The curtain is about to go up on the final scene of this magnificent drama. One might be tempted to wonder why this scene is necessary. The conclusion of chapter 3 seems like a wonderfully happy ending with a successful ministry and the repentance of a whole city. Yet, there are many questions that are left unanswered, and the true climax is yet to come. We still do not yet know (1) why Jonah rebelled in the first place and (2) why Yhwh sent him to Nineveh in the first place. This climactic final scene will reveal both the hearts of Jonah and Yhwh in a most unexpected way.
Jonah’s Heart Revealed (vv. 1-3)
The parallelism between the first (1:1-2:10) and second (3:1-4:11) act of this drama continues in this final scene. The final scene of act 1 (1:17-2:10) began by returning to Jonah when the spotlight had shifted to the Gentile sailors. Chapter 3 mainly focused on the citizens of Nineveh, having left Jonah after 3:4. We first read of Jonah’s position in relation to the situation just described in 3:5-10 before receiving yet another prayer from Jonah.
Jonah’s Position (v. 1)
“But He had done wickedness unto Jonah a great wickedness, and he became angry.”
This scene opens with perhaps the most shocking statement of the entire book. The fact that God relented of the wickedness or calamity (רָעָה) He declared against Nineveh is considered by Jonah to be a great wickedness (רעע) itself. Jonah considers God’s relenting of wickedness a great wickedness done unto him (אֶל־יוֹנָה).
On account of this apparent slight, Jonah becomes angry. The text does not specify the object of his anger, but all signs point to the fact that he is angry with Yhwh, the one who “failed” to overthrow Nineveh. This is not the response we were expecting from the prophet who supposedly learned his lesson in the stomach of the great fish, that salvation is of Yhwh (2:9). How could any prophet be angry when his preaching was met with (for what seems to be) 100% acceptance and repentance? It seems that Jonah is virtually unchanged from when we first met him. This assumption is confirmed by his prayer.
Jonah’s Prayer (vv. 2-3)
The use of פלל at the beginning of v. 2 mirrors Jonah’s prayer in the stomach of the great fish. This prayer parallels the first prayer structurally regarding the outline of the narrative although it is nothing like the previous prayer of thanksgiving for Yhwh’s salvation. Yet, contained within this prayer of irritation we finally receive answers to several of our questions as Jonah reveals the rationale behind his actions and then makes an absurdly bold request.
Jonah’s Rationale (v. 2)
“And he prayed unto Yhwh and said, ‘Please Yhwh, is this not my word while I was still upon my land? Therefore, I got up to flee to Tarshish. Because I knew that You are a gracious God and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loyal love and relenting against wickedness.’’”
Now we finally know why Jonah ran away in the first place. Not only this, but we can now confirm that we’ve been withheld information from the very beginning. Jonah mentions that he made a reply to Yhwh’s initial command in 1:2. We read nothing of the fact in the narrative and yet Jonah clearly refers to it here. There was some kind of discussion between Yhwh and His prophet that was left unrecorded until now. It is not a coincidence that Jonah’s word (דְבָרִי) seems to butt heads with the Word of Yhwh (דְבַר־יְהוָה). Jonah fled to Tarshish precisely because he feared that crying unto Nineveh may very well result with their repentance.
Given the fact that we were never expressly told the precise content of Jonah’s message, it may seem that this was a huge logical leap for Jonah. Yet he supports his hypothesis with an orthodox credo regarding Yhwh’s character, nature, and will. The precedence for this credo is found in Ex. 34:6 (Yhwh’s revelation of Himself to Moses as a promise and guarantee of His covenant fidelity in the aftermath of Israel’s rebellion with the golden calf) with a shorter version also in Num. 14:18 (part of Moses’ prayer of intercession regarding Israel’s rebellion in refusing to enter the Promised Land). Jonah knew that Yhwh is a God who forgives those who repent. This is a characteristic that most men find reason to praise Yhwh for (Ps. 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 145:8; Neh. 9:17, 31; 2 Chr. 30:9). Yet Jonah throws Yhwh’s compassion, grace, patience, and loyal love in His face. Grace toward Israel is not only acceptable, it’s applaudable. This same grace shown to Nineveh is totally unacceptable.
All credibility Jonah may have regained in chapters 2-3 is completely lost where the audience is concerned. How can this prophet dictate to Yhwh the terms and conditions of His grace? The situation is actually worse than it seems, for while Jonah’s words echo the credo first established in Ex. 34:6, it is a direct quotation from Joel 2:13. The whole book of Joel is petition to Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah to repent in light of the coming Day of Yhwh, a calamity wrought by God. Joel’s mission to Judah was not unlike Jonah’s mission to Nineveh. Joel 2:13 is the basis and rationale why Judah must repent: because Yhwh is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love, and relenting of wickedness. Jonah knew Joel and he knew that the promises Joel made to Judah would be indicative of all who call on the name of Yhwh. In other words, Jonah knew that God’s grace would be extended even to these wicked Gentiles if they repented. This odd rationale gives way to Jonah’s bizarre request.
Jonah’s Request (v. 3)
“And now Yhwh, please take my soul from me; because my death is more good than my life.”
That this prayer has a request at all puts it at odds with its counterpart in chapter 2. In his first prayer, Jonah made no request whatsoever but reserved his breath for praise and thanksgiving. He thanked God for saving his soul (נֶפֶשׁ – 2:5, 7) and now requests that Yhwh should take his soul (נֶפֶשׁ) from him. Jonah is so upset that he wishes to die.
If the situation weren’t so serious it would be comical. Jonah’s words echo those of Elijah (1 Kings 19:4). It is almost as if Jonah sees himself as his generation’s Elijah. Yet, to the audience, Jonah is nothing of the kind. Elijah prayed in the despair that comes with failure. He had just called all Israel to choose between Yhwh and Baal. Their silence was far from an encouragement to the prophet who then had to run for his life. Jonah, on the other hand, is pouting about the massive success his ministry has yielded. That Jonah is lacking all the material that makes for a good hero is now obvious for all to see. His heart is laid bare, and it isn’t pretty.
Yhwh’s Heart Revealed (vv. 4-11)
The MT of the Hebrew Bible marks a paragraph break between v. 3 and v. 4. Jonah’s pouting prayer is therefore understood as a unit, marking the remainder of the chapter as Yhwh’s collective response. That Jonah is over his head is now obvious to everyone except Jonah. His theology is exact and precise, yet his reasoning could not be further from Yhwh’s will. As a gracious and compassionate God who is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, Yhwh will gently reveal His own heart to Jonah. This revelation comes in three parts. First, Yhwh will ask Jonah a probing question, for which Jonah makes no apparent reply (vv. 4-5). Next, God, as the creator and master of His creation, acts upon Jonah’s surroundings for his benefit as well as for his hurt (vv. 6-8). Finally, Yhwh will again approach Jonah with a similar probing question which will open the door to reveal Yhwh’s heart.
Yhwh Questions Jonah (vv. 4-5)
The grace and patience of Yhwh are on full display as He handles His prophet. Jonah has revealed time and again that he is not submissive to Yhwh’s rule. In fact, Jonah has proven that he is downright hostile to Yhwh. That position is enforced by Jonah’s rebellious and pitiful response to Yhwh’s piercing question.
Yhwh’s Question (v. 4)
“And Yhwh said, ‘Is it good for you to be angry?’”
That Yhwh responds at all to Jonah speaks volumes to His loyal love and slowness of anger. For all of Jonah’s orthodoxy, he is utterly lacking in humility and contriteness. Yet, Yhwh condescends to Jonah and asks him a straightforward question. Is Jonah’s anger good for him? The infinitive from יטב is placed forward for emphasis and functions adverbially to modify the verb to be angry (חרה). Normally translated “to be good, well”, יטב in the hifil stem carries the sense of doing right, what is well and good. The question ponders the rightness of Jonah’s anger in the sense of whether it is justified, correct, and right. “Is it right that you are angry? Do you have justification for your anger?” This is the response of a God who is slow to anger Himself. Jonah’s prayer is so absurd, so ill-fitting the immediate context, that it demands explanation. In His patience, Yhwh asks the prophet to provide that explanation.
Jonah’s Reply (v. 5)
“And Jonah went out from the city, and he sat from the east of the city. And he made from him there a booth, and he sat under it in the shadow; until which he could see what would happen in the city.”
That no reply from Jonah is recorded is now read with some question. Are we still being withheld information? Is this yet another ellipsis within the narrative? Or is Jonah really that brazen to walk out in the middle of Yhwh’s question? At this point, little from the prophet would surprise the audience.
It is probably best to understand that Jonah departed from the city shortly after he arrived (well before the forty days expired). Some assume that Jonah would not have known God had relented of the calamity (wickedness) that He had declared until after the forty days had elapsed, but this view fails to take into account two things: (1) Jonah is quite fond of ellipsis. We are now almost expecting that things are happening and being said without our (the audience’s) knowledge. God could have easily informed Jonah of His plan to stay Nineveh’s execution. (2) Jonah was still in the city. It doesn’t make much sense that Jonah would remain in the city if he thought that judgment was still a possibility. If the expiration of the forty-day time stamp was Jonah’s signal that God had relented, then why is he still in the city?
That Jonah leaves the city and sits down on the east side is an interesting detail. Clearly, he is not intending on going home, at least not yet. Otherwise, he would have exited the city to the west. He wants to see what’s going to happen. Granted, God said that He would not destroy the city. But then again, at one point He was (apparently) determined to do just that. God’s response to Jonah’s prayer was less than precise regarding His intentions. Could it be that He meant for Jonah to be patient? That He did intend to destroy the city after all? There was only one way to find out, sit and wait to see what was going to happen.
Jonah prepared to wait out the patience of God. One cannot simply sit out waiting under the Mesopotamian sun fully exposed to the elements. So, Jonah builds a crude shelter for himself. Literally, a booth (סֻכָּה). The same term used to describe the shelters used by Israelite worshipers at the feast of booths on account of their wilderness wandering (Lev. 23:34, 42, 43). It is as if Jonah awaits Yhwh to appear in a mighty way. His shelter prepared; Jonah is ready to wait for Yhwh to show up.
God Blesses & Curses Jonah (vv. 6-8)
The text is masterfully written. It is here that a thread woven throughout the whole book becomes evident. We noted that the name of God, “Yhwh” (the dominant term used throughout the book) was strangely absent from the previous chapter. One might be led to think that this has significance in that the men of Nineveh knew God, but not Yhwh. That solution seems less credible here in chapter 4. “Yhwh” (יְהוָה) is used exclusively in 4:1-5, 10-11 yet “God” (אֱלֹהִים) is specifically used in vv. 7-8. Interestingly enough, in v. 6 the emphatic “Yhwh God” (יְהוָה־אֱלֹהִים) is used to intertwine the two terms. There is significance in the choice of terms, but that significance is meant to emphasize a certain point rather than exclude.
The theme of Yhwh’s appointing returns in these verses. Three times God is said to “appoint” something: (1) the plant, (2) the worm, (3) the east wind. Each of these appointments have either a direct or indirect effect upon Jonah for good (a blessing) or for harm (a curse). To each of God’s blessings and curses, Jonah is ready and willing to respond.
God Appoints Blessing (v. 6)
“And Yhwh God appointed a plant, and it grew up above Jonah, to be shade above his head; to deliver for him from his wickedness. And Jonah rejoiced because of the plant a great joy.”
In the same way that God appointed (מנה) the great fish to swallow Jonah in 1:17, He now appoints (מנה) a plant to grow up over (עַל) Jonah to be shade over (עַל) his head. While the context clearly indicates that לְהַצִּיל לוֹ מֵרָעתוֹ should be understood as the plant delivering Jonah from his discomfort/calamity, the play on words with רָעָה (wickedness) continues. That God seeks to deliver or save (נצל – to deliver, rescue, save, preserve) Jonah from his own wickedness is too tempting a choice of words to pass by unnoticed. Jonah’s booth does not provide the dense shade of this plant and so he rejoices with a great joy. This is the first and only time Jonah is said to do anything of the kind. His joy is described in the same manner as the sailors’ fear (1:10, 16). While this joy is of the selfish, self-serving variety, Jonah is nevertheless rejoicing in God’s salvation from the elements. God has provided protection for the prophet’s head.
God Appoints Curses (vv. 7-8)
“And God appointed a worm, when down came the next day; and it smote the plant and it withered. And it was as the sun rose, that God appointed a scorching east wind; and the sun smote Jonah against the head and he became faint. And he asked his soul to die saying, ‘My death is more good than my life.’”
God’s interaction with His prophet turns from blessing to curse. As He appointed the plant to grow and protect Jonah, now He appoints a worm to kill the plant. The worm does not directly attack Jonah, but its attack has immediate consequences for Jonah who no longer enjoys the protection appointed by God. God then takes direct measures against Jonah by appointing an east wind, a scorching east wind or a sirocco, dumping hot desert air on Jonah with gale force. Ironically, if Jonah had at least waited on the west side of the city, he may have found a little protection from the wind. Instead of witnessing Nineveh’s destruction, Jonah stands between the city and the wind with nothing for protection. Where the plant shaded Jonah’s head, the sun now smites it.
Still considering himself as some kind of victim, Jonah repeats his “Elijah” prayer, though this is no longer a prayer. He does not speak to God, but to himself. The Hebrew clearly states that Jonah addresses his soul (וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת). Since God clearly denied this same request earlier, Jonah asks his soul to die. It is now clear that God’s wrath is not going to be poured out on Nineveh. Rather, it seems to be directed at him. Thus, it is better for Jonah to die than to live. It is almost as if the prophet is taunting God to just get on with it.
As with “wickedness” (רָעָה), there is another play on word developing with “good” (טוֹב/יטב). Jonah has now twice stated that his death is more good (טוֹב) than his life (vv. 3, 8). He would be better served in dying than by his life being preserved. Now, for the second time, Yhwh will ask Jonah what he considers to be good (יטב) or right.
Yhwh Questions Jonah (vv. 9-11)
Once again God will question Jonah and this time the audience will be certain of Jonah’s answer. God has been orchestrating all the events around Jonah to force this answer, an answer that will set the stage for the biggest revelation of all: the heart of Yhwh. This revelation comes in the form of two questions: (1) God’s final probing question to draw out Jonah’s confession (v. 9) and (2) Yhwh’s rhetorical question that reveals His own heart (vv. 10-11). These final verses are the true climax of Jonah’s narrative.
God’s Probing Question (v. 9)
“And God said unto Jonah, ‘Is it good for you to be angry against the plant?’ And he said, ‘It is good for me to be angry unto death.’”
This probing question is similar to God’s initial question in v. 4, though it is not exactly the same. This question is more specific and is aimed at Jonah’s reaction regarding the plant. Earlier in v. 4, Jonah’s anger seemed to be aimed at the Ninevites and their repentance. Now, Jonah is angry at the plant. The same plant over which Jonah rejoiced is now the object of his anger (עַל). Does Jonah have a right to be angry over the plant? Is it right, good for Jonah’s anger to burn against the plant? This time Jonah responds, though his response is shocking. Indeed, it is good for him to be angry. He is determined that his anger is justified to the point of death (עַד־מָוֶת). This is not the correct answer, and the audience knows it. Jonah could not be more out of line. Yet, this precisely the answer God was probing for because Jonah has now openly confessed his heart. With His next question, Yhwh will show Jonah His heart. How do the two compare?
Yhwh’s Revealing Question (vv. 10-11)
“And Yhwh said, ‘You had compassion upon the plant which you did not labor on it and did not make it great. Which overnight was and overnight perished. Should not I have compassion upon Nineveh the great city; which there in it are more than 120,000 men, who do not know his right hand to his left hand, also many beasts?’”
The text returns to the use of Yhwh (יְהוָה). The interchange in chapter 4 between יְהוָה and אֱלֹהִים seems to solidify that Yhwh is God (v. 6). Thus, that the Ninevites believed God (3:5) is to be understood in the same light as when the sailors called upon Yhwh (1:14) and feared Yhwh (1:16). The God in whom Nineveh believed is the same Yhwh to whom the sailors called. The One who interacts with Jonah is called both God and Yhwh.
A final play on words is added to the long list of the narrative. The verb חוס (to have compassion, look compassionately upon, to have pity) shares a root with the noun חֶסֶד (lovingkindness, loyal love). The compassion that Yhwh speaks of is the same loyalty that (1) idolators forsake (2:8) and (2) is a mark of Yhwh’s character (4:2). To this we must add yet another connection to Joel where that prophet beckoned the priests to cry out for Yhwh’s compassion (2:17). Jonah exhibited this kind of loyal love over the plant, which might be a good thing. But what had Jonah invested in this plant? It came up overnight and perished overnight. Jonah never planted it, pruned it, watered it, or cared for it in any way. Jonah reaped the benefits of the plant without putting in any work. What right does he have to now be angry over its demise?
There remains an unasked yet implicit question. If Jonah has no right to be angry over the plant, then who does? Who is it that labored over the plant? Who made it grow? Who appointed its destruction? Jonah has stumbled out of his sphere into the domain of Yhwh. He is out of his league.
The rhetorical question moves from the lesser to the greater to apply the same logic. If Jonah believes that he has a right to be angry over the destruction of something over which he has no claim, then is not Yhwh’s claim over Nineveh a thousand times stronger? The great city of Nineveh is only great because of its relationship with God (3:3). Yet, Nineveh has had this designation (great) from its earliest days (Gen. 10:11-12). Built by the descendants of Ham, Nineveh and the Assyrian people have a part in God’s plan (Mic. 4:1-3; Is. 2:2-4). Surely Yhwh has a right to have compassion on a city that is only great because He decreed it to be so, who only exist because Yhwh God made them. Does Yhwh not have a right to reveal Himself to whom He chooses? Is not Salvation from Him (2:9)?
The reference to the 120,000 is often thought to refer to children and a child’s ignorance. Yet the text does not refer to children, but men (אָדָם) or people. Likewise, the reference to cattle or beasts (בְּהֵמָה) is not sarcasm but a point of reference. The use of man (אָדָם) and beast (בְּהֵמָה) together is creation language (Gen. 1:26; 2:20). Yhwh is pointing Jonah to the fact that Nineveh is a part of His creation and thus a part of what must be redeemed. Is Nineveh not part of the nations who will be blessed through Abraham and his seed (Gen. 12:1-3)? Jonah is angry because justice was not meted out on the wicked when he should have been concerned with fulfilling his obligation to Yhwh as a herald of glad tidings to come. But the fact remains that Jonah, true to form, is Israel. Rebellious, unresponsive, and yet strangely entitled.
The abruptness of Jonah’s conclusion has the literary force of a sucker punch to the gut. The audience who has been utterly disenfranchised with Jonah are now faced with the reality that they are Jonah. Nineveh repented at the preaching of destruction, and it was right and good that Yhwh spared them for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love as He relents of wickedness. Will the rebellious northern kingdom under Jeroboam II take this to heart and repent? Or will they look the sirocco of Yhwh’s wrath in the face and dare Him to bring it on?
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