This chapter gives us an account of Jonah’s displeasure at the repentance of the Ninevites, and at the Lord’s showing mercy unto them, Jonah 4:1; the angry prayer of Jonah upon it, Jonah 4:2, Jonah 4:3; the Lord’s gentle reproof of him for it, Jonah 4:4; his conduct upon that, Jonah 4:5; the gourd…

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. ] Jonah was “mirabilis homo”, as one calls him, an “amazing man”; the strangest, oddest, and most out of the way man, for a good man and a prophet, as one shall ever hear or read of.

And he prayed unto the Lord But in a very different manner from his praying in the fish’s belly: this was a very disorderly prayer, put up in the hurry of his spirit, and in the heat of passion: prayer should be fervent indeed, but not like that of a man in a fever; there should be a warmth and…

Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, &c.] Or, “my soul” [[22]]. This, as Drusius remarks, may be observed against those that think the soul is not immortal; for by this it appears that it my be taken from the body, and that it exists separate from it, and does not die with…

Then said the Lord, dost thou well to be angry? ] A mild and gentle reproof this; which shows him to be a God gracious and merciful, and slow to anger; he might have answered Jonah’s passionate wish, and struck him dead at once, as Ananias and Sapphira were; but he only puts this question, and…

So Jonah went out of the city Had not the inhabitants of it repented, he had done right to go out of it, and shake the dust of his feet against it; or, in such a case, had he gone out of it, as Lot out of Sodom, when just going to be overthrown; but Jonah went out in a sullen fit, because it was to…

And the Lord God prepared a gourd So the Septuagint render the word; but some say that a worm will not touch that; Jerom renders it an ivy; but neither the gourd nor that rise upwards without some props to support them.

But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, &c.] That God that prepared this plant to rise so suddenly, almost as soon prepared a worm to destroy it; for it rose up one night, continued one whole day, to the great delight of Jonah; and by the morning of the following day this worm…

And it came to pass when the sun did arise After that the gourd was smitten and withered; when it was not only risen, but shone out with great force and heat: that God prepared a vehement east wind; or, “a deafening east wind” [[19]]; which blew so strong, and so loud, as R.

And God said to Jonah, dost thou well to be angry for the gourd? &c.] Or, “art thou very angry for it?” as the Targum: no mention is made of the blustering wind and scorching sun, because the gourd or plant raised up over him would have protected him from the injuries of both, had it continued; and…

Then said the Lord, thou hast had pity on the gourd Or, “hast spared it” [[2]]; that is, would have spared it, had it lain in his power, though but a weeds and worthless thing: for the which thou hast not laboured; in digging the ground, and by sowing or planting it; it being raised up at once by…

And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city? &c.] See ; what is such a gourd or plant to that? wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons; or twelve myriads; that is, twelve times ten thousand, or a hundred and twenty thousand; meaning not all the inhabitants of Nineveh; for then it would…