The great goodness of God toward his creatures.

Therefore it displeased [a]Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

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 prevented it to flee unto [b]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.

Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life [c]from me: for it is better for me to die than to live.

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Footnotes

  1. Jonah 4:1 Because hereby he should be taken as a false prophet, and so the Name of God, which he preached, should be blasphemed.
  2. Jonah 4:2 Read Jonah 1:3.
  3. Jonah 4:3 Thus he prayed of grief fearing lest God’s Name by this forgiveness might be blasphemed, as though he sent his Prophets forth to denounce his judgments in vain.

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(A) 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(B) that you are a gracious(C) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(D) a God who relents(E) from sending calamity.(F) Now, Lord, take away my life,(G) for it is better for me to die(H) than to live.”(I)

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