CHAP. IV.
Tonah, displeased at the mercy of God to Nineveh, peevishly expostulates, and prays for death, 1-3. God gently reproves him, 4. He leaves the city; is shadowed by a gourd, which
withers; he manifests great impatience and rebellion; but is
shewn, by his concern about gourd, the propriety God's mercy to Nineveh, 5-11.
UT a it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2 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.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; & for it is better for me to die than to live.
4 Then said the LORD, * Doest thou to be angry?
[Practical Observations.]
a 4,9. Matt. 20:15. Luke 7:39. 15:28. Acts 13:46. Jam. 4:5,6. b 1 Kings 19:4. Jer. 20:7.
c 1:3. Luke 10:29.
d Ex. 34:6,7. Num. 14:18,19. Ps. 78:38. 86:5,15. 145:8. Hos. 11:8,9. Joel 2:13,14. Mic. 7: 18.
e 3:10. Ex. 32:14. Ps. 90:13. Jer. 18:8. Am. 7:3,6.
well
f Num. 11:15, 20:3. 1 Kings 19: 4. Job 3:20,21. 6:8,9. Jer. 20: 14-18. Phil. 1:21-25.
g Job 7:15,16. Ec. 7:1. 1 Cor. 9:15.
* Or, Art thou greatly angry ?
h Num. 20:11,12,24. Ps. 106:32, 33. Mic. 6:3. Matt. 20:15. Jam. 1:19,20.
all the warnings, instructions, invitations, and promises of scripture, persist in unbelief, impenitence, self-indulgence, and procrastination! But, if God so readily pardoned the inhabitants of Nineveh, where it may be apprehended the greater part were only transiently impressed and partially reformed; how readily will he pardon the broken-hearted penitent, and the believing supplicant at his mercy-seat! -We may also here see the blessed effects of the resurrection of Christ, and the consequent preaching of his gospel, in the conversion and salvation of the Gentiles: and let us pray that this preaching, and these effects, may pervade the whole earth; and join our zealous, diligent, self-denying, and liberal endeavors, in aiding every scriptural attempt to accomplish this most desirable object.
NOTES.
CHAP. IV. V. 1-4.
It might have been expected, that Jonah would be very humble and submissive, in consequence of his former misconduct, and the merciful dealings of God with him; and that the success of his mission, in the repentance and preservation of the Ninevites, would inspire him with lively joy and gratitude: but on the contrary we find, that he was greatly displeased, and very angry even with God himself, for shewing mercy to Nineveh; though mercy alone had preserved his life, and saved his soul from hell!-In this rebellious fraine, he ventured to expostulate with God, and to excuse, nay vindicate, his former disobedience!-When first commanded to prophesy against Nineveh, he was aware of the event.
He supposed that God would mercifully spare the city, and that he should be stigmatized as a false prophet; being well acquainted with the abundant mercy and goodness of God towards his offending creatures. ( Marg . Ref . b-d.Notes, 1:2,3. Ex . 34:5-7. Mic . 7:18-20, v. 18.) And now, seeing this had turned out as he expected, he besought God, to slay him and end his pain, for death was more desirable in his case than life: as if the Lord had done him an injury,
5 So 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.
m So
6 And 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. Jonah + was exceeding glad of the gourd. 7 But" God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
8 And it came to pass when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind: 9 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.
in delivering him from the belly of the whale!We may allow something in this case to the unfounded prejudices of the Israelites, who were too apt to despise the Gentiles, and to deem the mercy of God to them a deduction from their own privileges. Jonah might also consider Nineveh as a formidable enemy to his nation, and in that view wish for its destruction.
Some think, he had a mistaken zeal for the honor of God, and thought that he would appear to have broken his word, in not executing the judgment which he had denounced.But it is evident, that he was greatly influenced by a proud and rebellious spirit; that he considered the Ninevites as unworthy of his regard; and that he did not desire their welfare, but merely came to denounce and witness their destruction.
It is equally evident that he was not duly humbled for his own sins; and had an undue regard to his own reputation; fearing the disgrace of being thought a false prophet, and not daring to trust God to take care of his credit and safety. In this frame of mind, he overlooked the good done, and the glory of the divine goodness and mercy, as of little consequence.
Yet the Lord reproved him with gentleness, and inquired whether he had cause to be thus discomposed, or did right in these peevish complaints and impatient wishes for death, when so great mercy had been shewn him: to which he seems to have made no answer, but to have continued sullen and fretful. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . e-h.- Note , -1 Kings 19:3,4.)
V. 5-8. Doubtless Jonah might have been hospitably entertained at Nineveh, and allowed to live according to his own rules, had he been disposed to be friendly: and he might have been usefully employed, in confirming the inhabitants in their good purposes, and in instructing them in the truths and worship o. God. But, though he had received an intimation, that the city would be spared, he seems not to have fully believed it: and he would neither venture himself in the city, nor have any fellowship with the inhabitants; as if he meant.
9 And God said to Jonah, * Doest thou || which came up in a night, and perished well to be angry for the gourd? And he in a night: said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
notwithstanding their repentance, to "shake off the dust of his feet, for a testimony against them." He therefore left the city, and made a booth or tent to dwell in, till he should see the event. It pleased God, however, very graciously and miraculously, to prepare a large gourd, which, with rapid growth and luxuriant foliage, was speedily ready to afford him a refreshing shadow from the heat of the sun, from which it seems his tent could not defend him. This tended to appease his grief and calm his spirits; nay, he was "exceedingly glad" on account of this personal accommodation; whilst the repentance and preservation of a great city made him very angry and peevish! To check this disproportionate joy, and to make way for his further humiliation and instruction, the Lord prepared a worm and caused it to destroy the root of the gourd, so that
11 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 left hand; and also much cattle?
Heb. was the son of the night. y Deut. 1:39. u 1. Is. 1:18 Matt. 18:33. Luke z Ps. 36:6. 104:14,27,28. 145,8, 15:28-32. 9,15,16.
x 1:2. 3:2.3.
for the purposes of his glory? If all the inhabitants of that city, who were capable of knowing good from evil, without one exception, were deserving of the most tremendous punishment, and ripe for vengeance; yet there were no less than a hundred and twenty thousand infants, incapable of "knowing their right hand from their left," who were no more criminal than the offspring of others of man's fallen race: and would Jonah contend with his Maker for sparing the city for their sakes? 'If 'we compute them at a fifth part of the inhab'itants of Nineveh, the whole sum will amount 'to six hundred thousand.' Lowth . ( Notes , Gen. 18:23-33.) There was also very much cattle in the city, to which God had respect, as far more valuable than the withering gourd. ( Marg . Ref . z.)-Among the many hundreds of thousands of grown persons in the city, there
the next day it withered: and, a sultry east-were also many true penitents; and the general
wind increasing the burning heat of the morning-sun, Jonah was so oppressed, that he fainted, grew more impatient than ever, and wished again for death, as the most desirable deliverance from his misery. The winds in 'the hot countries are oftentimes more suffo'cating than the heat of the sun, when they 'blow from the sandy deserts; and they make 'the sun-beams give a more intense heat.' Lowth .
Some think, that he left the city, before he had seen the tokens of repentance among the inhabitants; and others, that he waited till the forty days were almost expired, when, dreading some sudden destruction, he dared not to stay any longer. It however, seems most probable, that he both witnessed the conduct of the Ninevites, Ninevites, and had some intimations of the Lord's gracious purposes, before he left the city; and that he retired from it immediately after. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref .) V. 9-11.
The Lord was was graciously pleased to renew his expostulations with Jonah, at this crisis, and to inquire whether the withering of the gourd was an adequate cause of his great anger and impatience: but he proudly and passionately justified himself, asserting that he "did well to be angry even unto death ;" that is, to break his heart, and to die with grief and vexation. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . Notes , Gen. 4:6,7,13-15. Job 7:15,16. 2 Cor. 7:9-11.) I 'have just cause to be angry, even to that de'gree as to wish myself dead.
The prophet 'here records his own impatience without con'cealing any circumstance of it, as Moses and 'other holy writers have done.' Lowth . Upon this the Lord graciously condescended to argue the matter with him.
Would he have spared the gourd, merely for his own convenience and refreshment? and was he very angry and rebellious when it withered; though it was not his work or property, and had cost him no labor; and though it was naturally of a swift growth and a withering nature? ( Marg . ) And was it not right, that the Lord should spare Nineveh, in which were so large a number of his creatures, formed by his power and
humiliation and reformation, which had been effected, rendered it peculiarly suitable for God to glorify his mercy in their preservation.Hence it might be inferred, that Jonah was deeply criminal, in being so much concerned about his own ease, comfort, and credit; and so unconcerned about the honor of God, and the benefit of his creatures. - We may suppose, that this silenced and humbled Jonah; that he at length learned submission; and, being made to know the evil of his own heart, that he would be prepared to serve God in the prophetical office, with more humility and propriety, than he had hitherto done.
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.
V. 1-4.
Human depravity breaks out in such varied ways, as occasions are given, that it is not easy to say of what man is incap incapable. ( Note , 2 Chr . 16:7-10.) 16:7-10.) Regard to his own honor, or that of his sect, or a proud contempt of others, may possibly seduce even a believer, in an unguarded hour, to quarrel with the goodness and mercy of the Lord: nay, malignity, in some occasional emotions, may delude a man to think it more desirable to witness or seal the ruin of sinners, than to be instrumental to their preservation.
Indeed this is the root of all bigotry and persecution, as far as pious men have ever been betrayed into it. ( Note , Luke 9:51-56.) Even a faithful minister may, in some possible circumstances, be tempted to impatience, by witnessing unexpected success to his own labors, in places where he had little desire of it, whilst his sanguine hopes and ardent wishes for others have been disappointed; or when his success was productive of bitter effects to his character or interests.
When great good is done by those, whose conduct is so inconsistent, and so much tends to prejudice men against their ministry; it must be most evident, that "the excellency of the power is of God and not of man."-Nothing but a deep knowledge of our own hearts can explain to us, how it is possible for a true be liever to pray in the language of rebellion, and of self-justification respecting things most flagrantly evil! how a man, who has been convicted, corrected, humbled, marvellously delivered, and made thankful for such mercies, can be induced again to vindicate before God his former transgression! how a prophet could decline preaching for fear he should do good!
||ungoverned passions, which expose us to be cast down at trifling difficulties, render us exceedingly glad of trivial advantages, and dispose us to idolize our dying comforts. These the Lord often recals, to teach us that all our gourds must wither, and that he alone is the durable Portion of his people. When we are discontented without cause, we may expect to
or repent of preaching because he had been be corrected by some real and distressing af
singularly successful! or justify his fleeing from his work, because he knew that the Lord was gracious and merciful! or mention these endearing perfections of God, to complain of them! or how the severest discipline and the most marvellous deliverances should fail to ces should cure this perverseness! Yet of these things our hearts are capable, and these are but a small part of their deceitfulness and desperate wick- edness. ( Note , Jer. 17:9,10.) This would ap- pear, if God should now (as he one day will,) publish an impartial history of the secret thoughts of our hearts, in our varied experi- ences. It is, however, peculiarly criminal to indulge this proud
5 proud and peevish spirit in our
sincerely thanking
prayers: yet this too will be our case, unless || we carefully watch over our passions, when under great difficulties and strong tempta temptations. We are even capable of sincerely thanking God one day for sparing our lives, and of fretting the next because we are left to live in trouble! And we are apt to think it better for us to die than to live: not so much because heaven is more desirable than earth, or lest we should live to dishonor God; but because we are troubled by our own imaginations and corruptions; or because we are exposed to reproach and the cross, amidst successful endeavors to glorify God and do good to mankind. In general we are all most prone to desire death, when we are least fit to meet our Judge: so that the mercy of God is as much displayed in bearing with his peevish servants, as in pardoning repenting rebels; and his gentle reproofs most effectually shew the evil of our discontent and impatience.
V. 5-11.
We often create ourselves uneasiness by our folly: nay, some are prevailed on by temptations of divers kinds to retire from public stations, when they have the fairest opportunities of usefulness. Yet the Lord frequently sends gracious consolations, when we merit heavy trials, and soothes those sorrows which result from our sin and folly. The same strong
fliction: and the Lord sometimes seems intent with his own hand to increase our sorrows, when we are ready to faint under them, in or- der to humble us for our future good. But pride and anger render men incapable of per- ceiving the most glaring absurdities in their own conduct, and dispose them to vindicate the most daring rebellions. Our discontent, murmurs, contentions, and despondings are often about such trifles, that the cause of them needs only be mentioned, in order to its being exposed! The Lord takes from us what was never properly our own, and was not likely to continue with us; he sends a little p
proach instead of e tempt; and we think "we do well to be angry," and even break our hearts with impatience, and spe speak and act as if our grief were incon- solable and our wound incurable; and rashly to wish for death, when in so rebellious a frame of mind! ( Note , Phil . 1:21-26.) Whilst we thus selfishly and in unbelief regard our own ease, interest, or credit; we proportiona- bly disregard the glory of God, and the lives and souls of our neighbors; as if these were not worth our attention, compared with our own feelings: so contrary are we to the law of loving God supremely, and our neigh- bor as ourselves; and such need have we of the pardoning mercy, the atoning blood, and the new creating Spirit of our God!-But his mercies are over all his works: he has a prop- erty in his creatures, and will leave none to perish, but for the honor of his justice, holi- ness, truth, and wisdom.
He delights in par- doning the penitent; our infant-offspring are the objects of his tenderest regard; and even the irrational creatures share his compassion and bounty. Let us then rejoice, and be thankful for the mercies of our God, and imi- tate them in our whole conduct: and, while he condescends to expostulate with us on our selfishness, may our hearts be humbled, and softened to compassion and good-will to all men, and prepared for every service to which we are called.
pain or reof everlasting misery and con
THE
BOOK OF MICАН.
THIS prophet was 'of the kingdom of Judah, as he only makes mention of kings who reigned 'over that country. Mareshah (1:14,15.) is placed in Judah. ( Josh . 15:44. 2 Chr . 11:8.) Bp . Newcombe. He is called the Morasthite , from the place of his nativity, Morashti , which St. Jerom distinguishes from Mareshah ; (1:15.) though he places them both in the tribe of Ju'dah.' Lowth.-Micah was contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea: but it is probable that he began to prophesy later than they. The date of the third chapter is fixed in Jeremiah to the reign of Hezekiah: ( Note , Jer . 26:16-19.) but nothing further is known with certainty, con cerning the time when Micah's predictions were delivered.
He addressed his messages both to Judah and Israel: and his book, like that of the other prophets, contains sharp reproofs of sin, awful denunciations of wrath, encouraging promises, and predictions of Christ, and of the establishment and prosperity of his kingdom.-It -It is evident that Micah was acknowledged to be a prophet, and that his prophecy was well known, in the time of Jeremiah. His authority as a prophet, and that of fus book as a part of scripture, are twice appealed to in the New Testament, in respect of the place where the Messiah should be born. ( Matt . 2:5,6.
John 7:42.) Our Lord uses nearly his words, concerning the persecutions to which his disciples would exposed: (Comp. 7:6. with Matt . 10:35,36.) and many of his predictions have received an undeniable 4. 5:2-6.) though others are not yet fulfilled.-His style has been much admired by the best judges; but it is occasionally obscure, through conciseness, ciseness, and sudden transitions from one subject to another.
B. C. 743.