The big picture
Jonah 4 opens in verse 1 with “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 6 with “And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a…”, and closes in verse 11 with “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand…” Repeated or prominent terms include Jonah, LORD, gourd, angry, city. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jonah · King James Version · 11Jonah 4:1-6
1–6: It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
Jonah 4:1–6 opens with “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” and reaches “And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jonah angry outside the city, building a shelter and waiting to see what will happen; The plant giving shade, then withering as Jonah is confronted about compassion for the city, with particular weight carried by LORD, Jonah, city.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” Naming Jonah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Jonah 4:1-6
King James Version1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2And 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.
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?
5So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
6And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Jonah 4:7-11
7–11: God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the…
Jonah 4:7–11 opens with “But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it…” and reaches “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jonah angry outside the city, building a shelter and waiting to see what will happen; The plant giving shade, then withering as Jonah is confronted about compassion for the city, with particular weight carried by gourd, angry, hand.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
Jonah 4:7-11
King James Version7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8And 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.
9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
10Then said the LORD , Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jonah 4:1 begins with “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.”
Where the chapter turns
Jonah 4:7 forms a natural hinge: “But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.”
The final note
Jonah 4:11 leaves the reader with “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Jonah, LORD, gourd, angry, city, prepared help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What opportunity exists before the murder?
Cain receives a warning and a call to resist sin in verse 7. Anger is not treated as an irresistible excuse.
What do the two speeches about vengeance reveal?
God limits retaliation against Cain; Lamech celebrates escalation.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.