Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 4

Was Jonah right to be angry about the plant?

Jonah 4:9

For the second time, God asked Jonah whether he was right to be angry.

On the first occasion, Jonah had been angry about God’s decision to forgive the people in Nineveh. They had suffered no punishment for their wicked behaviour, but still God forgave them. However, God’s decisions are always right (Deuteronomy 32:4; Revelation 15:3-4). Nobody has the right to argue against God (Job 40:1-14). Jonah knew that he was wrong to be angry. For that reason, he did not answer this first question (4:4).

On this second occasion, Jonah was still wrong to be angry against God. However, God did not ask him about that. Rather, God asked whether Jonah had a right to be angry about the plant. God was referring to the plant that had, by its large leaves, provided shade for Jonah on the previous day. After Jonah’s great troubles, that plant brought joy and happiness to him. However, now the plant had died.

Jonah replied that he was right to be angry about the death of the plant. Something that was beautiful and wonderful had died. It had brought comfort and relief to him. It had reminded him about God’s love and care for him. Now, without the shade that the plant gave, Jonah felt weak and ill.

Jonah cared about that plant, although he had done nothing to look after it. The death of the plant reminded Jonah about the many things that are wrong in this world. The loss of such a helpful and useful plant was clearly one of those wrong things. So, it was right to be angry about it. In Jonah’s opinion, it was even right to desire not to be in a world where there are such troubles. His life felt to have no value when he could so suddenly lose something like that plant. That was how much he cared about that plant. That was how fiercely angry he felt because of the loss of such a plant.

Next part: Jonah's love for the plant is like God's love for guilty people (Jonah 4:10)

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