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Scott's Reference Library
Jonah 3:10 through Jonah 4:11 (NIV)
10When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he
had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2He prayed to the LORD, “O
LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so
quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God,
slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
3Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
5Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself
a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade
for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.
7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it
withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun
blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It
would be better for me to die than to live.”
9But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?”
“I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”
10But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did
not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11But
Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their
right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned
about that great city?”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Jonah 3:5 through Jonah 4:5
VERSES 5-10
There was a wonder of Divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh.
It condemns the men of the gospel generation, Matthew 12:41. A very small degree
of light may convince men that humbling themselves before God, confessing their
sins with prayer, and turning from sin, are means of escaping wrath and
obtaining mercy. The people followed the example of the king. It became a
national act, and it was necessary it should be so, when it was to prevent a
national ruin. Let even the brute creatures’ cries and moans for want of food
remind their owners to cry to God. In prayer we must cry mightily, with
fixedness of thought, firmness of faith, and devout affections. It concerns us
in prayer to stir up all that is within us. It is not enough to fast for sin,
but we must fast from sin; and, in order to the success of our prayers, we must
no more regard iniquity in our hearts, Psalms 66:18. The work of a fast-day is
not done with the day. The Ninevites hoped that God would turn from his fierce
anger; and that thus their ruin would be prevented. They could not be so
confident of finding mercy upon their repentance, as we may be, who have the
death and merits of Christ, to which we may trust for pardon upon repentance.
They dared not presume, but they did not despair. Hope of mercy is the great
encouragement to repentance and reformation. Let us boldly cast ourselves down
at the footstool of free grace, and God will look upon us with compassion. God
sees who turn from their evil ways, and who do not. Thus he spared Nineveh. We
read of no sacrifices offered to God to make atonement for sin; but a broken and
a contrite heart, such as the Ninevites then had, he will not despise.
Jonah 4
(v. 1-4) Jonah repines at God’s mercy to Nineveh, and is reproved.
(v. 5-11) He is taught by the withering of a gourd, that he did wrong.
VERSES 1-4
What all the saints make matter of joy and praise, Jonah makes the subject of
reflection upon God; as if showing mercy were an imperfection of the Divine
nature, which is the greatest glory of it. It is to his sparing, pardoning
mercy, we all owe it that we are out of hell. He wishes for death: this was the
language of folly, passion, and strong corruption. There appeared in Jonah
remains of a proud, uncharitable spirit; and that he neither expected nor
desired the welfare of the Ninevites, but had only come to declare and witness
their destruction. He was not duly humbled for his own sins, and was not willing
to trust the Lord with his credit and safety. In this frame of mind, he
overlooked the good of which he had been an instrument, and the glory of the
Divine mercy. We should often ask ourselves, Is it well to say thus, to do thus?
Can I justify it? Do I well to be so soon angry, so often angry, so long angry,
and to give others ill language in my anger? Do I well to be angry at the mercy
of God to repenting sinners? That was Jonah’s crime. Do we do well to be angry
at that which is for the glory of God, and the advancement of his kingdom? Let
the conversion of sinners, which is the joy of heaven, be our joy, and never our
grief.
VERSES 5-11
Jonah went out of the city, yet remained near at hand, as if he expected and
desired its overthrow. Those who have fretful, uneasy spirits, often make
troubles for themselves, that they may still have something to complain of. See
how tender God is of his people in their afflictions, even though they are
foolish and froward. A thing small in itself, yet coming seasonably, may be a
valuable blessing. A gourd in the right place may do us more service than a
cedar. The least creatures may be great plagues, or great comforts, as God is
pleased to make them. Persons of strong passions are apt to be cast down with
any trifle that crosses them, or to be lifted up with a trifle that pleases
them. See what our creature-comforts are, and what we may expect them to be;
they are withering things. A small worm at the root destroys a large gourd: our
gourds wither, and we know not what is the cause. Perhaps creature-comforts are
continued to us, but are made bitter; the creature is continued, but the comfort
is gone. God prepared a wind to make Jonah feel the want of the gourd. It is
just that those who love to complain, should never be left without something to
complain of. When afflicting providences take away relations, possessions, and
enjoyments, we must not be angry at God. What should especially silence
discontent, is, that when our gourd is gone, our God is not gone. Sin and death
are very dreadful, yet Jonah, in his heat, makes light of both. One soul is of
more value than the whole world; surely then one soul is of more value than many
gourds: we should have more concern for our own and others’ precious souls, than
for the riches and enjoyments of this world. It is a great encouragement to hope
we shall find mercy with the Lord, that he is ready to show mercy. And murmurers
shall be made to understand, that how willing soever they are to keep the Divine
grace to themselves and those of their own way, there is one Lord over all, who
is rich in mercy to all that call upon him. Do we wonder at the forbearance of
God towards his perverse servant? Let us study our own hearts and ways; let us
not forget our own ingratitude and obstinacy; and let us be astonished at God’s
patience towards us.