Revised Webster's Bible
Jonah 4:2
2And he prayed to 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 to Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest 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 very angry. And he prayed to 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 to Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest of the evil. 3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. 4Then said the LORD, 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
- LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- prayאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- sayingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: speakingH1697
- countryאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: countryH127
- fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- beforeקָדַםqâdam · to meetH6923
- Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
- knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- graciousחַנּוּןchannûn · graciousH2587
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- mercifulרַחוּםrachûm · compassionateH7349
- slowאָרֵךְ'ârêk · slowH750
- angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- kindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- repentestנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
- 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 LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
- Jeremiah 20:7O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
- Jonah 1:3But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
- Luke 10:29But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
- Exodus 34:6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
- Numbers 14:18The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation .
- Psalms 78:38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time he turned 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 mercy to all them that call upon thee.
- Psalms 145:8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
- Hosea 11:8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.
- Joel 2:13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth of the evil.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
- Jonah 3:10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do to them; and he did it not.
- Exodus 32:14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people.
- Psalms 90:13Return, O LORD, how long? and repent thou concerning thy servants.
- Jeremiah 18:8If that nation, against which I have pronounced, shall turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to 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
Revised Webster's Bible — 1833 — Public Domain
Commentaries