Jonah 4:11
in Jonah 4So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and should not I have regard for Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
KJV
And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
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This verse in Jonah 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"Then said the LORD, You have had pity on the gourd, for the which you have not laboured, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" LXX: 'and the Lord said, 'you wanted to keep safe a gourd which has done you no wickedness, that you have not cared for, which was born in one night and died in one night.
This site's exposition
Thou hast had pity on the gourd
on Jonah 4:10-11
The Lord's closing argument moves from the lesser to the greater: Jonah pitied a gourd he did not plant, did not tend, and lost within a single night, so should not the Lord pity Nineveh, that great city, where more than sixscore thousand persons cannot discern their right hand from their left, besides much cattle. The commentators read the sixscore thousand two ways, the whole population reckoned as morally undiscerning like children, or the number naming Nineveh's infants specifically, and both readings are named without settling between them. The book ends without recording Jonah's answer, the Lord's question left standing as the last word, mercy wider than the prophet who preached it. Gill and Calvin both read the unanswered question as address to every reader who has ever sat in Jonah's booth wanting judgment more than mercy for someone else.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
On the following day the Book of Jonah was read according to custom, after the completion of which I began this discourse. A book has been read, brethren, in which it is foretold that sinners shall be converted. Their acceptance takes place because that which is to happen is looked forward to at present. I added that the just man had been willing even to incur blame, in order not to see or denounce the destruction of the city.
We read of Eli the priest that he became displeasing to God on account of the sins of his children. And we are told that a man may not be made a bishop if his sons are loose and disorderly. It is written of the woman that "she shall be saved in childbearing, if she continues in faith and charity and holiness with chastity." If then parents are responsible for their children when these are of ripe age and independent, how much more must they be responsible for them when, still unweaned and weak, they cannot, in the Lord's words, "discern between their right hand and their left," when, that is to say, they cannot yet distinguish good from evil?
When, at one time, God had been offended by the sins of the Ninevites, he was appeased by the crying and wailing of children. For though we read that the whole people wept, yet the lot of innocence of the little ones merited the greatest …
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets: Jonah · Written before 444.
proposed
And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? For these things are somehow indistinguishable among those who are still infants, to whom it was fitting, even before others, to grant kindness, having sinned in nothing. For one who does not yet know his own hands, with what faults could he be charged? And if he names also the cattle and deems them worthy of being spared, this too is from love of goodness. For if "a righteous man has mercy on the souls of his cattle," and this is to his praise, what is surprising, if the Creator of all things himself bestows sparing and pity upon these as well?
The Medieval Church1 voice
For the good are understood by the right hand, bad by the left.
7 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
That great city - Wouldest thou have me less merciful to such a goodly city, than thou art to a weed? Who cannot discern - Here are more than six-score innocents who are infants. Much cattle - Beside men, women and children who are in Nineveh, there are many other of my creatures that are not sinful, and my tender mercies are and shall be over all my works.
The Prophet's Discontent. 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the L ORD , and said, I pray thee, O L ORD , was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:83%@v1-2
): " Thou hast had pity on the gourd, hast spared it" (so the word is), "didst what thou couldst, and wouldst have done more, to keep it alive, and saidst, What a pity it is that this gourd should ever wither! and should not I then spare Nineveh?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city?....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Should I not spare? - literally “have pity” and so “spare.” God waives for the time the fact of the repentance of Nineveh, and speaks of those on whom man must have pity, those who never had any share in its guilt, the 120,000 children of Nineveh, “I who, in the weakness of infancy, knew not which hand, “the right” or “the left,” is the stronger and fitter for every use.” He who would have spared Sodom “for ten’s sake,” might well be thought to spare Nineveh for the 120,000’s sake, in whom the inborn corruption had not developed into the malice of willful sin.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
These in wonderful powers and in utility are far above the shrub which Jonah is so concerned about. Yet Jonah is reckless as to their destruction and that of innocent children.
And should not I spare Nineveh - In Jon 4:10 it is said, thou hast had pity on the gourd, אתה חסת attah Chasta; and here the Lord uses the same word, ואני לא אחוס veani lo Achus, “And shall not I have pity upon Nineveh?” How much is the city better than the shrub? But besides this there are in it one hundred and twenty thousand persons! And shall I destroy them, rather than thy shade should be withered or thy word apparently fail? And besides, these persons are young, and have not offended, (for they knew not the difference between their right hand and their left), and should not I feel more pity for those innocents than thou dost for the fine flowering plant which is withered in a night, being itself exceedingly short-lived? Add to all this, they have now turned from those sins which induced me to denounce judgment against them. And should I destroy them who are now fasting and afflicting their souls; and, covered with sackcloth, are lying in the dust before me, bewailing their offenses and supplicating for mercy? Learn, then, from this, that it is the incorrigibly wicked on whom my judgments must fall and against whom they are threatened. And know, that to that man will I look who is of a broken and contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
for which you did not toil —with plowing, sowing, or watering.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the LORD said, “You! You had mercy on the gourd which you didn’t work for and you didn’t grow, one night it was there and the next it was gone.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽאֲנִי֙ | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָח֔וּס | ʾachus | will I have compassion? | H2347 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נִינְוֵ֖ה | ninveh | Nineveh | H5210 → | 17 times |
| הָעִ֣יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה | hagedolah | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֶשׁ־ | yesh- | there | H3426 → | |
| בָּ֡הּ | bah | in <the> it | ||
| הַרְבֵּה֩ | harbeh | [are] many | H7235 → | |
| מִֽשְׁתֵּים־ | mishteim- | more than two [plus] | H8147 → | |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה | ʾesreh | ten | H6240 → | |
| רִבּ֜וֹ | ribo | ten thousand | H7239 → | |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | person[s] | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַע֙ | yada' | he distinguishes | H3045 → | 945 times |
| בֵּין־ | bein- | between | H996 → | |
| יְמִינ֣וֹ | yemino | right [hand] his | H3225 → | |
| לִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹ | lismolo | and left his | H8040 → | |
| וּבְהֵמָ֖ה | uvehemah | and livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| רַבָּֽה׃ | rabah | much | H7227 → | 454 times |
וַֽאֲנִי֙and I
vaaniH589 →874 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָח֔וּסwill I have compassion?
ʾachusH2347 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
נִינְוֵ֖הNineveh
ninvehH5210 →17 times
הָעִ֣ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה<the> great
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֶשׁ־there
yesh-H3426 →
בָּ֡הּin <the> it
bah
הַרְבֵּה֩[are] many
harbehH7235 →
מִֽשְׁתֵּים־more than two [plus]
mishteim-H8147 →
עֶשְׂרֵ֨הten
ʾesrehH6240 →
רִבּ֜וֹten thousand
riboH7239 →
אָדָ֗םperson[s]
ʾadamH120 →551 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָדַע֙he distinguishes
yada'H3045 →945 times
בֵּין־between
bein-H996 →
יְמִינ֣וֹright [hand] his
yeminoH3225 →
לִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹand left his
lismoloH8040 →
וּבְהֵמָ֖הand livestock
uvehemahH929 →190 times
רַבָּֽה׃much
rabahH7227 →454 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jonah 1:2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
it leads to
- Genesis 18:20–21
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
- Genesis 10:11
From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
- Isaiah 58:1
“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.
- Nahum 1:1
This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
- Zephaniah 2:13–15
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
- Genesis 18:20–21
Through
Matthew 18:33Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
it leads to
- Colossians 3:13
Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
- Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
- Colossians 3:13
Where this verse is studied
About Jonah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Letters, Epistle 20; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets: Jonah; Haimo of Auxerre, Commentary (church-history corpus); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 4; Jerome, LETTER 107.6; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Salvian the Presbyter, LETTER 4.