Question 1

Why was Jonah so angry when God spared Nineveh?

Accepted Answer

Jonah was angry because God did not destroy Nineveh after the people turned from their evil way. He admits he fled originally because he knew God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and full of kindness. Jonah feared looking like a false prophet and carried pride and national bias against this Gentile city. Instead of rejoicing that so many people were spared, he let hurt pride and prejudice rule his heart, so God’s mercy to others felt like a loss to him instead of a joy.

Question 2

What does God mean by asking, “Doest thou well to be angry?”

Accepted Answer

When God asks Jonah, “Doest thou well to be angry?”, he is gently challenging Jonah’s feelings. God is not afraid of Jonah’s honesty, but he wants Jonah to stop and think: Is this anger right? Is it good to be upset when God shows mercy? The question invites Jonah to examine his heart, to see that his anger does not match God’s character. It is a call to lay down pride, to trust God’s ways, and to let God’s kindness toward others shape our own feelings.

Question 3

Why did God prepare a gourd, a worm, and a hot east wind for Jonah?

Accepted Answer

God used the gourd, the worm, and the hot east wind as a living lesson for Jonah. First, God made the plant grow quickly to give Jonah shade, which made Jonah very glad. Then God sent a worm to kill the plant and a scorching wind so Jonah suffered and again wished to die. Through this, God showed Jonah how strongly he cared about a plant he did not plant or tend, yet he felt nothing for thousands of people in Nineveh. It exposed Jonah’s upside-down values.

Question 4

What is the point of God’s final question about sparing Nineveh?

Accepted Answer

God’s final question compares Jonah’s pity for the gourd with God’s compassion for Nineveh. Jonah grieved over a plant that came up in a night and perished in a night, a plant he did not work for. God then asks, “Should not I spare Nineveh, that great city,” with more than 120,000 people who “cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand,” and many animals too? The point is clear: if Jonah cares about a plant, how much more right is it for God to care about human lives and even their beasts.

Question 5

Who are the people who “cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand”?

Accepted Answer

The passage speaks of more than sixscore thousand persons in Nineveh “that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand.” Many readers understand this as describing people who are spiritually or morally ignorant, not fully aware of the difference between right and wrong. Some also think it may include many young children. In any case, the phrase shows their weakness and need. God points out that he sees their smallness and confusion and has pity on them, which makes his mercy fitting rather than strange.

Question 6

Why does Jonah say, “It is better for me to die than to live”?

Accepted Answer

Jonah repeats this wish twice, showing how deep his bitterness has grown. He would rather die than live with a world where his enemies receive mercy and his own word seems weakened. His pride, anger, and hurt feelings crowd out his joy in God’s kindness. This shows how sin and resentment can twist our minds, so that we would rather run from God’s plans than share in them. The story warns us not to let wounded pride lead us to reject God’s good purposes.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows God as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and very kind. God listens even to an angry, confused prayer. He does not crush Jonah but asks questions and teaches him patiently. God cares about a huge city full of people who had been living in evil, and when they turn from their way, he chooses mercy instead of destruction. He even mentions the animals, showing his care for all he has made. God’s heart leans toward compassion, even when people do not understand it.

Question 8

How can Jonah’s struggle with God’s mercy speak to us today?

Accepted Answer

Jonah’s struggle can feel very close to home. We can also be upset when God is kind to people we dislike or to those we think deserve judgment. Jonah reminds us how easy it is to value our comfort, our reputation, or our group more than other people’s lives. The passage invites us to check our own hearts: do we rejoice when God shows mercy, or do we secretly wish for others to fall? It calls us to trust God’s wisdom and to share his compassion instead of nursing resentment.

Jonah 4:1

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

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Jonah 4:1

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

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Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Compassion

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