What does Jonah 4:6 mean?
"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. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." - Jonah 4:6
The verse Jonah 4:6 from the King James Version of the Bible reads, "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. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." This verse comes from the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament, and it comes at a crucial moment in the story of Jonah, a reluctant prophet who is called by God to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh. The book of Jonah is a story about God's mercy and forgiveness, as well as His sovereignty over all creation.
The verse is part of a larger narrative that tells the story of Jonah's rebellion against God's command for him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and deliver a warning of impending destruction. Jonah, fearing the wickedness of the city and doubting the effectiveness of his prophecy, flees in the opposite direction, boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. God sends a great storm to the sea, and Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish, where he spends three days and three nights. After this, God commands the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land, and Jonah finally submits to God's will and travels to Nineveh to deliver the message of judgment.
In the verse Jonah 4:6, Jonah is resting in the shade of a gourd that God has prepared for him, and we see that Jonah is "exceeding glad" because of the gourd. This moment occurs after Jonah has delivered his message to the people of Nineveh, and he has become disillusioned and disheartened because God has shown mercy and spared the city from destruction. Jonah is distraught because he feels that his prophetic message has been undermined, and he is angry with God for being too gracious and forgiving towards the wicked people of Nineveh. In Jonah 4, Jonah's anger and discontent are revealed to the reader, and God uses the gourd to teach Jonah a lesson about His sovereignty and compassion.
The gourd that provides shade for Jonah becomes a symbol of God's provision and care for His wayward prophet. It reminds Jonah that God is in control and that His mercy is available to all, even to those who do not deserve it. The gourd also serves as a reminder that Jonah should have compassion for the people of Nineveh, just as God has compassion for him. However, Jonah's joy in the gourd is short-lived, as God then sends a worm to attack the gourd, causing it to wither and die. This episode serves as a teaching moment for Jonah, as God uses the gourd to illustrate the impermanence of material possessions and to challenge Jonah's priorities and attitudes.
The themes of mercy, forgiveness, and the sovereignty of God are central to the story of Jonah, and they are reflected in the symbolism of the gourd. The gourd also serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human emotions and attachments, and the ultimate dependance on God's provisions and mercy. The story of Jonah and the gourd offers a powerful message about the need for compassion, humility, and trust in God's plan, even when it may seem difficult or confusing. As readers, we are encouraged to examine our own attitudes and priorities, and to recognize the importance of God's mercy and sovereignty in our lives.
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Jonah 4:6 Artwork
"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. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." - Jonah 4:6
Jonah 4:6 - "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. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd."
Jonah 4:6-7 - "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 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 4:6
"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." - Jonah 4:6-7
Jonah 4:5-6 Jonah sitting in the desert under a shelter with a plant over the shelter overlooking the city of Nineveh.
Jonah 4:1 - "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry."
JONAH 4, NINEVAH REPENTING, JONAH BITTER
"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." - Jonah 4:1
Jonah 4:4 - "¶ Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?"
Jonah walking through the ancient city of Nineveh, preaching to the Assyrians. Jonah 3:4
Jonah 3:4 - "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."
Jonah 4:9 - "And 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."
Jonah 2:2-6 Jonah sinking down in the deep blue water, with the whale about to swallow him.
Jonah 2:4 Ship fit for the period in which Jonah lived. In daytime, great tempest, big waves, strong winds
Jonah 1:4-5 ancient sail ship appropriate for time of Jonah, in the mids of a great tempest, dark waters, big waves, strong winds
Jonah 4:5 - "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."
"¶ Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?" - Jonah 4:4
Jonah 4:8 - "And 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."
Jonah 4:7 - "But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered."
Jonah 1:4 - "¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken."
"And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." - Jonah 3:4
Jonah 4:8 - "And 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."
"And 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." - Jonah 4:9
Jonah 2:4 - "Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple."
Jonah 4:3 - "Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."
Jonah 4:10 - "Then 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:"
Jonah 3:6 - "For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes."
"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." - Jonah 4:5
Jonah 4:11 - "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?"