TRV
Translation
King James Version
And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant.
Berean Standard Bible
So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his evil case. So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd.
World English Bible Messianic
The LORD God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And the Lord God prepared a gourde, and made it to come vp ouer Ionah, that it might be a shadowe ouer his head and deliuer him from his griefe. So Ionah was exceeding glad of the gourde.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah God appointeth a gourd, and causeth it to come up over Jonah, to be a shade over his head, to give deliverance to him from his affliction, and Jonah rejoiceth because of the gourd with great joy.
In the KJVVerse 22,575 of 31,102
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Tyrannius RufinusAD 411
The Apology of Rufinus (Book II), Section 35
This has been the present which you have made us with your excess of wisdom, that we are all judged even by the heathen as lacking in wisdom... The ears of simple men among the Latins ought not after four hundred years to be molested by the sound of new doctrines... Now you are yourself saying... When the world has grown old and all things are hastening to their end, let us change the inscriptions upon the tombs of the ancients, so that it may be known by those who had read the story otherwise, that it was not a gourd but an ivy plant under whose shade Jonah rested; and that, when our legislator pleases, it will no longer be the shade of ivy but of some other plant.
JeromeAD 420
Augustine Letter 75 (From Jerome), Chapter 7, Section 22
You tell me that I have given a wrong translation of some word in Jonah, and that a worthy bishop narrowly escaped losing his charge through the clamorous tumult of his people, which was caused by the different rendering of this one word. At the same time, you withhold from me what the word was which I have mistranslated; thus taking away the possibility of my saying anything in my own vindication, lest my reply should be fatal to your objection. Perhaps it is the old dispute about the gourd which has been revived, after slumbering for many long years since the illustrious man, who in that day combined in his own person the ancestral honours of the Cornelii and of Asinius Pollio, brought against me the charge of giving in my translation the word "ivy" instead of "gourd." I have already given a sufficient answer to this in my commentary on Jonah. At present, I deem it enough to say that in that passage, where the Septuagint has "gourd," and Aquila and the others have rendered the word "ivy" (κίσσος), the Hebrew manuscript has "ciceion," which is in the Syriac tongue, as now spoken, "ciceia." It is a kind of shrub having large leaves like a vine, and when planted it quickly springs up to the size of a small tree, standing upright by its own stem, without requiring any support of canes or poles, as both gourds and ivy do. If, therefore, in translating word for word, I had put the word "ciceia," no one would know what it meant; if I had used the word "gourd," I would have said what is not found in the Hebrew. I therefore put down "ivy," that I might not differ from all other translators. But if your Jews said, either through malice or ignorance, as you yourself suggest, that the word is in the Hebrew text which is found in the Greek and Latin versions, it is evident that they were either unacquainted with Hebrew, or have been pleased to say what was not true, in order to make sport of the gourd-planters.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 4
"And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." LXX: 'and the Lord commanded a gourd to grow up over the head of Jonah to form a shade to protect him from his evils. And Jonah was very glad of the gourd indeed. In this place a certain Canterius from the ancient family of Cornelii, (or as he himself says from the lineage of Asinius Pollion), has accused me recently, it seems, of sacrilege for having translated 'ivy' instead of 'gourd'. Apparently he feared that if ivy were taken instead of gourds that there would not be anything to drink in his secret place and his shade. And justly on the veins of this gourd, which are called saucomariae in general, it is customary to paint the image of the Apostles from which this individual has borrowed his name, which is not his own. If it is this easy to change ones name, (after having been the Cornelii, seditious consuls, they renamed themselves Paul Emile consuls), I ask myself why in surprise I should not be allowed to translate ivy instead of gourd. But let us return to more serious matters. For gourd or ivy in Hebrew we read qiqaion, which is also written qiqaia in the Syriac and Punic languages. It is a type of shrub or sapling with wide leaves like a vine, and which casts a large shadow and is supported by a trunk and often is found growing in Palestine especially in sandy areas. It is interesting to note that if the seed is cast on the ground it germinates quickly and in a few days it can be seen to have grown from a seedling to a bush. For my part when I was translating the prophets I wanted to just transliterate the Hebrew word seeing that Latin has no word for this kind of tree. But I feared that the men of letters would find in this some argument, imagining those animals of India or the mountains of Boeotia or even other marvels of this type. I have also followed the example of the former translators who translated it as ivy, in Greek chissos, because they had no other word to use. let us now look carefully at the story, and having looked at the mythical meaning then go on to study each word individually. The gourd and the ivy creep along the ground by their nature, and if they have no restraints or ladders as support they do not try to climb. How is it possible then that a gourd could grow up without the prophet knowing in one night to provide shade, if its nature is not to climb unless it has some supports, reeds or pegs to hold on to? Although the gourd, offering a miracle in its sudden appearance, and showing the power of God in the protection of a leafy shade, was only following its own nature. Even this though can refer to the person of the Lord Saviour, let us not completely abandon our gourd on account of our philocholochunthon, so that we remember that passage of Isaiah, which says, "and the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, or as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." [Is. 1:8] And because we do not find a gourd mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures let us say then that where the cucumber grows gourds usually grow too. And Israel is compared to this kind of plant because, at a certain time, it protected Jonah with its shadow whilst he was waiting the conversion of the gentiles and made him feel greatly happy. It made more a shady shelter for him rather than a house, and that suggests a roof of some kind but not having the foundations of a house. Moreover the gourd, our little bush, which grows quickly and dries quickly, could be compared to Israel, pushing its little roots into the ground and trying to raise itself up, but is not able to equal the height of cedars [Ps. 79:11] and cypress trees [Is. 37:24; Zac. 11:2] of God. It seems to me that one could interpret the locusts that were food for John similarly, who said symbolising Israel, "It must grow but I must die" [John 3:30]. The locust, a small animal with weak wings managing to rise up from the ground but not able to fly very high so that it is better called a reptile yet not similar either to birds.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Augustine Letter 71 (To Jerome), Chapter 3, Section 5
A certain bishop, one of our brethren, having introduced in the church over which he presides the reading of your version, came upon a word in the book of the prophet Jonah, of which you have given a very different rendering from that which had been of old familiar to the senses and memory of all the worshippers, and had been chanted for so many generations in the church. [Jonah 4:6] Thereupon arose such a tumult in the congregation, especially among the Greeks, correcting what had been read, and denouncing the translation as false, that the bishop was compelled to ask the testimony of the Jewish residents (it was in the town of Oea). These, whether from ignorance or from spite, answered that the words in the Hebrew manuscripts were correctly rendered in the Greek version, and in the Latin one taken from it. What further need I say? The man was compelled to correct your version in that passage as if it had been falsely translated, as he desired not to be left without a congregation — a calamity which he narrowly escaped. From this case we also are led to think that you may be occasionally mistaken. You will also observe how great must have been the difficulty if this had occurred in those writings which cannot be explained by comparing the testimony of languages now in use.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Augustine Letter 82 (To Jerome), Chapter 5, Section 35
I desire, moreover, your translation of the Septuagint, in order that we may be delivered, so far as is possible, from the consequences of the notable incompetency of those who, whether qualified or not, have attempted a Latin translation; and in order that those who think that I look with jealousy on your useful labours, may at length, if it be possible, perceive that my only reason for objecting to the public reading of your translation from the Hebrew in our churches was, lest, bringing forward anything which was, as it were, new and opposed to the authority of the Septuagint version, we should trouble by serious cause of offense the flocks of Christ, whose ears and hearts have become accustomed to listen to that version to which the seal of approbation was given by the apostles themselves. Wherefore, as to that shrub in the book of Jonah, if in the Hebrew it is neither "gourd" nor "ivy," but something else which stands erect, supported by its own stem without other props, I would prefer to call it "gourd" in all our Latin versions; for I do not think that the Seventy would have rendered it thus at random, had they not known that the plant was something like a gourd.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
LETTER 102:6
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.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jonah 4:6 describes the LORD God's compassionate and sovereign intervention in Jonah's life following the prophet's bitter complaint and desire for death. As Jonah sat outside Nineveh, exposed to the elements and consumed by self-pity over God's mercy towards the city, God miraculously caused a fast-growing plant, a gourd, to spring up and provide shade over Jonah's head. This act of divine provision brought Jonah immense, albeit temporary, relief and joy, setting the stage for God's subsequent, profound lesson on compassion and misplaced priorities.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse is rich in Symbolism, with the gourd serving as a potent symbol of God's temporary, yet real, provision and comfort. It also symbolizes the fleeting nature of earthly blessings and the potential for humans to place undue value on them. The narrative employs Irony by portraying Jonah's "exceeding gladness" over a plant, contrasting sharply with his profound anger and despair over the salvation of Nineveh. This highlights the absurdity of his spiritual state. God's action of "preparing" the gourd is an example of Anthropomorphism, attributing human-like actions (planning, preparing) to God, emphasizing His active and personal involvement in the world. Furthermore, the rapid appearance and subsequent disappearance of the gourd (foreshadowed by its nature and explicitly stated in Jonah 4:7) serve as a Foreshadowing device, preparing the reader for the deeper lesson God will impart regarding the transient nature of personal comforts versus the eternal value of human souls.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jonah 4:6 profoundly illustrates God's active and compassionate sovereignty over all creation. Even when His prophet is disobedient, self-pitying, and stubbornly resistant to His will, God does not abandon him. Instead, He extends grace and provides comfort, not merely for ease, but as a pedagogical tool. This divine provision underscores God's inexhaustible patience and His commitment to drawing His people into a deeper understanding of His character, particularly His boundless mercy that extends to all, even those we deem unworthy. Jonah's misplaced joy in the gourd highlights a universal human tendency to prioritize personal comfort and fleeting blessings over God's eternal purposes and the spiritual well-being of others.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This passage serves as a powerful mirror for our own hearts. God's provision of the gourd, even for a rebellious Jonah, reminds us that His grace often meets us in our weakness, our stubbornness, and even our self-pity. He provides comfort, not just for our ease, but often as a means to draw us closer to Him and to reveal deeper truths about His character and our own misplaced affections. We are challenged to examine what truly brings us "exceeding gladness." Is our joy rooted in temporary comforts, personal preferences, or the fleeting pleasures of this world? Or is it found in seeing God's redemptive work unfold, in His compassion for all people, and in aligning our hearts with His expansive, saving purposes? The story of the gourd invites us to re-evaluate our priorities and to cultivate a joy that is rooted in eternal realities, rather than transient comforts.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What kind of plant was the "gourd" mentioned in Jonah 4:6?
Answer: The Hebrew word qîyqâyôwn (H7021), translated as "gourd," does not refer to the common squash or pumpkin. While its exact botanical identification is debated among scholars, the most widely accepted theory is that it refers to the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). This plant is known for its remarkably rapid growth, large, broad leaves that provide excellent shade, and its relatively short lifespan, which aligns perfectly with the narrative's requirements for a plant that grows quickly and then withers just as swiftly (as described in Jonah 4:7). Its rapid appearance and disappearance are crucial to the pedagogical lesson God intends to convey to Jonah about the transient nature of earthly comforts compared to the enduring value of human souls.
Why did God provide the gourd only to take it away shortly thereafter?
Answer: God's provision of the gourd, followed by its swift destruction, was a deliberate and masterful act of divine pedagogy. The gourd served as a tangible object lesson, designed to expose Jonah's misplaced compassion and self-centeredness. By allowing Jonah to experience intense joy over the temporary comfort of the plant, and then intense grief over its loss, God created a parallel to Jonah's lack of compassion for Nineveh. God's subsequent question to Jonah in Jonah 4:9-11 directly contrasts Jonah's concern for a plant (which he did not cultivate) with God's infinitely greater concern for the vast population of Nineveh. The gourd's transient nature underscored the fleeting quality of earthly comforts, preparing Jonah (and the reader) to grasp the profound and lasting value of human lives and God's expansive mercy.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The divine provision of the gourd for Jonah, a rebellious prophet, foreshadows God's ultimate and perfect provision for humanity in Jesus Christ. Just as the gourd offered temporary shade and relief from the sun's scorching heat, Jesus is the ultimate source of spiritual rest and refuge from the oppressive burdens of sin and the curse of the law, inviting all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. God's patient care for Jonah, despite his deep-seated prejudice and self-pity, mirrors Christ's unwavering patience and compassion for His disciples, even in their failures and misunderstandings, such as Peter's denial. Moreover, Jonah's misplaced joy in a temporary plant, rather than in the salvation of a great city, stands in stark contrast to the joy of heaven over one sinner who repents. Jesus continually calls His followers to prioritize the eternal over the temporal, to find their ultimate delight not in fleeting comforts but in the advancement of God's kingdom and the salvation of souls, understanding that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. In Christ, God's sovereign provision is not merely for physical comfort or pedagogical lessons, but for eternal life and reconciliation, offering a shade that never withers and a joy that is everlasting.