New American Standard Bible 1995
Jonah 4:2
2He 1prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this 2what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore 3in order to forestall this I 4fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a 5gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
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 greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4The Lord said, “Do you have good reason 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
- to the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Pleaseאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- was not thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- whatדָּבָרdâbâr · word: speakingH1697
- I saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- whileעַד‛ad · tillH5704
- countryאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: countryH127
- Thereforeעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Thereforeכֵּןkên · soH3651
- in order to forestallקָדַםqâdam · to meetH6923
- fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- to Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
- for I knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- graciousחַנּוּןchannûn · graciousH2587
- and compassionateרַחוּםrachûm · compassionateH7349
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- slowאָרֵךְ'ârêk · slowH750
- to angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- and abundantרַבrab · manyH7227
- in lovingkindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- and one who relentsנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
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 Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.”
- Jeremiah 20:7O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me.
- Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
- Luke 10:29But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
- Exodus 34:6Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
- Numbers 14:18‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’
- Psalms 78:38But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.
- Psalms 86:5For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
- Psalms 145:8The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
- Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled.
- Joel 2:13And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.
- Jonah 3:10When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
- Exodus 32:14So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.
- Psalms 90:13Do return, O Lord; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants.
- Jeremiah 18:8if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
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
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries