Jonah 4:5
in Jonah 4Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then 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 shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
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.
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This verse in Jonah 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
So Jonah went out of the city - o, The form of the words implies (as in the English Version), that this took place after Jonah was convinced that God would spare Nineveh; and since there is no intimation that he knew it by revelation, then it was probably after the 40 days . “The days being now past, after which it was time that the things foretold should be accomplished, and His anger as yet taking no effect, Jonah understood that God had pity on Nineveh.
This site's exposition
Doest thou well to be angry
on Jonah 4:4-6
The Lord's question doest thou well to be angry receives no answer; Jonah instead walks out of the city, builds a booth on its east side, and sits watching to see what will become of Nineveh, still hoping for the fire he preached. The Lord God prepares a gourd, most likely the qiqayon plant identified with the fast growing castor plant or with a true gourd vine, the readings named without settling which, to shade Jonah's head from his grief. Jonah's gladness over one plant's shade sets up the argument the Lord will make from the small mercy to the great one. Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown both note that Jonah's grief here is not for Nineveh's souls but for his own vindication as a prophet of judgment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
But when Jonah made himself a booth and sat down opposite the city of Nineveh, waiting to see what would befall it, the prophet played a part of different significance. He was a type of the carnal people of Israel, for he was sad over the preservation of the Ninevites! He was frustrated over the redemption and salvation of the Gentiles! This is why Christ came to call "not the just but sinners to repentance." But the shadow of the vine over his head was the promise of the Old Testament. Its law manifested, as the apostle says, "a shadow of things to come." God was offering shade from the heat of temporal evils in the land of promise.
The days being now past, after which it was time that the things foretold should be accomplished, and his anger as yet taking no effect, Jonah understood that God had pity on Nineveh. Still he does not give up all hope, and thinks that a respite of the evil has been granted them on their willingness to repent, but that some effect of his displeasure would come, since the pains of their repentance had not equaled their offenses. So thinking in himself apparently, he departs from the city and waits to see what will become of them. He expected, apparently, that it would either fall by an earthquake or be burned with fire, like Sodom.
"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." LXX: similar.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The forty days were now expiring, or had expired, and Jonah hoped that, if Nineveh was not overthrown, yet some judgement or other would come upon it, sufficient to save his credit; however, it was with great uneasiness that he waited the issue.
So Jonah went out of the city,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Therefore, not from sullennesss, but in order to watch the event from a neighboring station, he lodged in the booth. As a stranger, he did not know the depth of Nineveh's repentance; besides, from the Old Testament standpoint he knew that chastening judgments often followed, as in David's case (2Sa 12:10-12, 14), even where sin had been repented of.
So Jonah went out of the city - I believe this refers to what had already passed; and I therefore agree with Bp. Newcome, who translates, “Now Jonah Had gone out of the city, and Had sat,” etc.; for there are many instances where verbs in the preterite form have this force, the ו vau here turning the future into the preterite. And the passage is here to be understood thus: When he had delivered his message he left the city, and went and made himself a tent, or got under some shelter on the east side of the city, and there he was determined to remain till he should see what would become of the city. But when the forty days had expired, and he saw no evidence of the Divine wrath, he became angry, and expostulated with God as above. The fifth verse should be read in a parenthesis, or be considered as beginning the chapter.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצֵ֤א | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | |
| יוֹנָה֙ | yonah | Jonah | H3124 → | 19 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעִ֔יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he sat | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| מִקֶּ֣דֶם | mikedem | from east | H6924 → | |
| לָעִ֑יר | lair | of the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיַּעַשׂ֩ | vaiyaas | and he made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| ל֨וֹ | lo | for <the> himself | ||
| שָׁ֜ם | sham | there | H8033 → | |
| סֻכָּ֗ה | sukah | a shelter | H5521 → | |
| וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he sat | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| תַּחְתֶּ֙יהָ֙ | tachteiha | under it | H8478 → | |
| בַּצֵּ֔ל | batzel | in the shade | H6738 → | |
| עַ֚ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִרְאֶ֔ה | yireh | he will see | H7200 → | |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יִּהְיֶ֖ה | yihyeh | will it be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בָּעִֽיר׃ | bair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
וַיֵּצֵ֤אand he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →
יוֹנָה֙Jonah
yonahH3124 →19 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעִ֔ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבand he sat
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
מִקֶּ֣דֶםfrom east
mikedemH6924 →
לָעִ֑ירof the city
lairH5892 →1090 times
וַיַּעַשׂ֩and he made
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
ל֨וֹfor <the> himself
lo
שָׁ֜םthere
shamH8033 →
סֻכָּ֗הa shelter
sukahH5521 →
וַיֵּ֤שֶׁבand he sat
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
תַּחְתֶּ֙יהָ֙under it
tachteihaH8478 →
בַּצֵּ֔לin the shade
batzelH6738 →
עַ֚דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִרְאֶ֔הhe will see
yirehH7200 →
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
יִּהְיֶ֖הwill it be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בָּעִֽיר׃in the city
bairH5892 →1090 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
1 Kings 19:9There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
it leads to
- Genesis 16:8
“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 3:9
But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”
- Exodus 33:21–22
The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
- 1 Kings 19:13
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing…
- Jeremiah 2:18
Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
- Genesis 16:8
Through
1 Kings 19:13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:9
There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 1 Kings 19:9
Through
Isaiah 57:17I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:11
Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
- Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- Isaiah 56:11
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 9 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); Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 102:6; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON JONAH 4:5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.