Jonah Chapter 4

God Deals with a Prophet’s Heart
A. Jonah’s complaint.

1. Jonah 4:1 – Jonah’s displeasure at the repentance of Nineveh.
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.”

a. It displeased Jonah:
Jonah’s reaction is unexpected and reveals a deeper issue within his heart. Instead of rejoicing that an entire city repented and turned from wickedness, Jonah was displeased. The Hebrew text implies that Jonah saw this as something morally wrong or offensive. The preacher of repentance now resents repentance when it occurs. This reaction shows that Jonah’s heart was not aligned with God’s heart of mercy. God delighted in showing compassion to Nineveh, but Jonah resented it. While God’s priority is salvation and mercy, Jonah’s priority was judgment. He wanted Nineveh to fall, not to be forgiven.

b. Exceedingly, and he became angry:
Jonah was not just mildly upset—Scripture says he was exceedingly displeased. The Hebrew emphasizes intensity; Jonah burned with anger. This is a shocking response from a prophet who had just been used by God to bring about one of the greatest revivals in history. He was furious that God relented from judgment. His anger reveals pride, nationalism, and a lack of compassion. Jonah loved God’s mercy when it was extended to himself inside the fish in Jonah 2, but he despised that same mercy when it was shown to his enemies. The prophet’s heart was in direct conflict with the heart of God.

Jonah’s reaction sets the stage for this final chapter. God will now deal not with the people of Nineveh—that work is done—but with His prophet. The revival in Nineveh is complete, now the revival of Jonah’s heart must begin.

2. Jonah 4:2–3 – Jonah explains his anger.
“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. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!’”

a. I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm:
Jonah openly confesses why he ran from God’s call in the first place. It was not because he was afraid of failure, but because he feared success. He knew the character of God. He describes God using language that comes from Exodus 34:6, where the LORD revealed His nature to Moses: “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness.” Jonah’s theology was accurate, but his heart was wrong. He did not want God’s mercy extended to Nineveh, because they were enemies of Israel—violent, cruel, and feared by the world. Jonah preferred justice for them, not mercy. His problem was not ignorance of God’s nature, but resistance to it.

i. Jonah’s attitude resembles a harsh religious spirit—delighting more in judgment than salvation. As one poet sarcastically captured this kind of thinking:
“We are God’s chosen few,
All others will be damned;
There is no place in heaven for you,
We can’t have heaven crammed.”
This reflects Jonah’s heart: heaven is fine—as long as his enemies are not in it.

b. Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country:
Jonah admits that he ran because he feared God would forgive Nineveh. He was not afraid of failure; he was afraid of success. He wanted to protect Israel, but he also wanted to limit God’s grace. He loved God’s mercy when it rescued him from the fish, but he despised it when it rescued his enemies. Jonah wanted grace for himself and wrath for others. He wanted to control how God dispensed mercy. This reveals a deep hypocrisy: Jonah was happy to receive compassion, but bitter when it extended beyond his comfort.

i. If God had treated Jonah the way Jonah wanted God to treat Nineveh, Jonah would have perished in the sea. He was spared only because God is gracious—but he now condemns God for being the same way toward others.

c. For it is better for me to die than to live:
Jonah’s bitterness runs so deep that he would rather die than live in a world where God forgives his enemies. His worldview has collapsed. He thought God would align with his national pride and personal desires, but God’s compassion cut across Jonah’s hatred. Rather than rejoicing in revival, Jonah wishes for death. He is not suicidal because of despair over himself, but because of anger toward God’s mercy. He believes his prophetic reputation is ruined and his personal expectations shattered.

This moment exposes Jonah’s heart more than any storm or fish ever did. Jonah had already experienced God’s power, but now he must face God’s mercy—and it is this, not miracles, that offends him most. God will now gently but firmly confront the prophet, not to destroy him, but to change him.

B. God Confronts a Prophet

1. Jonah 4:4 – God questions Jonah’s heart.
“Then the LORD said, Is it right for you to be angry?”

a. Is it right for you to be angry?
God responds to Jonah’s rage with a gentle but penetrating question. God does not rebuke Jonah harshly or strike him down for his disrespectful attitude. Instead, He asks a question to draw Jonah into reflection. This shows the patience and mercy of God—not only toward repentant sinners in Nineveh, but also toward a stubborn prophet. Jonah is honest before the LORD, and honesty with God is good. However, honesty does not mean that our emotions are justified. Jonah feels wronged, but his feelings do not align with God’s righteousness, compassion, or truth.

God often uses questions to reveal the condition of the human heart. Questions force us to confront truth rather than hide behind emotion. They remind us that we are not the authority—God is. He has every right to question us, and we owe Him an answer.

i. God’s pattern of asking questions throughout Scripture reveals His method of reaching the heart:
• “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) – to Adam, exposing his separation from God.
• “Who told you that you were naked?… What is this you have done?” (Genesis 3:11–13) – uncovering guilt and responsibility.
• “Where is your brother Abel?” (Genesis 4:9) – confronting Cain’s sin.
• “What have you done?” (1 Samuel 13:11) – to Saul, exposing disobedience.
• “Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD?” (2 Samuel 12:9) – to David after his sin.
• “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8) – calling Isaiah to obedience.
• “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) – confronting the disciples with the identity of Christ.
• “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32) – inviting faith.
• “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48) – exposing Judas’ hypocrisy.
• “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4) – confronting Saul’s rebellion and offering grace.

Through each question, God reveals truth, exposes the heart, and invites repentance or obedience.

b. Is it right for you to be angry? – a question for every believer
God’s question is not only for Jonah, but for anyone who becomes angry at God’s decisions. If we ever find ourselves angry with God, this is the question we must face. Is God wrong, or is my heart wrong? The answer is always the same: “No, LORD. Your ways are right, even when I do not understand them.” God is never unjust; His mercy and His judgments are always perfect.

i. Jonah had a right to express his emotions honestly before God—but he did not have the right to cling to them in rebellion. Honesty must lead to humility. Jonah must repent of his anger, just as Nineveh repented of its sin.

God has now turned from dealing with Nineveh to dealing with Jonah. The greatest work in this book is not the calming of the sea or the repentance of a city—but the transformation of a prophet’s heart.

2. Jonah 4:5–8 – God prepares an object lesson for Jonah.
“So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 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.’”

a. Jonah went out of the city… till he might see what would become of the city:
Jonah withdrew from Nineveh and settled on the east side to watch and wait, perhaps hoping God would still destroy the city. Though the people had repented, Jonah doubted the sincerity of their repentance. He wanted a front-row seat in case judgment fell after all. This reveals the hardness of his heart—he desired destruction rather than restoration. Even after witnessing revival, Jonah could not rejoice in God’s mercy. He removed himself from the city not just for safety, but because he did not want to associate with the very people God had spared. He chose isolation over obedience, comfort over compassion.

b. The LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah:
Once again, God demonstrates His sovereignty over creation. Just as He “prepared a great fish” earlier in Jonah 1:17, He now “prepares” a plant to teach Jonah a lesson. The Hebrew word for “prepared” (מָנָה manah) means to appoint, ordain, or assign. Every element in this story obeys God’s command—the fish, the plant, the worm, and the wind—all except Jonah. The plant was a gracious gift from God, providing Jonah with temporary shade and relief from the sun. God showed mercy even to a sulking, disobedient prophet.

i. This is the first time Jonah is described as being happy: “Jonah was very grateful for the plant.” The irony is striking—he never rejoiced over the salvation of a city, but he rejoiced over a vine that comforted him. As Boice observed, “Jonah was pleased because at last, after all the compassion of God for other people, God was finally doing something for Jonah. Selfish? Of course it was. And petty too!” Jonah’s happiness was as fleshly as his anger; both revolved entirely around himself.

ii. God gave Jonah comfort, not to spoil him, but to set up the lesson that follows. The plant was temporary, designed to expose Jonah’s misplaced priorities and his idolatry of personal comfort.

c. The sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint:
God’s discipline continues. After the plant brought relief, God “prepared a worm” to destroy it, and then “prepared a vehement east wind” to test Jonah further. The phrase “the sun beat on Jonah’s head” paints the picture of scorching Middle Eastern heat, intensified by the dry, hot wind known as a sirocco. Jonah’s earlier anger (literally meaning “to be hot”) now meets its physical counterpart. God allows Jonah to feel in his body the same heat that burned in his spirit. The trial was not vindictive—it was instructive.

d. Jonah was very grateful for the plant… ‘It is better for me to die than to live’:
When the plant withered and the sun oppressed him, Jonah once again plunged into despair. The loss of the plant, a trivial comfort, became unbearable to him. Jonah’s attachment to the vine exposed how small his view of life and God had become. The same man who wanted to die because Nineveh was spared now wanted to die because a plant had perished. His values were entirely inverted.

i. Charles Spurgeon insightfully remarked, “If, dear friends, like Jonah, you want to complain, you will soon have something to complain of. People who are resolved to fret generally make for themselves causes for fretfulness.” Jonah’s heart was predisposed to dissatisfaction, and God allowed circumstances to reveal it.

ii. F. B. Meyer noted, “How often our gourds are allowed to perish, to teach us these deep lessons. In spite of all we can do to keep them green, their leaves turn more and more sere and yellow, until they droop and die.” God lets our comforts fade so we can see that they were never meant to be our source of joy. Jonah made a small, temporal blessing into an idol, and God took it away to realign his heart.

God was patiently discipling His prophet through these object lessons. Jonah’s misery was not punishment—it was instruction. God would now use the death of the plant to show Jonah the absurdity of valuing personal comfort more than the eternal souls of an entire city.

3. Jonah 4:9–11 – God applies the object lesson.
“Then God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And he said, It is right for me to be angry, even to death! But the LORD said, You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left; and much livestock?”

a. Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?
God now directs His question specifically to the plant that Jonah loved so much. Jonah’s response is stubborn—he insists he is right to be angry, even to the point of death. Jonah mourns the loss of a plant—something temporary, something he did not create, sustain, or own. It existed for one night and vanished the next, yet Jonah feels justified in rage over its loss. But he has no compassion for a city filled with living souls.

i. Jonah makes the same three mistakes that often accompany unresolved bitterness and anger:
• Jonah quit – he abandoned his post as a prophet and walked away from his calling.
• Jonah separated himself – he isolated himself from people rather than engaging with them.
• Jonah became a spectator – he sat down to watch rather than serve, critique rather than care.

His anger has not led him to prayer, repentance, or ministry—it has only led him to pride and isolation.

b. “It is right for me to be angry, even to death”
These are the final recorded words of Jonah in this book. They reflect a heart that still resists God’s mercy. Jonah argues with God, defends his selfish anger, and would rather die than submit to God’s compassion. Yet the book does not end with Jonah’s words—it ends with God’s. This is intentional. Scripture leaves the reader not with Jonah’s bitterness but with God’s mercy. The last voice is God’s voice.

c. “And should I not pity Nineveh?”
God now delivers the heart of the lesson. Jonah had compassion on a plant—something small, temporary, and personally beneficial. God, on the other hand, has compassion on people—eternal souls made in His image. Nineveh contained over 120,000 people “who cannot discern between their right hand and their left”—likely referring to children or morally ignorant individuals who do not yet understand right from wrong. God’s mercy extends even to them, and even to the animals—“and much livestock”—because He cares for all creation.

i. Those who “cannot discern between their right hand and their left” are spiritually or morally immature. They are not fully aware of their condition. God holds back judgment because His compassion considers their weakness.

ii. The lesson is unmistakable: God’s love is not limited by nationality, ethnicity, race, or geography. Jonah believed God’s mercy belonged only to Israel. God declares that His mercy belongs to all who repent. He is the God of all nations.

iii. This ties back to Jonah’s own declaration from the belly of the fish: “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). Salvation does not belong to Israel, nor Assyria, nor any nation or class—it belongs to the LORD alone. This truth is echoed in Acts 10:34–35: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”

d. Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city?
According to Jewish tradition, after hearing God’s words, Jonah fell on his face and said, “Govern Your world according to mercy, as it is written, ‘To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness’” (Daniel 9:9). Scripture does not tell us Jonah’s actual response, leaving the question open to the reader—will you align your heart with God’s?

i. God showed mercy to Jonah repeatedly through things He prepared for him:
• The LORD prepared a great fish (Jonah 1:17).
• The LORD prepared a plant to shade him (Jonah 4:6).
• The LORD prepared a worm to test him (Jonah 4:7).
• The LORD prepared a fierce wind to humble him (Jonah 4:8).

ii. Yet the greatest work of preparation was not the plant, the worm, the wind, or the fish—but the prophet. God was preparing Jonah. Spurgeon once said, “Some of you who bear double trouble may be getting double grace. God may be preparing you for double usefulness.” God was not trying to destroy Jonah—He was trying to transform him.

Conclusion:
The book ends with a question—not just to Jonah, but to every believer: Do you care more for your own comfort than for the souls of others? Do you love your own shade more than the salvation of sinners? Do you rejoice in mercy only when it is given to you? God’s heart is revealed—full of compassion, eager to forgive, reaching even the most wicked nations. The greatest revival in the Old Testament ends not in triumph, but in a heart-to-heart with one stubborn prophet. God saved a city—but His final work was to save His servant from himself.