Catholic Commentary on Jonah 4

“Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?” (Jonah 4:11)

Jonah's Anger; God's Mercy

Jonah is greatly displeased that Nineveh repented and God relented: I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. That is why I fled to Tarshish. Jonah sits outside the city hoping to see its destruction. God provides a leafy plant to shade him; Jonah is very happy. The next day God provides a worm that kills the plant. The sun blazes on Jonah's head. He says: it would be better for me to die than to live. God says: is it right for you to be angry about the plant? Jonah: yes. God: you have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?

The Catechism identifies the divine mercy on Nineveh as the fullest Old Testament expression of God's universal salvific will: the God of Israel grieves over every lost soul, including Israel's enemies (CCC 604).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, should I not have concern for Nineveh? The book ends with a question, not an answer. God asks the question and waits. The question is addressed to Jonah and to every person who has ever resented divine mercy shown to those they consider enemies. You cared about a plant. I care about a hundred and twenty thousand people. What will you do with that?

Prayer

Lord God, give us your concern for every Nineveh: every city full of people who cannot tell their right hand from their left. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4
Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion
1 Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.* 4:1 Or It was exceedingly evil to Jonah, and he became angry 2 So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion-One who relents from sending disaster. 3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
 
4 But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
 
5 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. 6 So the LORD God appointed a vine,† 4:6 Hebrew qiqayon; that is, possibly the castor oil plant; also in verses 7, 9, and 10 and it grew up to provide shade over Jonah’s head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was greatly pleased with the plant.
 
7 When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.
 
8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
 
9 Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?”
 
“I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”
 
10 But the LORD said, “You cared about the plant, which you neither tended nor made grow. It sprang up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”

*4:1 4:1 Or It was exceedingly evil to Jonah, and he became angry

†4:6 4:6 Hebrew qiqayon; that is, possibly the castor oil plant; also in verses 7, 9, and 10

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