Jonah 4

1 Jonah, however, was greatly [exceedingly, to a very high degree] displeased [it seemed very wrong, was evil to him], and he became [was very] angry [incensed, furious, like a fire burning]. word study 2 So he prayed [to intercede, to ask for guidance] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], saying, “O LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God], is this not what I said [predicted, foretold] while I was still in my own country [land, territory]? This is why I was so quick [hasty, swift] to flee [escape, run away] toward Tarshish [a distant land, a place of refuge]. I knew [was aware, had understanding] that You are a gracious [merciful, compassionate] and compassionate [tender, loving] God, slow [patient, longsuffering] to anger [wrath, indignation], abounding [rich, abundant] in loving devotion [kindness, mercy]—One who relents [changes, turns away] from sending disaster [calamity, evil]. word study 3 And now [at this time, in this moment], O LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], please [I pray, I beseech] take my life [soul, living being] from me, for [because, since] it is better [more pleasant, more desirable] for me to die [to experience death, to cease living] than to live [to remain alive, to continue existing].” word study 4 But the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] replied, “Have you [do you have a right] any right [justification, a good reason] to be angry [incensed, furious, full of zeal]?” word study 5 Then Jonah [the prophet, son of Amittai] left the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] and sat down [to dwell, to remain] east [in the front, towards the rising sun] of it, where he made [to do, to construct] himself a shelter [a booth, a small temporary dwelling] and sat [to sit, to abide] in its shade [underneath the shadow, in the protection] to see [to look, to observe] what would happen [what would come to be, what would occur] to the city [the town, the settlement]. word study 6 So the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] God [Elohim, the supreme God] appointed [prepared, made to come up] a vine [a gourd, plant], and it grew up to provide [be a shade, deliver from] shade [shadow, protection] over Jonah’s [the prophet’s] head to ease [deliver from, rescue] his discomfort [grief, bad situation], and Jonah was greatly [exceedingly, with great joy] pleased [glad, rejoicing] with the plant [gourd, vine]. word study 7 When dawn [the beginning of a new day, at early morning] came the next day [tomorrow, the morrow], God [Elohim, the supreme God] appointed [prepared, made ready] a worm [maggot, a small insect] that attacked [struck, smote] the plant [gourd, a type of vine] so that it withered [dried up, became dry and dead]. word study 8 As the sun [the celestial body] was rising, God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] appointed a scorching [sultry, vehement] east wind [a cutting, harsh wind from the east], and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head [upon his life, his very being] so that he grew faint [wrapping himself up, overcome] and wished to die [requested death for himself, longing to pass away], saying, “It is better for me to die [to cease living, to perish] than to live [to continue in this life, to remain alive].” word study 9 Then God [Elohim, the supreme Being] asked Jonah, “Have you any right [justification, a good reason] to be angry [incensed, furious] about the plant [gourd, vine]?” “I do [it is right for me],” he replied. “I am angry [enraged, zealous] enough to die [until death, utterly]!” word study 10 But the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said, “You cared about [had pity on, showed compassion for] the plant [gourd, vine], which you neither tended [labored, worked] nor made grow [nourished, magnified]. It sprang up [came up, grew] in a night [a period of darkness, a short time] and perished [was destroyed, lost] in a night [a time of adversity, a brief period]. word study 11 So should I not care about [show compassion for, have pity on] the great [large, populous] city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people [human beings, souls] who cannot tell their right hand [the direction of strength] from their left [the direction of weakness], and many [a large number of, abundant] cattle [animals, livestock] as well?” word study