Jon 4 | LEB | STEP | And this ⌞was greatly displeasing⌟ to Jonah, and ⌞he became furious⌟ .

‏ Jonah 4

Jonah Is Angry at Yahweh’s Compassion

1 And this ^{▼▼Hebrew “it”} ⌞was greatly displeasing⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “was displeasing with great displeasure”} to Jonah, and ⌞he became furious⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “it was hot for him”} 2 And he prayed to Yahweh and said, “O Yahweh, was this not ⌞what I said⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “my word”} while I was in my homeland? Therefore ⌞I originally fled⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “I did the first time to flee”} to Tarshish, because I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger ⌞and having great steadfast love⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “and great of steadfast love”} and one who relents concerning calamity. ^{▼▼That is, calamity sent by God as judgment} 3 And so then, Yahweh, please take my life from me, because for me death is better than life!” 4 And Yahweh said, “⌞Is it right for you to be angry⌟?” ^{▼▼Literally “Rightfully is it hot for you”; some take this to mean “Are you so very angry?” (Targum Jonah 4:4; see also JPS, NEB, NET)}

5 And Jonah went out from the city and sat down east of the city, and he made for himself a shelter there. And he sat under it in the shade, ⌞waiting to see⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “until he would see”} what would happen with the city. 6 And Yahweh God appointed a plant, ^{▼▼Probably a castor oil plant, though some have suggested some type of gourd plant} and he made it grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. And Jonah ⌞was very glad⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “was glad with great joy”} about the plant. 7 So God appointed a worm ⌞at daybreak⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “at the coming up of the dawn”} the next day, and it attacked the plant, and it withered. 8 ⌞And when the sun rose⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “and it happened at the rising of the sun”} God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head and he grew faint. ⌞And he asked that he could die⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “and he asked his soul to die”} and said, “My death is better than my life!” 9 So God said to Jonah, “⌞Is it right for you to be angry⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “rightfully is it hot for you”; some take this to mean “Are you so very angry?” (Targum Jonah 4:4; see also JPS, NEB, NET)} about the plant?” And he said, “⌞It is right for me to be angry enough to die⌟!” ^{▼▼Literally “Rightfully it is hot for me until death”}

10 But Yahweh said, “You are troubled about the plant, for which you did not labor nor cause it to grow. ⌞It grew up in a night and it perished in a night⌟! ^{▼▼Literally “Which was a son of a night and as a son of a night it perished”} 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, the great city, ⌞in which there are⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “which there are in it”} more ⌞than one hundred and twenty thousand⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “than two ten myriad” (12 x 10,000)} people who do not know right from left, ^{▼▼“hand” is often supplied, but it is not clear just what deficiency is meant by this expression, which occurs only here in biblical Hebrew} plus many animals?”