Jonah is displeased with a great displeasure — 'I knew that You are a gracious God, compassionate, long-suffering'; the gourd that came up in a night, the worm at dawn, the sultry east wind: 'You had pity on the gourd... and should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city?'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
verse value 971
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Jonah" (אֶל־יוֹנָ֖ה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "and·was·bad" (וַיֵּ֥רַע), "evil" (רָעָ֣ה), "and·was·angry" (וַיִּ֖חַר). 6 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root חרה ("and·was·angry") in Jonah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'great', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּ֥רַע [and·was·bad] (286) + אֶל־יוֹנָ֖ה [to·Jonah] (102) + רָעָ֣ה [evil] (275) + גְדוֹלָ֑ה [great] (48) + וַיִּ֖חַר [and·was·angry] (224) + לֽוֹ [to·him] (36) = 971.
Rashi
"And it displeased Jonah exceedingly." He said: "Now the gentiles will say that I am a false prophet."
Ibn Ezra
And it was evil -- that God relented.
Radak
And it displeased [him]. Its root is yara' (ירע), and so too: 'va-yera be-einei Hashem' (and it was evil in the eyes of the LORD), 'tera eino' (his eye shall begrudge), and so all [words] of the same pattern. And not according to the words of Rabbi Yehudah. And how did Jonah know, when the forty days had not yet arrived? God, blessed be He, told him through the spirit of prophecy that He had turned back from what He had decreed against them, since they had turned from their evil way.
And it burned within him. As we explained, because of Israel, that they did not return from their evil way.
Metzudat David
And it was evil. For in the prophecy it was told him that the Lord had relented, and it was evil in his eyes, and he was angry at himself, like one who is distressed:
Metzudat Zion
Vayeraʿ. From "evil."
Malbim
Questions (verses 1-3): Why did this anger Jonah, and did he not know this? For on account of this God sent him, in order to turn them in repentance, and by this the decree would be annulled? And what is this that he said, "Is not this my saying, while I was yet in my land"—what does it matter? For in this he fulfilled his mission in the best way, for on the contrary, when the prophet goes on his mission and the people do not return, then he said in a similar case, "And I said, in vain have I labored..." And he should have rejoiced that he turned many from sin?
"And it was evil in the sight of Jonah." Abarbanel explained that the evil mentioned here is an illness: from the distress of his heart he fell and became ill, and he sought death. And this is because Jonah reasoned that the decree would not be turned back from them until they returned both in beliefs and opinions and in deeds. But they returned only from the deeds, as it says, "God saw all their deeds that they returned"—and until then they clung to strange worship. And nevertheless God relented concerning the evil. From this he understood that God left them because they were prepared to be a rod of His wrath upon Israel—and this was evil to him. Meaning, it was evil to him that he was the cause of leaving a rod of harm upon Israel, for whom he gave his life. And he was also angry at the matter: why should they prevail over Israel, after they were still idol worshippers?
And he prayed to Hashem, and said: ‘I pray You, O Hashem, was not this my saying, when I was yet in mine own country? Therefore I fled beforehand to Tarshish; for I knew that You are a gracious God, and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, and repent You of the evil.
verse value 6942
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 113 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 6942 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "while·I·was" (עַד־הֱיוֹתִי֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 30: for, for. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "not?·this" (הֲלוֹא־זֶ֣ה), "my·word" (דְבָרִ֗י), "while·I·was" (עַד־הֱיוֹתִי֙). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 26x in Jonah); "and·he·said" (root אמר, 22x in Jonah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Tarshish', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 11 words.
Rashi
Is this not my own statement? I know that if they return in repentance, it will not be destroyed, and I would be a liar in their eyes.
Ibn Ezra
And he prayed -- I have already explained.
And relent -- an adjective, for that reason it has a qamats, as is proper for all nifal conjugation.
Radak
And he prayed. Jonah prayed: take now my soul from me, and he said at the beginning of his prayer: I pray, O Lord.
Is not this my saying. What I was thinking and speaking with my heart, that I was fearing that they would return and He would repent of the evil, and their repentance would cause evil to Israel.
Please. Written with a he.
Until my being. While my being; and so too: yet this speaks.
I hastened to flee. Before Your prophecy would come to me this second time.
And relenting. Qamets, for it is a participle from the nifal construction.
Metzudat David
And he prayed. The prayer was what he said in the following verse, take now my soul from me.:
Is not this my saying. This consolation was with my thoughts while I was still on my land, before I went down to the sea; and therefore I hastened to flee to Tarshish before the prophecy came to me a second time:
For I know. From then I knew that You are a gracious God... and You receive those who return and relent from evil; and therefore this prophecy was hard upon me, for it was good in my eyes that they not return and perish in their guilt, and not be a strap of chastisement over Israel. And according to the explanation of our Sages, he would say: behold, through this you will add Your anger against Israel, when they see the power of repentance and do not take a lesson; and of this I thought from the beginning, and therefore this prophecy was hard upon me:
Metzudat Zion
ʿAd. While yet; likewise "while one was still speaking" (Job 1).
Kidamti. From "preceding, hastening."
Malbim
"Is not this my saying, while I was yet in my land." Meaning, while I was still in my land in Israel, before I went to Nineveh, this was my saying: that You would relent concerning the evil. Meaning, I knew then that it was not in Your mind to bring upon them the evil, and You relented concerning it immediately at the time of the decree, from the side of mercy and long-suffering, even though they did not do repentance properly. For they did not do repentance for the sin of idolatry, and nevertheless You did not bring upon them the evil, because You had relented concerning the evil from then. And therefore with a slight pretext You annulled the decree. And therefore I hastened to flee to Tarshish—meaning, I did not flee because I reasoned that they would do proper repentance, for then I would not have refused to go on the mission to turn errants from the way. But because I knew that even though they remained idol worshippers, You would not destroy them—therefore I did not want to go on the mission.
Therefore now, O Hashem, take, I beseech You, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.’
verse value 2218
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "soul" (אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "now" (וְעַתָּ֣ה), "take·now" (קַח־נָ֥א), "soul" (אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 26x in Jonah). First appearance of the root מות ("my·death") in Jonah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֣ה [now] (481) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + קַח־נָ֥א [take·now] (159) + אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י [soul] (841) + מִמֶּ֑נִּי [from·me] (140) + כִּ֛י [for] (30) + ט֥וֹב [good] (17) + מוֹתִ֖י [my·death] (456) + מֵחַיָּֽי [from·my·life] (68) = 2218.
Ibn Ezra
And now -- because he saw that Israel had not done repentance, he feared that the evil would come upon them; therefore he prayed, 'take now my life,' as it says: 'blot me out,' and as Elisha did when he anointed Hazael.
Radak
And now. Take now my soul from me. That I should not see the evil of Israel. As Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, said: blot me, I pray You, from Your book. And so too he said: kill me, I pray, kill.
Metzudat David
Now therefore, O Lord. Since such is the case, I request of You to take my soul from me, for my death is better than my life, rather than to see the destruction of my people, for through me came the cause:
Malbim
"And now, O Lord." After they did not do repentance, and nevertheless they remain and will be a rod of chastisement for Israel: "take now my life from me," since I caused this.
Verse structure: 5 words, 19 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָֽךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "was·hot" (חָ֥רָה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 26x in Jonah); "and·said" (root אמר, 22x in Jonah). First appearance of the root יטב ("greatly?") in Jonah. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הַהֵיטֵ֖ב [greatly?] (31) + חָ֥רָה [was·hot] (213) + לָֽךְ [to·you] (50) = 577.
Ibn Ezra
And He said, 'Is it good' -- like: 'and I crushed it, thoroughly grinding it,' and the grinding is complete, total grinding.
And the meaning: 'why are you angry about this?' -- and Yefet said: 'Is it that you are angry because I am good to whomever I wish?' And this is nonsense.
Radak
And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry? -- If you are very angry. And He did not say to him more, but meaning to say: furthermore I will show you a sign that it is not right that you should be angry at My forgiveness of the penitents. And hetov [do you do well] -- its matter is the strengthening of the matter. And so too: and I crushed it, grinding it thoroughly; they broke it thoroughly. And there are those who explain: [is it that] the good that I do for them angers you? And Targum [Yonatan] renders it like [the Aramaic for] 'very' -- halchada.
Metzudat David
"Are you right to be angry? The hei is the hei of astonishment; and as if saying, behold, I will show you by a sign that it is not from justice that you should be angry; and he was brief in the matter that is understood, for in the matter of the gourd-plant that is stated in the topic, He showed him this:"
Metzudat Zion
Ha-heitev. The sense of intensity; likewise "they broke it thoroughly" (II Kings 11).
Malbim
Questions: From what it says "Is it right that You are angry"—which is a question that has no understanding at all? And Jonah did not answer this at all, as afterward he said, "It is right that I am angry, even unto death!"
"And the Lord said, Is it right that you are angry?" He said to him: are you angry because they will consider you a false prophet, since your prophecy was not fulfilled? And could it be that I prophesy a good thing and it would anger you that the prophecy was not fulfilled? For if the prophecy was for good and was not fulfilled, then the prophet is established as a false prophet, for the good prophecy that comes through a prophet must be fulfilled in any case, even though the people do evil deeds. Unlike a prophecy of evil: if they return in repentance, the decree is annulled, and the prophet is not called a liar for this, as is explained in the words of Jeremiah to Chananiah son of Azzur (Jeremiah 28).
Then 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.
verse value 4623
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֨וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֨וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·the·city" (מִן־הָעִ֔יר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 318: and·dwelt, and·dwelt. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "and·he·went·out" (וַיֵּצֵ֤א), "from·the·city" (מִן־הָעִ֔יר), "on·the·east" (מִקֶּ֣דֶם). The root עיר appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·city', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 12 words.
Ibn Ezra
And he went out -- [Scripture] returned to mention Jonah's words and what happened to him before the forty days were complete, like: 'and he encountered the place.' And also: 'and Joseph took the two of them.'
Radak
And he went out. And sat on the east of the city. He sat in a place that was east of the city, until he would see perhaps they would not stand in their repentance, and the decree would return against them.
Metzudat David
Until he should see. For he thought perhaps they would not remain in their repentance and the decree would return to its place:
Malbim
Questions: Why did he sit east of the city to see what would be in the city? Had he not already known that God had relented concerning the evil?
"And he sat... until he saw what would be in the city." He reasoned that even though the decree was annulled and there would be no complete overthrow, nevertheless it was impossible that there would not be some impression and some evil in the city, like the case of the golden calf, where it wrote, "God relented concerning the evil," and nevertheless "He smote the people who made the calf." And so Abarbanel explained.
And Hashem 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 evil. So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd.
verse value 4163
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 83 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "shadow" (צֵל֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hashem·God" (יְהֹוָֽה־אֱ֠לֹהִ֠ים, 9 letters). 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "Hashem·God" (יְהֹוָֽה־אֱ֠לֹהִ֠ים), "a plant" (קִיקָי֞וֹן), "and·went·up" (וַיַּ֣עַל). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem·God" (root יהוה, 26x in Jonah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·his·evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
And he appointed. A term denoting appointment:
to save him from his evil. From the heat of the sun:
Kikayon. A plant that grows upward with many branches and provides shade, and so is its name.
Ibn Ezra
And He provided, kikayon -- the sages of Spain say: a gourd or a keirah. And there is no need to know what it is.
To deliver him from his discomfort -- from the excessive heat of the sun. And some say: that because he stood in the belly of the fish a long time, the skin of his flesh was soft and he could not endure the heat.
Radak
And the Lord prepared. He made it grow for the moment. And even though he had made himself a booth for shade, perhaps the trees of the booth would wither, for he sat there until his forty days were complete. And He did for him this sign to make him understand concerning the decree of God, and that His mercies are upon all His creatures.
And a gourd. It is a plant whose branches lengthen and grow tall, and it makes shade. And in the Mishnah: not with kik oil. And they said in the Gemara: what is kik? Reish Lakish said: the kikayon of Jonah. Rabbah bar bar Chana said: I myself saw the kikayon of Jonah, and it resembles the tzlulava. [The Gemara continues:] It grows among the water-pools, and at the entrances of the shops they hang it up -- meaning: at the doorways of the shops they hang it for shade. And from its seeds they make oil -- meaning: from its kernels they make oil. And Rabbeinu Shmuel ben Chofni explained that it is the plant called in the Arabic language al-kharwa. And the meaning of tzlulava I found in a responsum of the Geonim: a non-fruit-bearing tree, and there are many of it in our region, and it produces kernels, and they make oil from them, and whoever suffers from a great chill drinks from it, and its name in the Arabic language is al-kharwa.
From his evil. From the heat of the sun that struck him, that the trees of the booth that were his shade withered.
Metzudat David
And the Lord prepared. He caused a gourd-plant to grow, and it grew upward and rose above Jonah, to be for him a shade to save him from the heat of the sun that was harmful to him; for the shade of the booth is a thing that is not permanent, for it goes and dries from the heat of the sun; but not so the gourd-plant, which draws moisture from the earth:
And Jonah was exceeding glad. That it was for him a lasting shade:
Metzudat Zion
Vayeman. The sense of providing, preparing.
Qiḳayōn. The name of a plant whose leaves are large and broad.
Malbim
Questions (verses 6-11): What was the matter of the gourd, and the proof that God proved to him from it?
"And God provided a gourd." For the shade of the booth was not protecting much, as it says, "and he sat under it in the shade." It is clear that the shade was not throughout the booth, for the walls of the booth did not provide shade except on the side opposite where the sun stood. And he was forced to sit in the morning beneath the eastern wall, and at noon there was no shade at all. And the gourd made shade above his head to save him—namely his head—which was liable to be struck by the heat of the sun. "And Jonah was exceedingly glad of the gourd," for from this Jonah judged that it was God's will that he sit east of the city, for something would arise there in the city, and he was delaying him, so that he would see the retribution of the wicked.
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
verse value 4238
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Verse gematria: 4238 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·struck" (וַתַּ֥ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·plant" (אֶת־הַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹן, 9 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "worm" (תּוֹלַ֔עַת), "when·rose" (בַּעֲל֥וֹת), "dawn" (הַשַּׁ֖חַר). 9 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·next·day', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיְמַ֤ן [and·he·appointed] (106) + הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ [God] (91) + תּוֹלַ֔עַת [worm] (906) + בַּעֲל֥וֹת [when·rose] (508) + הַשַּׁ֖חַר [dawn] (513) + לַֽמׇּחֳרָ֑ת [to·the·next·day] (678) + וַתַּ֥ךְ [and·struck] (426) + אֶת־הַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹן [the·plant] (682) + וַיִּיבָֽשׁ [and·made·dry] (328) = 4238.
Rashi
And it smote. The worm [smote] the kikayon. In a place where it would say "he smote" (masculine), it says "it smote" (feminine): "and it smote."
Ibn Ezra
And God provided, on the morrow -- the day of his joy over the gourd.
Radak
And the Lord prepared. He prepared the worm for the moment, in place of the gourd.
In the rising. With a bet.
And the worm struck the gourd. Tola'at -- worm, in the feminine. And so too: for the worm shall eat it.
And it struck. Meaning to say that it cut it below. And after it was cut off from the moisture of the earth, and it was cut, the leaves that were for shade withered. And behold, one day he had joy, and the next morning it was struck and withered.
Metzudat David
At the rising of the dawn. At the time that the dawn rose, on the day after the day of his gladness:
And the worm smote. The worm cut and severed the gourd-plant from the place of its nourishment, and it drew no more moisture from the earth; and therefore it dried from the heat of the sun:
Metzudat Zion
Ha-shachar. It is the light that gleams on the eastern horizon before the sun rises over the land.
Vatāch. I.e., it cut and severed.
Malbim
"And it struck the gourd"—that it [the worm] cut it down at its root, and therefore it withered.
And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said: ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’
verse value 7196
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 87 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֜ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "wind" (ר֤וּחַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "harsh" (חֲרִישִׁ֔ית, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 645: sun, sun. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "when·rose" (כִּזְרֹ֣חַ), "wind" (ר֤וּחַ), "east" (קָדִים֙). The root שמש appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 22x in Jonah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·he·fainted', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Charishit." Our Sages taught: when it blows, it silences all the other winds before it, and it is very hot; and so too Targum Yonatan renders it "shetika" [silent].
And he fainted. "Pasmeier" in the vernacular [Old French]:
Ibn Ezra
And it was, a wind of the east -- from the east.
Fierce -- Rabbi Marinus said: that it was strong and loud, until it would deafen the ears.
And he fainted -- like: 'they shall faint,' and 'she covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself' -- that he wrapped himself in his garments.
Radak
"And it was," "And He prepared." He prepared the wind for a time, to add for him distress upon his distress, like the heat of the sun. And the meaning of "charishit" is: strong, such that people became like deaf men at its blowing. And Targum Yonatan: "shetikta." And the east wind is hot. "And the sun struck" -- the wind and the sun [together] struck.
And he fainted. His soul became weary and was frightened very much, until he could not stand himself from the great heat, and almost his spirit went out. As explained in the book of Amos: they faint. And so too in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory: lest he faint.
Metzudat David
An east wind. It is the fiercest of the winds and hottest of all; and nothing stood before it, for he sat on the east side of the city:
A piercing wind. Meaning, producing a loud roar until it was deafening to the ears:
And the sun beat. Meaning, the sun cast its sparks upon the head of Jonah:
And he fainted. Because of the heat of the wind and the heat of the sun:
And he asked for his soul. He asked and desired his soul to depart from him, so that he might die:
And he said. He said to his soul, my death is better than my life. And this was because he became very ill from the intensity of the heat of the wind and the sparks of the sun, and endured much suffering:
Metzudat Zion
Charishit. From the root "silent."
Vatāch. I.e., it shone forth and cast its sparks.
Vitaʿalaf. The sense of weakness and loss of sensation, like "your children faint" (Isaiah 51).
Malbim
"A scorching east wind"—that it plows the ears from the abundance of its roaring, and it is a very hot wind.
And God said to Jonah: ‘Are you greatly angry for the gourd?’ And he said: ‘I am greatly angry, even to death.’
verse value 2176
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִים֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "thoroughly" (הֵיטֵ֥ב, 4 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·plant" (עַל־הַקִּֽיקָי֑וֹן, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "burns·to·you" (חָרָֽה־לְךָ֖), "thoroughly" (הֵיטֵ֥ב), "burns·to·me" (חָֽרָה־לִ֖י). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 22x in Jonah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·the·plant', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֱלֹהִים֙ [God] (86) + אֶל־יוֹנָ֔ה [to·Jonah] (102) + הַהֵיטֵ֥ב [greatly?] (31) + חָרָֽה־לְךָ֖ [burns·to·you] (263) + עַל־הַקִּֽיקָי֑וֹן [upon·the·plant] (381) + וַיֹּ֕אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הֵיטֵ֥ב [thoroughly] (26) + חָֽרָה־לִ֖י [burns·to·me] (253) + עַד־מָֽוֶת [even·to·death] (520) = 2176.
Ibn Ezra
And he said -- God set a parable for His prophet, because he [Jonah] was grieved that God had relented.
Radak
And he said. It is clear.
Metzudat David
Is it right? The hei is the hei of the question that He [God] asked him [Jonah], whether he was very angry over the loss of the gourd-plant:
Even unto death. Until I choose death because of this; or meaning, until death I will be angry and will not be comforted all the days of the world:
Malbim
"Is it right that You are angry for the gourd?" He asked him: is this a good thing—for a gourd, which is a very light matter, are You angry? And he said, "It is right that I am angry," meaning, it is fitting that I be angry, for it is even unto death: through the loss of the gourd I am going to death, for a fever arose in him from the excessive burning heat until he fainted and reached the gates of death.
And Hashem said: ‘You have had pity on the gourd, for which you have not laboured, neither made it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night;
verse value 3685
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·plant" (עַל־הַקִּ֣יקָי֔וֹן, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "you·pitied" (חַ֙סְתָּ֙), "not·you·labored" (לֹא־עָמַ֥לְתָּ), "in·him" (בּ֖וֹ). The root ליל appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 26x in Jonah); "and·said" (root אמר, 22x in Jonah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·grew·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אַתָּ֥ה [you] (406) + חַ֙סְתָּ֙ [you·pitied] (468) + עַל־הַקִּ֣יקָי֔וֹן [upon·the·plant] (381) + אֲשֶׁ֛ר [that] (501) + לֹא־עָמַ֥לְתָּ [not·you·labored] (571) + בּ֖וֹ [in·him] (8) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + גִדַּלְתּ֑וֹ [you·grew·it] (443) + שֶׁבִּן־לַ֥יְלָה [that·son·of·night] (427) + הָיָ֖ה [was] (20) + וּבִן־לַ֥יְלָה [and·son·of·night] (133) + אָבָֽד [he·perished] (7) = 3685.
Rashi
"You did not labor over it." [This refers to] plowing, sowing, and watering.
“Ben laylah” – just as the term “ben laylah” does not denote growth over more than a single night:
Ibn Ezra
And he said -- the Scripture spoke so that the listeners would understand, for God does not toil in all creation. And behold the meaning: 'You had pity on something you did not make -- and how should I not have pity on My handiwork?'
And the word 'ben' -- [pointed] with a hirik, like 'bin Nun,' and 'if the wicked man deserves to be beaten'; and behold, he rejoiced over the gourd for only one day, from morning to evening. For from the start of the night it had begun to grow until morning, and by evening it began to wither, and by the rise of dawn it was completely dried up. Therefore it says: that it came into being in a night and perished in a night.
Radak
And the Lord said, You have had pity on the gourd. And even though he did not have pity on the gourd except because of his pain, so too God blessed be He has pity on Nineveh because of His honor, for the creatures are His honor, as it is written: the fullness of the earth is His honor. And all the more so the species of man, as it is written: and for My honor I created him. And even though we explained this concerning Israel, in any case it speaks of the species of man, as it said: I formed him, I even made him. Only since Israel recognize the honor of God more than the rest of the species of man, except the wise among them, the verse said concerning Israel.
Which you have not labored in, neither have you made it grow. The thing in which a person labors is more painful in its loss. And even though God blessed be He did not labor in the creation of the creatures -- Scripture speaks in the language of the children of men, to make the hearers understand.
It came in the night, and it perished in the night. 'Bin' is like 'ben.' And so too: Ben-Nun, and 'ben layla' is like 'ben layla' -- like 'ben chodesh,' 'ben esrim.' And the meaning of ben layla is: in one night it grew, and in the other night it perished at the end of the night, for at the dawning of the morning it was struck and withered.
Metzudat David
You had pity. Behold, You had pity and were grieved at the loss of the gourd-plant, in which You did not toil with plowing and sowing, and You did not raise it by watering and manuring; for the way is that a person has pity and is grieved at the loss of something in which he toiled; and not so does one have pity and be grieved at the loss of something in which he did not toil:
That came up in a night. Meaning, and furthermore, in one night it grew and sprouted, and immediately in the night following it was destroyed; for at dawn the worm smote it before the sun rose. And as if saying: is it not that one should not have pity on something that comes about quickly and did not stand for a long time?
Metzudat Zion
Chasat. From "chas" — pity and compassion.
ʿAmalat. From "toil and labor."
Gidaltō. The sense of causing to grow.
Shebin. "Ben" with a chireq, like "ben" with a segol; likewise "the son of Nun" (Joshua 1). The meaning is the time of night; likewise "a lamb in its first year" (Leviticus 12).
Avad. Perished, destroyed.
Malbim
"And God said, You had pity on the gourd." It is clear to me that there is a difference between "chasah" (having pity) and other terms like chamal, racham. The one who has pity is from the side of his need for the thing, as in "and your eye shall not pity your vessels." He said to him: you had pity on the gourd because you have need of it to serve as shade for you. Even though, besides that, there is nothing that would move you to be sad about it: not from the side that you labored in its planting or in its growth—for which it says, "which you did not labor in it," for it is the way of a worker to pity the work of his hands. Nor from the side of the thing itself that it is a precious and enduring thing. For "overnight it grew and overnight it perished"—it is a fading blossom that has no substance.
and should not I have pity on 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?’
verse value 4846
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 83 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "than·two·ten" (מִֽשְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 13 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jonah. Unique to this verse in Jonah (hapax): "not" (לֹ֣א), "I·will·pity" (אָח֔וּס), "upon·Nineveh" (עַל־נִינְוֵ֖ה). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·great', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 12 words.
Rashi
"Who did not know, etc." – Children:
"And many animals." Adult people, whose understanding is like that of animals, for they do not recognize who created them.
Ibn Ezra
And I, a hundred and twenty thousand -- who have not sinned, and also the beasts -- and behold by reasoning, for it was to be overturned like the overturning of Sodom, for this matter is known throughout the world.
Radak
And should not I have pity? Many, more than twelve ten-thousand persons. More than twelve ten-thousand persons -- and revua is ten thousand. And the word mishteim has a long mem, and the shin is not dageshed.
Persons. Including males and females.
Who cannot discern. That they are children and cannot discern between their right and their left, and there is no sin in them and no punishment for them, except because of the fathers. And since the fathers repented, behold they are without punishment. And so too, much cattle that is in the city -- and the cattle has neither punishment nor merit. And for all these it is right to have pity and to show compassion -- and all the more so for many.
Metzudat David
And should not I have pity. Meaning, is Nineveh not the work of My hands? And how should I not have pity upon so great a city as this?:
Many, etc. Meaning, more than twelve myriads, and so forth:
That cannot discern between his right hand and his left. That is, each one of them does not know to distinguish between his right hand and his left; and they are the small children for whom there is no accounting of sin, and there is in them no punishment except on account of their fathers; and since the fathers repented, behold, they are without punishment. And likewise the great multitude of beasts that are in the city, for which there is no punishment; and upon all these it is fitting to have pity and to be merciful:
Metzudat Zion
Ribō. It is ten thousand.
Rabbah. Numerous, great in number.
Malbim
"And should not I have pity on Nineveh," which is the work of My hands, and it is a precious thing: it is the great city. And even though many serve idols there, are there not in it more than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—who do not have the understanding to distinguish between the service of the One God, which is represented by the right side, as it says, "For at my right hand I will not be moved," and "I am always with You; You have held my right hand." And the service of the left, which serves nature and the cosmic arrangement, attributed to the left side? And they should not be punished for their lack of knowledge. And also there are in it many beasts, and "if a man has sinned, what has the beast sinned?" And by this he also received an answer regarding the punishment of Israel, for they have already learned to distinguish between the right hand and the left, for they received the divine religion and true faith, and they are deserving of punishment for idolatry that they served. Even though the people of Nineveh will not be punished for this.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim