Bible HebrewJonah's Anger Jonah 4:1–11
Jonah is angry, and God answers with a plant, a worm and a question. The book ends on that question.
Jonah 4:1
וַיֵּרַע אֶל־יוֹנָה רָעָה גְדוֹלָה וַיִּחַר לוֹ
Wayyēraʿ ʾel-yōnā rāʿā ghədhōlā wayyiḥar lō
“But this displeased Jonah greatly, and he became angry.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּרַע | wayyēraʿ | and it was evil |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| רָעָה | rāʿā | an evil |
| גְדוֹלָה | ghədhōlā | great |
| וַיִּחַר | wayyiḥar | and it burned |
| לוֹ | lō | to him |
- וַיֵּרַע: וַיֵּרַע … רָעָה גְדוֹלָה, literally “it was evil to Jonah, a great evil”. The root רעע named Nineveh's “evil” (1:2, 3:8, 3:10); now it describes how Jonah takes God's sparing them.
- וַיִּחַר: חָרָה, “burn”, with לְ + a person: “it burned to him” = “he was angry”. The idiom comes back in verses 4 and 9.
Jonah 4:2
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר אָנָּה יְהוָה הֲלוֹא־זֶה דְבָרִי עַד־הֱיוֹתִי עַל־אַדְמָתִי עַל־כֵּן קִדַּמְתִּי לִבְרֹחַ תַּרְשִׁישָׁה כִּי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אַתָּה אֵל־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה
Wayyithpallēl ʾel-yəḥawwe wayyōmar ʾānnā yəḥawwe hălō-ze dhəvārī ʿadh-hĕyōthī ʿal-ʾadhmāthī ʿal-kēn qiddamtī livrōaḥ tarshīshā kī yādhaʿtī kī ʾattā ʾēl-ḥannūn wəraḥūm ʾerekh ʾappayim wərav-ḥesedh wəniḥām ʿal-hārāʿā
“He prayed to yəḥawwe and said, “Please, yəḥawwe, is this not what I said while I was still in my own land? That is why I hurried to flee to Tarshish. For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and great in steadfast love, and one who relents over harm.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל | wayyithpallēl | and he prayed |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| וַיֹּאמַר | wayyōmar | and said |
| אָנָּה | ʾānnā | ah, please |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| הֲלוֹא | hălō | (was) not |
| זֶה | ze | this |
| דְבָרִי | dhəvārī | my word |
| עַד | ʿadh | while |
| הֱיוֹתִי | hĕyōthī | I was |
| עַל | ʿal | in |
| אַדְמָתִי | ʾadhmāthī | my land |
| עַל | ʿal | on account of |
| כֵּן | kēn | this |
| קִדַּמְתִּי | qiddamtī | I hurried |
| לִבְרֹחַ | livrōaḥ | to flee |
| תַּרְשִׁישָׁה | tarshīshā | to Tarshish |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| יָדַעְתִּי | yādhaʿtī | I knew |
| כִּי | kī | that |
| אַתָּה | ʾattā | you (are) |
| אֵל | ʾēl | a God |
| חַנּוּן | ḥannūn | gracious |
| וְרַחוּם | wəraḥūm | and compassionate |
| אֶרֶךְ | ʾerekh | long of |
| אַפַּיִם | ʾappayim | nostrils (anger) |
| וְרַב | wərav | and great in |
| חֶסֶד | ḥesedh | steadfast love |
| וְנִחָם | wəniḥām | and relenting |
| עַל | ʿal | over |
| הָרָעָה | hārāʿā | harm |
- הֲלוֹא: הֲ at the start of a sentence makes a yes-or-no question. הֲלוֹא, “is it not?”, expects the answer “yes”.
- הֱיוֹתִי: עַד + the infinitive of הָיָה + ־ִי “my”: “until my being” = “while I was still”.
- עַל: עַל־כֵּן, “on account of this”, is the usual Hebrew for “therefore, that is why”.
- קִדַּמְתִּי: Piel of קדם, “be in front”: “I went ahead, acted first” = “I hurried”.
- אֵל: This list echoes Exodus 34:6, where God is described with most of the same words. Joel 2:13 has the same list, also ending with וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה.
- אֶרֶךְ: אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, “long of nostrils”: slow to become angry. אַף, “nose”, pictured as the seat of anger, is here in the dual, “both nostrils”.
- וְנִחָם: A Niphal participle, “(one who) relents”: the verb of 3:9–10.
Jonah 4:3
וְעַתָּה יְהוָה קַח־נָא אֶת־נַפְשִׁי מִמֶּנִּי כִּי טוֹב מוֹתִי מֵחַיָּי
Wəʿattā yəḥawwe qaḥ-nā ʾeth-nafshī mimmennī kī ṭōv mōthī mēḥayyāy
“And now, yəḥawwe, please take my life from me, for my death is better than my life.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּה | wəʿattā | and now |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| קַח | qaḥ | take |
| נָא | nā | please |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| נַפְשִׁי | nafshī | my life |
| מִמֶּנִּי | mimmennī | from me |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| טוֹב | ṭōv | (is) better |
| מוֹתִי | mōthī | my death |
| מֵחַיָּי | mēḥayyāy | than my life |
- נַפְשִׁי: נֶפֶשׁ here is “life”: “take my life”.
- מִמֶּנִּי: מִן + ־ֶנִּי “me” = מִמֶּנִּי, “from me”. מִן takes a longer form before endings.
- טוֹב: Hebrew has no separate word for “better”: טוֹב “good” + מִן “from” = “good compared with” = “better than”. טוֹב מוֹתִי מֵחַיָּי, “good (is) my death from my life”.
Jonah 4:4
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה הַהֵיטֵב חָרָה לָךְ
Wayyōmer yəḥawwe hahēṭēv ḥārā lākh
“Yəḥawwe said, “Is it right for you to be angry?””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and said |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| הַהֵיטֵב | hahēṭēv | (is it) rightly |
| חָרָה | ḥārā | it burned |
| לָךְ | lākh | to you |
- הַהֵיטֵב: הֲ (question) + הֵיטֵב, an infinitive of יטב used as an adverb, “well, rightly”: “Is it rightly that it burned to you?”. Since הֵיטֵב can also mean “thoroughly”, some read “Are you very angry?”.
- לָךְ: לָךְ is again the pausal form of the masculine “to you” (see 1:11).
Jonah 4:5
וַיֵּצֵא יוֹנָה מִן־הָעִיר וַיֵּשֶׁב מִקֶּדֶם לָעִיר וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ שָׁם סֻכָּה וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחְתֶּיהָ בַּצֵּל עַד אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה מַה־יִּהְיֶה בָּעִיר
Wayyēṣē yōnā min-hāʿīr wayyēshev miqqedhem lāʿīr wayyaʿaś lō shām sukkā wayyēshev taḥtehā baṣṣēl ʿadh ʾăsher yirʾe ma-yihye bāʿīr
“Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city. He made himself a shelter there and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצֵא | wayyēṣē | and went out |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| מִן | min | from |
| הָעִיר | hāʿīr | the city |
| וַיֵּשֶׁב | wayyēshev | and sat |
| מִקֶּדֶם | miqqedhem | east |
| לָעִיר | lāʿīr | of the city |
| וַיַּעַשׂ | wayyaʿaś | and he made |
| לוֹ | lō | for himself |
| שָׁם | shām | there |
| סֻכָּה | sukkā | a shelter |
| וַיֵּשֶׁב | wayyēshev | and sat |
| תַּחְתֶּיהָ | taḥtehā | under it |
| בַּצֵּל | baṣṣēl | in the shade |
| עַד | ʿadh | until |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| יִרְאֶה | yirʾe | he would see |
| מַה | ma | what |
| יִּהְיֶה | yihye | would be |
| בָּעִיר | bāʿīr | in the city |
- מִקֶּדֶם: קֶדֶם means “front”, and so “east”: people oriented themselves facing the sunrise. מִקֶּדֶם לָעִיר = “on the east side of the city”.
- סֻכָּה: סֻכָּה is a booth or shelter of branches, the word behind the name of the festival of Sukkot.
- יִרְאֶה: Imperfects after עַד אֲשֶׁר look forward from that moment: “until he would see what would be”.
Jonah 4:6
וַיְמַן יְהוָה־אֱלֹהִים קִיקָיוֹן וַיַּעַל מֵעַל לְיוֹנָה לִהְיוֹת צֵל עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ לְהַצִּיל לוֹ מֵרָעָתוֹ וַיִּשְׂמַח יוֹנָה עַל־הַקִּיקָיוֹן שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה
Wayman yəḥawwe-ʾĕlōhīm qīqāyōn wayyaʿal mēʿal ləyōnā lihyōth ṣēl ʿal-rōshō ləhaṣṣīl lō mērāʿāthō wayyiśmaḥ yōnā ʿal-haqqīqāyōn śimḥā ghədhōlā
“Yəḥawwe God appointed a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his misery. And Jonah was very glad about the plant.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְמַן | wayman | and appointed |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| קִיקָיוֹן | qīqāyōn | a plant |
| וַיַּעַל | wayyaʿal | and it went up |
| מֵעַל | mēʿal | above |
| לְיוֹנָה | ləyōnā | Jonah |
| לִהְיוֹת | lihyōth | to be |
| צֵל | ṣēl | a shade |
| עַל | ʿal | over |
| רֹאשׁוֹ | rōshō | his head |
| לְהַצִּיל | ləhaṣṣīl | to deliver |
| לוֹ | lō | him |
| מֵרָעָתוֹ | mērāʿāthō | from his misery |
| וַיִּשְׂמַח | wayyiśmaḥ | and was glad |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| עַל | ʿal | about |
| הַקִּיקָיוֹן | haqqīqāyōn | the plant |
| שִׂמְחָה | śimḥā | a joy |
| גְדוֹלָה | ghədhōlā | great |
- וַיְמַן: וַיְמַן again (see 2:1): God “appoints” a fish, a plant (here), a worm (verse 7) and a wind (verse 8).
- יְהוָה: The names for God shift in this chapter: יְהוָה (verses 2–4), יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (here), הָאֱלֹהִים and אֱלֹהִים (verses 7–9), and יְהוָה again (verse 10). Readers explain the changes in different ways.
- קִיקָיוֹן: קִיקָיוֹן occurs only in this chapter. It is often identified as the castor-oil plant; older translations say “gourd” or “ivy”.
- לְהַצִּיל: לְהַצִּיל, “to rescue”, sounds like צֵל, “shade”, three words earlier.
- מֵרָעָתוֹ: רָעָה once more: here “his misery, his discomfort”. The same word was Nineveh's “evil” and the “harm” God had threatened.
- שִׂמְחָה: וַיִּשְׂמַח … שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה, “he rejoiced a great joy”: the same pattern as וַיֵּרַע … רָעָה גְדוֹלָה in verse 1.
Jonah 4:7
וַיְמַן הָאֱלֹהִים תּוֹלַעַת בַּעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר לַמָּחֳרָת וַתַּךְ אֶת־הַקִּיקָיוֹן וַיִּיבָשׁ
Wayman hāʾĕlōhīm tōlaʿath baʿălōth hashshaḥar lammoḥŏrāth wattakh ʾeth-haqqīqāyōn wayyīvāsh
“But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm, and it attacked the plant, and it withered.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְמַן | wayman | and appointed |
| הָאֱלֹהִים | hāʾĕlōhīm | God |
| תּוֹלַעַת | tōlaʿath | a worm |
| בַּעֲלוֹת | baʿălōth | at the coming up of |
| הַשַּׁחַר | hashshaḥar | the dawn |
| לַמָּחֳרָת | lammoḥŏrāth | the next day |
| וַתַּךְ | wattakh | and it struck |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| הַקִּיקָיוֹן | haqqīqāyōn | the plant |
| וַיִּיבָשׁ | wayyīvāsh | and it withered |
- בַּעֲלוֹת: בְּ + an infinitive = “when”: בַּעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר, “at the going up of the dawn”.
- וַתַּךְ: וַתַּךְ is feminine (“she struck”) because תּוֹלַעַת, “worm”, is a feminine noun. It is the Hiphil of נכה, “strike”: the נ has merged into the כּ, and the final ה has dropped.
Jonah 4:8
וַיְהִי כִּזְרֹחַ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיְמַן אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ קָדִים חֲרִישִׁית וַתַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַל־רֹאשׁ יוֹנָה וַיִּתְעַלָּף וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת וַיֹּאמֶר טוֹב מוֹתִי מֵחַיָּי
Wayhī kizrōaḥ hashshemesh wayman ʾĕlōhīm rūaḥ qādhīm ḥărīshīth wattakh hashshemesh ʿal-rōsh yōnā wayyithʿallāf wayyishʾal ʾeth-nafshō lāmūth wayyōmer ṭōv mōthī mēḥayyāy
“When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head, and he grew faint. He asked to die, and said, “My death is better than my life.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and it was |
| כִּזְרֹחַ | kizrōaḥ | when rose |
| הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ | hashshemesh | the sun |
| וַיְמַן | wayman | and appointed |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| רוּחַ | rūaḥ | a wind |
| קָדִים | qādhīm | east |
| חֲרִישִׁית | ḥărīshīth | scorching |
| וַתַּךְ | wattakh | and struck |
| הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ | hashshemesh | the sun |
| עַל | ʿal | on |
| רֹאשׁ | rōsh | the head of |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| וַיִּתְעַלָּף | wayyithʿallāf | and he grew faint |
| וַיִּשְׁאַל | wayyishʾal | and he asked |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| נַפְשׁוֹ | nafshō | his life |
| לָמוּת | lāmūth | to die |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and said |
| טוֹב | ṭōv | (is) better |
| מוֹתִי | mōthī | my death |
| מֵחַיָּי | mēḥayyāy | than my life |
- כִּזְרֹחַ: כְּ + an infinitive also means “when”: כִּזְרֹחַ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, “when the sun rose”.
- חֲרִישִׁית: חֲרִישִׁית occurs only here, and its meaning is uncertain: “scorching”, “sultry” and “still” have all been suggested.
- וַתַּךְ: וַתַּךְ again, “and (she) struck”: here the subject is שֶׁמֶשׁ, “sun”, treated as feminine. (The grammar code lists the verb as masculine.)
- וַיִּשְׁאַל: שָׁאַל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת, “he asked his life to die”: he asked for death. Elijah is described with the same words in 1 Kings 19:4.
- טוֹב: The same words as verse 3: טוֹב מוֹתִי מֵחַיָּי.
Jonah 4:9
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־יוֹנָה הַהֵיטֵב חָרָה־לְךָ עַל־הַקִּיקָיוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר הֵיטֵב חָרָה־לִי עַד־מָוֶת
Wayyōmer ʾĕlōhīm ʾel-yōnā hahēṭēv ḥārā-ləkhā ʿal-haqqīqāyōn wayyōmer hēṭēv ḥārā-lī ʿadh-māweth
“God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, angry enough to die.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and said |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| יוֹנָה | yōnā | Jonah |
| הַהֵיטֵב | hahēṭēv | (is it) rightly |
| חָרָה | ḥārā | it burned |
| לְךָ | ləkhā | to you |
| עַל | ʿal | about |
| הַקִּיקָיוֹן | haqqīqāyōn | the plant |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and he said |
| הֵיטֵב | hēṭēv | rightly |
| חָרָה | ḥārā | it burned |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| עַד | ʿadh | unto |
| מָוֶת | māweth | death |
- הַהֵיטֵב: The question of verse 4 again, now “about the plant”.
- הֵיטֵב: Jonah answers with the question's own words, without the question marker הֲ: הֵיטֵב חָרָה לִי, “rightly it burned to me”.
- מָוֶת: עַד־מָוֶת, “until death”. מָוֶת is the absolute form; מוֹת (as in מוֹתִי) is the form used before an ending or another noun.
Jonah 4:10
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אַתָּה חַסְתָּ עַל־הַקִּיקָיוֹן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָמַלְתָּ בּוֹ וְלֹא גִדַּלְתּוֹ שֶׁבִּן־לַיְלָה הָיָה וּבִן־לַיְלָה אָבָד
Wayyōmer yəḥawwe ʾattā ḥastā ʿal-haqqīqāyōn ʾăsher lō-ʿāmaltā bō wəlō ghiddaltō shebbin-laylā hāyā ūvin-laylā ʾāvādh
“Yəḥawwe said, “You pitied the plant, for which you did not labor and which you did not make grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and said |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אַתָּה | ʾattā | you |
| חַסְתָּ | ḥastā | had pity |
| עַל | ʿal | on |
| הַקִּיקָיוֹן | haqqīqāyōn | the plant |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | which |
| לֹא | lō | not |
| עָמַלְתָּ | ʿāmaltā | you labored |
| בּוֹ | bō | on it |
| וְלֹא | wəlō | and not |
| גִדַּלְתּוֹ | ghiddaltō | you made it grow |
| שֶׁבִּן | shebbin | which a son of |
| לַיְלָה | laylā | a night |
| הָיָה | hāyā | came to be |
| וּבִן | ūvin | and a son of |
| לַיְלָה | laylā | a night |
| אָבָד | ʾāvādh | perished |
- אַתָּה: The pronoun אַתָּה is written out though the verb already says “you”, which stresses it. Verse 11 answers with וַאֲנִי, “and I”.
- גִדַּלְתּוֹ: Piel of גדל, “be great”: “make great, make grow”, + ־וֹ “it”.
- שֶׁבִּן: שֶׁ (short for אֲשֶׁר) + בִּן־לַיְלָה, “son of a night”. Hebrew uses “son of” for age or belonging: “a night old”, it lasted one night.
Jonah 4:11
וַאֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס עַל־נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ־בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה מִשְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹ אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַע בֵּין־יְמִינוֹ לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ וּבְהֵמָה רַבָּה
Waʾănī lō ʾāḥūs ʿal-nīnəwē hāʿīr haggədhōlā ʾăsher yesh-bāh harbē mishtēm-ʿeśrē ribbō ʾādhām ʾăsher lō-yādhaʿ bēn-yəmīnō liśmōlō ūvəhēmā rabbā
““And should I not pity Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and many animals?””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנִי | waʾănī | and I |
| לֹא | lō | not |
| אָחוּס | ʾāḥūs | should I pity |
| עַל | ʿal | on |
| נִינְוֵה | nīnəwē | Nineveh |
| הָעִיר | hāʿīr | the city |
| הַגְּדוֹלָה | haggədhōlā | the great |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | which |
| יֶשׁ | yesh | there are |
| בָּהּ | bāh | in it |
| הַרְבֵּה | harbē | more |
| מִשְׁתֵּים | mishtēm | than two |
| עֶשְׂרֵה | ʿeśrē | ten (= twelve) |
| רִבּוֹ | ribbō | ten-thousands |
| אָדָם | ʾādhām | people |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | who |
| לֹא | lō | not |
| יָדַע | yādhaʿ | know |
| בֵּין | bēn | between |
| יְמִינוֹ | yəmīnō | their right hand |
| לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ | liśmōlō | (and) their left |
| וּבְהֵמָה | ūvəhēmā | and animals |
| רַבָּה | rabbā | many |
- לֹא: There is no question word; the question comes from the context: “And I, should I not pity…?”. The book ends with this question.
- אָחוּס: The same verb as verse 10, חוּס, “pity”: “you pitied… should I not pity?”.
- הַרְבֵּה: הַרְבֵּה is a Hiphil infinitive of רבה, “be many”, used as an adverb: “much, more”. With מִן: “more than”.
- עֶשְׂרֵה: שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹ, “twelve ten-thousands” = 120,000.
- בֵּין: “Not knowing between right and left” is read as not knowing right from wrong, or as a way of describing small children.
- וּבְהֵמָה: The last words of the book are “and many animals”. The animals also wore sackcloth in 3:7–8.
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