Jonah 4:1

ยถ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

But it displeased {H3415} Jonah {H3124} exceedingly {H1419}{H7451}, and he was very angry {H2734}.

But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry.

Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

Commentary

Jonah 4:1 marks a pivotal moment immediately following the triumphant repentance of the great city of Nineveh. After God mercifully spared Nineveh as recorded in Jonah 3:10, the prophet Jonah's reaction is shockingly negative. This verse reveals his deep-seated resentment towards God's compassion for the Assyrians, a people considered enemies of Israel. It sheds light on the prophet's initial reluctance to obey God's call to go to Nineveh, hinting at his foreknowledge of God's merciful character (as he later states in Jonah 4:2) and his desire for their destruction instead. This stark contrast between God's grace and Jonah's anger sets the stage for the remainder of the book, exploring the depths of divine compassion versus human prejudice.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Conflict Between Human Prejudice and Divine Mercy: This verse starkly contrasts Jonah's narrow, nationalistic worldview with God's boundless, universal love and desire for all to repent. Jonah's anger highlights the human tendency to limit God's grace to those we deem worthy, rather than embracing His character as described in Exodus 34:6-7: "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."
  • The Nature of True Discipleship: It challenges believers to align their hearts with God's compassion, even for those we might deem undeserving or our adversaries.
  • God's Sovereignty Over Judgment and Grace: While Jonah desired immediate judgment for Nineveh, God's ultimate prerogative is to extend grace when genuine repentance occurs, demonstrating His patience and desire for salvation over destruction.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "it displeased Jonah exceedingly" translates from the Hebrew ra'ah gadolah (ืจึธืขึธื” ื’ึผึฐื“ึนืœึธื”), literally meaning "a great evil in his eyes." This emphasizes the profound negativity and intense personal offense Jonah felt towards God's act of mercy towards Nineveh. His subsequent state of being "very angry" comes from the Hebrew charah (ื—ึธืจึธื”), which means "to burn" or "to be hot," illustrating a fiery, passionate rage that consumed him, indicating an internal turmoil that went beyond mere annoyance.

Practical Application

Jonah's anger serves as a powerful mirror for us, prompting self-reflection on our own biases and prejudices. Do we genuinely rejoice when God shows mercy to those we consider our 'enemies' or 'outsiders'? This verse challenges us to cultivate a heart that reflects God's own character, one that longs for the salvation of all people, echoing the sentiment found in 2 Peter 3:9 that God is patient, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It reminds us that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts, as declared in Isaiah 55:8-9, calling us to surrender our limited perspectives to His infinite love.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Luke 15:28

    And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

  • Jonah 4:9

    And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, [even] unto death.

  • Jonah 4:4

    Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

  • Matthew 20:15

    Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

  • James 4:5

    Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

  • James 4:6

    But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

  • Luke 7:39

    Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
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