

• וַיַּצֶּל (vayyatzel)

  • וַיַּצֶּל (vayyatzel): and caused to grow/sprout. From "salal" (סָלַל), to grow rapidly, sprout up.
  • Meaning: "caused to grow" or "made sprout." Emphasizes the swift and vigorous growth provided by God.

• וַיְהִי֙ (vayeh'i)

  • וַיְהִי֙ (vayeh'i): and it became/happened. From "hayah" (הָיָה), to be, to become.
  • Meaning: "and it became." Referring to the plant.

• בּוֹ (bo)

  • בּוֹ (bo): over it. Literally "in it" or "upon it."
  • Meaning: "over it." The plant's position relative to Jonah.

• לְחִפִּיו (lekhifayov)

  • לְחִפִּי (lekhifayov): for a covering / to shade him. From "khaphat" (חָפָה), to cover, to shade. The suffix "yod" (ִ) indicates "him."
  • Meaning: "for his shade" or "to shade him." Describes the functional purpose of the plant for Jonah.

• וּלְבַלּוֹתוֹ (uvalloto)

  • וּלְבַלּוֹתוֹ (uvalloto): and to relieve/preserve him. From "balah" (בָּלָה), to wear out, to decay, to refresh or preserve. The context implies preservation from discomfort.
  • וְ (ve): and.
  • לְבַלּוֹתוֹ (levalloto): to his relief/preservation.
  • Meaning: "and to relieve him" or "and to preserve him from the heat/discomfort." Explains the relief the plant provided.

• מֵרָעָתֹו (merato)

  • מֵרָעָתֹו (merato): from his badness / his discomfort. From "ra" (רַע), bad, evil, pain, hurt, distress. The suffix "o" refers to Jonah.
  • מִן־ (min-): from.
  • רָעָתֹו (ra'ato): his badness/discomfort/hurt.
  • Meaning: "from his suffering" or "from his hurt." This could refer to the heat, or the inner turmoil from his anger and disappointment. The Masoretic pointing rā‘āṯô often relates to suffering or discomfort.

• וַיִּשְׂמַח־ (vayyismah-)

  • וַיִּשְׂמַח־ (vayyismah-): and he rejoiced. From "samach" (שָׂמַח), to be glad, to rejoice.
  • Meaning: "and he rejoiced." Jonah's joy is tied to the physical comfort provided by the plant.

• יוֹנָה (Yonah)

  • יוֹנָה (Yonah): Jonah.
  • Meaning: "Jonah." The subject of the rejoicing.

• עַל־ (al-)

  • עַל־ (al-): greatly / exceedingly / over.
  • Meaning: "greatly" or "exceedingly." Intensifying the degree of his rejoicing.

• הַקִּיקוֹם (haqqiqayon)

  • הַקִּיקוֹם (haqqiqayon): the plant.
  • Meaning: "the plant." The object of his rejoicing.

Grouped Analysis:

• "וַיֵּצֵא יוֹנָה מִן־הָעִיר וַיֵּשֶׁב מִקֶּדֶם לָעִיר" (Jonah went out from the city and sat to the east of the city): This phrase depicts Jonah's physical and emotional separation from the city he was sent to preach to. His retreat to the east, facing the sunrise, symbolizes a turn away from the present reality of God's mercy and towards an anticipation of future events, aligning with his preference for divine judgment.
• "וַיַּעַשׂ־לוֹ שָׁם שִׁקּוּמִי" (and he made himself a shelter there): The KJV and NKJV translate "shikkumi" (שִׁקּוּמִי) as "booth," while others see it as related to "shiqmah" (שִׁקְמָה - sycamore tree), suggesting he built a shelter of leaves. Regardless of the precise nature, the action highlights his provision for his own comfort while God's plan for Nineveh unfolds according to God's will.
• "וַיַּעַשׂ־לוֹ שָׁם שָׁם וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחַת הַקִּיקוֹם" (and he made for himself there a shelter and sat under the kikayon): The repetition of "sham" (there) emphasizes his deliberate and persistent location away from the city. The action of sitting "under the kikayon" anticipates God's further intervention through the plant for his comfort, which will become the pivot for God's lesson.
• "וַיִּתֵּן אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר וַיַּצֶּל קִיקוֹם וַיְהִי בֹו לְחִפּוּיוֹ וּלְבַלּוֹתוֹ" (and God appointed a kikayon plant and made it grow up over him, and it shaded him, and relieved him from his hurt): This demonstrates God's direct action and provision for Jonah's physical comfort, albeit temporarily. The rapid growth and the relief provided by the plant serve as the object lesson to teach Jonah about a greater compassion. The phrasing emphasizes God's sovereignty and provision.
• "וַיִּשְׂמַח־יוֹנָה עַל־הַקִּיקוֹם שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה" (and Jonah rejoiced over the plant with great rejoicing): Jonah's joy is exclusively focused on his personal comfort derived from the plant. This unbridled rejoicing highlights the shallowness of his concerns; he cares deeply for his own immediate comfort but is indifferent, or even hostile, to the potential well-being of 120,000 people. This sets up the contrast with God's "great rejoicing" over Nineveh.

Jonah 4 5 Bonus Section

The eastward location from which Jonah observes the city may be symbolically significant. In many ancient Near Eastern cultures, the east was associated with new beginnings, the rising sun, and even divine presence or revelation. However, for Jonah, it appears to be the direction from which he watches for the manifestation of God's wrath, indicating a warped perspective. The specific identity of the "kikayon" plant remains a subject of debate among scholars. Some identify it as the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis) due to its rapid growth and large leaves. Others suggest the gourd (Colocynthis citrullus) or the mulberry fig (Ficus sycomorus). The theological point, however, is not its precise botanical identity, but its miraculous, rapid provision by God to demonstrate His power and Jonah's vulnerability to such means when his own comfort is involved. This personal experience prepares him for the more significant lesson about God's broader care.

Jonah 4 5 Commentary

This verse details Jonah's retreat and his subsequent relief provided by a plant, a seemingly minor detail that precedes a profound divine lesson. Jonah's actions reveal his stubbornness and self-centeredness. He positions himself to witness Nineveh's destruction, reflecting his active desire for judgment to fall. His finding comfort in the plant highlights his concern for his own physical well-being while being completely detached from, and indeed opposed to, the spiritual well-being of thousands of souls. This sets a stark contrast with God's mercy, which extends even to an entire city of presumed wicked people. Jonah's joy over the plant underscores his inability to comprehend or embrace God's compassion and grace, revealing a deeper issue with his understanding of God's character and mission. He delights in transient personal comfort but recoils from the concept of divine mercy impacting those he considers enemies.