Jonah 4:6

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.

And the LORD {H3068} God {H430} prepared {H4487} a gourd {H7021}, and made it to come up {H5927} over Jonah {H3124}, that it might be a shadow {H6738} over his head {H7218}, to deliver {H5337} him from his grief {H7451}. So Jonah {H3124} was exceeding {H1419}{H8057} glad {H8055} of the gourd {H7021}.

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.

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.

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.

Commentary

Jonah 4:6 presents a pivotal moment in the narrative, where the LORD God intervenes directly in Jonah's physical comfort to set the stage for a profound spiritual lesson. After Jonah expresses his anger and desire for death due to God's mercy on Nineveh, this verse shows God's continued patience and provision for His disgruntled prophet.

Context

This verse follows Jonah's bitter complaint in Jonah 4:3, where he asks God to take his life, preferring death to seeing Nineveh spared. He had gone out of the city and sat to see what would happen to it. In this state of intense displeasure and exposure to the elements, God provides a miraculous plant to shield him. This act of divine kindness is a direct response to Jonah's physical discomfort and emotional distress, demonstrating God's compassionate nature even towards His disobedient servant.

Key Themes

  • God's Compassionate Provision: Even when Jonah is rebellious and self-pitying, God extends grace and comfort. The gourd is a tangible expression of God's immediate care for His creation, including a prophet who is at odds with His will. This highlights God's inexhaustible patience and desire to nurture, not merely punish.
  • Divine Pedagogy: The gourd is not just a comfort; it is a teaching tool. God uses this temporary relief to expose Jonah's misplaced priorities and self-centeredness, setting up the subsequent lesson about valuing human life over personal comfort or nationalistic prejudice.
  • The Fleeting Nature of Earthly Comforts: The rapid appearance and subsequent disappearance of the gourd (as revealed in Jonah 4:7) underscore the transient nature of all worldly blessings. Jonah's "exceeding gladness" over a temporary plant contrasts sharply with his lack of joy over the salvation of a great city.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "the LORD God prepared" is significant. The Hebrew verb used is manah (מָנָה), which means 'to appoint,' 'to ordain,' or 'to prepare.' This same verb is used to describe God's active orchestration throughout the book of Jonah: He prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17), He will prepare a worm to strike the gourd (Jonah 4:7), and He prepared a fervent east wind (Jonah 4:8). This repetition emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and control over all creation, using natural elements to fulfill His purposes and teach His lessons.

The "gourd" (קִיקָיוֹן - qîqāyôn) likely refers to a fast-growing plant, possibly a castor oil plant, known for its large leaves that provide quick shade. Its rapid growth and sudden demise are crucial to the lesson God intends to convey.

Practical Application

This verse reminds us that God's grace often meets us in our weakness and even in our stubbornness. 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. We are challenged to examine what brings us "exceeding gladness"—is it temporary comfort, or is it seeing God's redemptive work in the world? Our joy should ultimately be rooted in God's purposes, especially His compassion for all people, as highlighted in God's concluding question to Jonah in Jonah 4:11.

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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

  • Psalms 103:10 (4 votes)

    He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

  • Psalms 103:14 (4 votes)

    For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:30 (2 votes)

    And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

  • Isaiah 39:2 (2 votes)

    And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

  • Esther 5:9 (2 votes)

    ¶ Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.

  • Luke 10:20 (2 votes)

    Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

  • Jonah 1:17 (2 votes)

    Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.