Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.
Parallel translations
- WEB But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
- KJV But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
- NKJV But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
- NASB But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.
- NLT This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jonah is greatly displeased and angry that God spared Nineveh. It matters because it exposes the prophet's hard heart over the very mercy he himself had received.
Overview
The salvation of Israel's enemy provokes not joy but fury in Jonah, revealing a heart at odds with God's compassion. The contrast is sharp: God rejoices in mercy while His prophet resents it. Jonah's anger holds up a mirror to all who gladly receive grace yet begrudge it to others, exposing the need for a heart shaped by God's love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jonah 4:9Then God asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry about the plant?” “I do,” he replied. “I am angry enough to die!”
- Luke 15:28The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
- Matt 20:15Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
- Jonah 4:4But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
- Jas 4:5–6Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?
- Luke 7:39When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”
- Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Three days in the belly of the fish is the sign Jesus gave of his own death and resurrection (Matt 12:40); and God's mercy on pagan Nineveh foreshadows the gospel going to the nations.
How Jonah 4:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.