Berean Standard Bible
Jonah 4:8
8As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
- New International Version (NIV)When 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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
Context of Jonah 4:8
6So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant. 7When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!” 10But the LORD said, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night.
Read all of Jonah 4Jonah 4:8 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י׀ כִּזְרֹ֣חַ הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ וַיְמַ֨ן אֱלֹהִ֜ים ר֤וּחַ קָדִים֙ חֲרִישִׁ֔ית וַתַּ֥ךְ הַשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ יוֹנָ֖ה וַיִּתְעַלָּ֑ף וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֕אמֶר ט֥וֹב מוֹתִ֖י מֵחַיָּֽי׃Read the interlinear
- ·הָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- As the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
- was risingזָרַחzârach · to riseH2224
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- appointedמָנָהmânâh · to countH4487
- a scorchingחֲרִישִׁיchărîyshîy · scorchingH2759
- eastקָדִיםqâdîym qâdim · eastH6921
- windרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- beat downנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- onעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Jonah’sיוֹנָהyônâh · JonahH3124
- headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- so that he grew faintעָלַף‛âlaph · to enwrapH5968
- ·נֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- and wishedשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- to dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- It is betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- for me to dieמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- than to liveחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
Cross-references for Jonah 4:8
- Jonah 4:6So the LORD God appointed a vine, and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.
- Jonah 1:4Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.
- Ezekiel 19:12But it was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped off and they withered; the fire consumed them.
- Revelation 3:19Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- Psalms 121:6The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
- Isaiah 49:10They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
- Revelation 7:16‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’
- Jonah 4:3And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.
- 1 Samuel 3:18So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
- 2 Samuel 15:25Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.
- Job 2:10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Psalms 39:9I have become mute; I do not open my mouth because of what You have done.
Commentaries on Jonah 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8A vehement east wind - Which was of itself of a parching, withering nature; and the sun, in addition, made it intolerable. These winds are both scorching and suffocating in the East, for deserts of burning sand lay to the east or south-east; and the easterly winds often brought such a multitude of minute particles of sand on their wings, as to add greatly to the mischief. I believe these, and the sands they carry, are the cause of the ophthalmia which…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8God prepared a vehement - o(The English margin following the Chaldee, “silent,” i. e., “sultry”). East wind - The winds in the East, blowing over the sand-deserts, intensely increase the distress of the heat. A sojourner describes on two occasions an Assyrian summer. “The change to summer had been as rapid as that which ushered in the spring. The verdure of the plain had perished almost in a day. Hot winds, coming from the desert, had burned up and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-11God commands Jonah again to preach to Nineveh. This time, Jonah obeys. Ironically, the city repents, just as Jonah feared, and he becomes angry with God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. vehement--rather, "scorching"; the Margin, "silent," expressing sultry stillness, not vehemence.Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 4:8
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
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