American Standard Version
Jonah 4:2
2And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Jonah 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
- New International Version (NIV)He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Context of Jonah 4:2
1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4And Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry?
Read all of Jonah 4Jonah 4:2 word by word
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמַ֗ר אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ הֲלוֹא־זֶ֣ה דְבָרִ֗י עַד־הֱיוֹתִי֙ עַל־אַדְמָתִ֔י עַל־כֵּ֥ן קִדַּ֖מְתִּי לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ אֵֽל־חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֔וּם אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־הָרָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- prayedפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- wasהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- Thereforeכֵּןkên · rightH3651
- fleeבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
- knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- graciousחַנּוּןchannûn · graciousH2587
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
Cross-references for Jonah 4:2
- 1 Kings 19:4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
- Jeremiah 20:7O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocketh me.
- Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.
- Luke 10:29But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
- Exodus 34:6And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth;
- Numbers 14:18Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.
- Psalms 78:38But he, being merciful, forgave theiriniquity, and destroyedthemnot: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath.
- Psalms 86:5For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that call upon thee.
- Psalms 145:8Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.
- Hosea 11:8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I cast thee off, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboiim? my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.
- Joel 2:13and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness.
- Jonah 3:10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not.
- Exodus 32:14And Jehovah repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people.
- Psalms 90:13Return, O Jehovah; how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
- Jeremiah 18:8if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Commentaries on Jonah 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2I know that thou art a gracious God - See the note on Exodus 34:6.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And he prayed unto the Lord - Jonah, at least, did not murmur or complain of God. He complained to God of Himself. He expostulates with Him. Shortsighted indeed and too wedded to his own will! Yet his will was the well-being of the people whose prophet God had made him. He tells God, that this it was, which he had all along dreaded. He softens it, as well as he can, by his word, “I pray Thee,” which expresses deprecation anti-submissiveness. Still he does…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Jonah explains why he initially ran away from the Lord (Jonah 1:3): He knew the Lord would spare the wicked Ninevites if they repented. I knew: Jonah almost quotes Exodus 34:6–7, which is about Israel’s covenant with the Lord. Even in the Old Testament, God wanted to spread salvation to all nations (see Matthew 28:18–20).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. my saying--my thought, or feeling. fled before--I anticipated by fleeing, the disappointment of my design through Thy long-suffering mercy. gracious ... and merciful, &c.--Jonah here has before his mind Ex 34:6; as Joel (Joe 2:13) in his turn quotes from Jonah.Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jonah 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries