Jonah 4:2

And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

And he prayed {H6419} unto the LORD {H3068}, and said {H559}, I pray {H577} thee, O LORD {H3068}, was not this my saying {H1697}, when I was yet in my country {H127}? Therefore I fled {H1272} before {H6923} unto Tarshish {H8659}: for I knew {H3045} that thou art a gracious {H2587} God {H410}, and merciful {H7349}, slow {H750} to anger {H639}, and of great {H7227} kindness {H2617}, and repentest {H5162} thee of the evil {H7451}.

He prayed to ADONAI, "Now, ADONAI, didn't I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That's why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment.

So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.

And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

Commentary

Jonah 4:2 captures a pivotal and deeply ironic moment in the book of Jonah. Here, the prophet expresses his profound displeasure to the LORD, not because God failed to act, but precisely because He did act according to His character of mercy. Jonah reveals that his initial flight from God's command to preach in Nineveh was motivated by his accurate, yet resented, understanding of God's compassionate nature.

Context

This verse immediately follows God's decision to spare the city of Nineveh after its inhabitants, from the king to the common person, repented in response to Jonah's brief message of impending destruction. Instead of rejoicing at this massive turning to God, Jonah is furious. His prayer here is not one of thanksgiving or humble submission, but a bitter complaint, essentially saying, "I told you so!" He reminds God that this was his fear all along – that God would be too merciful to execute the judgment Jonah desired for the Assyrians, Nineveh's capital, who were Israel's enemies. This reveals Jonah's deep-seated prejudice and nationalism overriding his prophetic calling and understanding of God's universal love.

Key Themes

  • God's Unchanging Character: The core of Jonah's complaint is an accurate theological statement about God's nature. He knows God is "gracious," "merciful," "slow to anger," "of great kindness," and one who "repents...of the evil" (meaning, relents from threatened judgment). These attributes are central to God's self-revelation, notably in Exodus 34:6-7, a passage foundational to Israelite theology.
  • Jonah's Selfish Disobedience: Jonah's admission, "Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish," highlights that his flight (Jonah 1:3) was not out of fear of the task, but out of a desire for God's judgment to fall on Nineveh, rather than His mercy. He wanted God to be just in a way that aligned with his own prejudices, not in a way that reflected God's expansive compassion.
  • Divine Compassion vs. Human Prejudice: The book of Jonah powerfully contrasts God's boundless mercy, which extends even to Israel's enemies, with the narrow-mindedness and ethnocentricity of His prophet. God's willingness to "repent of the evil" (meaning, to turn from the threatened destruction) demonstrates His desire for salvation over judgment, a theme echoed in 2 Peter 3:9, which states God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Linguistic Insights

The description of God in this verse is a direct quote or strong allusion to a well-known confessional statement in the Old Testament, particularly from Exodus 34:6. The Hebrew terms are significant:

  • "Gracious God" (El Channun): Emphasizes God's benevolence and favor, especially towards the undeserving.
  • "Merciful" (Rachum): Implies deep compassion, often associated with a mother's tender care.
  • "Slow to anger" (Erech Appayim): Literally "long of nostrils," an idiom for great patience and forbearance, not quick to punish.
  • "Of great kindness" (Rav Chesed): Refers to abundant steadfast love, loyalty, and faithfulness.
  • "Repentest thee of the evil" (wenicham al hara'ah): This does not mean God repents of moral wrongdoing, but rather that He "relents" or "changes His mind" regarding the threatened punishment or disaster (the "evil" in this context refers to the calamity God intended to bring upon Nineveh). It signifies God's flexibility and responsiveness to human repentance.

Practical Application

Jonah 4:2 challenges us to examine our own hearts. Do we truly desire God's mercy for all people, even those we consider our enemies or those we disagree with? Or do we, like Jonah, secretly wish for judgment upon those we deem unworthy of grace? This verse reminds us that God's character of boundless grace, mercy, and patience is foundational to His nature, and His ways are often higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9). It calls us to align our hearts with God's compassionate will for all humanity, embracing His desire for repentance and salvation rather than clinging to our own prejudices.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 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 — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Exodus 34:6

    And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

  • Exodus 34:7

    Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation].

  • Psalms 86:15

    But thou, O Lord, [art] a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

  • Numbers 14:18

    The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].

  • Numbers 14:19

    Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

  • Joel 2:13

    And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

  • Joel 2:14

    Who knoweth [if] he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
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