1
Καὶ ἐλυπήθη Ιωνας λύπην μεγάλην καὶ συνεχύθη.
And Jonah was deeply grieved with great grief, and he was confounded.
Simple copulative καί links this to ch. 3's account of Nineveh's repentance and God's relenting. The doubled construction λυπήθη λύπην μεγάλην (verb + cognate accusative, a Hebraism mirroring וַיֵּרַע אֶל־יוֹנָה רָעָה גְדוֹלָה) intensifies the grief. The additional verb συνεχύθη ('was confounded / thrown into consternation') has no direct MT equivalent and represents LXX theological expansion.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
Καὶandcoordinating conjunction (narrative copulative)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator; here it carries the narrative forward in Jonah's tightly paratactic style.
ἐλυπήθηwas grievedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · λυπέωmain verb→ constative aorist (whole event as fact)λυπέω: 'grieve, pain'; passive 'be grieved, be in pain.' The cognate acc. below makes this a Hebraism.
ΙωναςJonahNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: transliteration of יוֹנָה (yonah, 'dove'); declinable Greek form.
λύπηνgriefAccusativecognate accusative (Hebraism — internal object)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeλύπη: 'grief, sorrow, pain'; mirrors the Hebrew cognate accusative רָעָה גְדוֹלָה, a Septuagintal Hebraism.
μεγάληνgreatAccusativeattributive adjective→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeμέγας: common adjective meaning 'great, large'; in Jonah 4 it intensifies grief or joy by scale.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
συνεχύθηwas confoundedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · συγχέωsecond main verb (additional LXX expansion)→ constative aorist (state of consternation entered)συγχέω: 'confuse, throw into disorder, confound'; not present in MT Jon 4:1. LXX deepens the psychological portrait — Jonah is not merely angry but shaken.
2
καὶ προσεύξατο πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν Ὦ κύριε, οὐχ οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι μου ἔτι ὄντος μου ἐν τῇ γῇ μου; διὰ τοῦτο προέφθασα τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς Θαρσις, ὅτι ἔγνων ὅτι σὺ ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ μετανοῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς κακίαις.
And he prayed to the Lord and said: 'O Lord, were not these my words when I was still in my own land? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, because I knew that you are merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting over calamities.'
The prayer is a retrospective self-indictment: Jonah uses the Sinai formula (Exod 34:6 LXX) — Israel's highest praise of God — as his reason for disobedience. The credal citation (ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων…) is the theological crux of the book. In LXX ἐλεήμων comes before οἰκτίρμων, reversing the MT order (רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן). The verb μετανοῶν (pres. ptcp.) applied to God — 'relenting / changing his mind over calamities' — is a profound anthropomorphism the LXX preserves.
Word-by-word analysis· 42 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
προσεύξατοhe prayedAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · προσεύχομαιmain verb→ ingressive aorist (turning to prayer)προσεύχομαι: the standard LXX/NT verb for formal prayer; the deponent middle is normal.
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (direction/addressee)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπρός + accusative: 'to / toward'; here marks the addressee of speech or prayer.
κύριονthe LordAccusativeobject of πρός (addressee)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: renders יהוה (Tetragrammaton) throughout LXX; the standard LXX substitution.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
ὮOexclamatory particle (address)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὦ: vocative exclamation; marks emotionally weighted address.
κύριεLordVocativevocative (address)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: standard LXX rendering of the divine name; the vocative marks direct address to Israel's God.
οὐχnotnegating particle (rhetorical question expecting yes)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὐ: negative particle; before rough breathing it appears as οὐχ, here shaping a rhetorical question that expects assent.
οὗτοιtheseNominativepredicate nominative (demonstrative subject)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὗτος: demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these'; it points back to Jonah's earlier words and expectations.
οἱtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
λόγοιwordsNominativepredicate nominative (subject of verbless clause)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeλόγος: 'word, saying'; Jonah appeals to what he said before his flight.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close personal reference.
ἔτιstilltemporal adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἔτι: temporal adverb meaning 'still, yet'; it locates Jonah's prior speech back in his own land before the flight.
ὄντοςbeingPres Act Ptcp Gen Sg Masc · εἰμίgenitive absolute (temporal — 'while I was')→ durative present (ongoing state at that time)εἰμί: copula; in genitive absolute construction, time reference anchored to the moment before his flight.
μουmyGenitivesubject of genitive absolute→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close personal reference.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐν: lexical item here glossed 'in', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
τῇtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
γῇlandDativedative of place (locative)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeγῆ: 'earth, land, country'; here Jonah's homeland (Israel).
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close personal reference.
διὰbecause ofpreposition + accusative (causal)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeδιά + accusative: 'because of / on account of'; here it introduces Jonah's explanation for fleeing.
τοῦτοthisAccusativeobject of διά (resumptive — pointing to the ὅτι clause following)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὗτος: demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this'; here it sums up Jonah's rationale for flight.
προέφθασαI was beforehand / I made hasteAor Act Indic 1 Sg · προφθάνωmain verb of complaint→ constative aorist (single decisive act of flight)προφθάνω: 'to anticipate, get there before, make haste'; rare compound; here, Jonah forestalled the divine mission by fleeing. Hebraistic use.
τοῦtoGenitivearticle (genitive with infinitive — purpose/result)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
φυγεῖνfleeAor Act Inf · φεύγωinfinitive of purpose (after τοῦ)→ constative aoristφεύγω: 'flee, escape'; the infinitive with τοῦ marks the intended action — his flight to Tarshish.
εἰςtopreposition + accusative (destination)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeεἰς + accusative: 'to / into'; the preposition marks destination, here Jonah's flight toward Tarshish.
ΘαρσιςTarshishAccusativeindeclinable proper name (destination of flight)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeΘαρσις: Tarshish; LXX transliteration of תַּרְשִׁישׁ; traditionally identified with a distant western port, perhaps in Spain or Sardinia. Indeclinable.
ὅτιbecausecausal conjunction (grounds the flight)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅτι: conjunction introducing either cause or reported content; its precise force is determined by context in the clause.
ἔγνωνI knewAor Act Indic 1 Sg · γινώσκωmain verb of knowledge (causal clause)→ constative aorist (knowledge as established fact)γινώσκω: 'know (experientially)'; Jonah's foreknowledge of God's merciful character is the basis of his disobedience — a sharp theological irony.
ὅτιthatobject-clause conjunction (introducing the credal quotation)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅτι: conjunction introducing either cause or reported content; its precise force is determined by context in the clause.
σύyouNominativeemphatic subject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσύ: second-person pronoun used emphatically; Jonah stresses God's own character in the quoted creed.
ἐλεήμωνmercifulNominativepredicate adjective (Sinai formula — Exod 34:6 LXX, first attribute)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐλεήμων: 'merciful, full of mercy'; from ἔλεος (hesed / חֶסֶד). LXX places ἐλεήμων before οἰκτίρμων, reversing MT רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן. The Sinai credal formula (Exod 34:6) is one of the most-cited OT texts in the OT itself.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (in the credal chain)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
οἰκτίρμωνcompassionateNominativepredicate adjective (Sinai formula — second attribute)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοἰκτίρμων: 'compassionate, pitying'; from οἶκτος ('pity'). Renders חַנּוּן (hannun, 'gracious') in Exod 34:6 MT.
μακρόθυμοςslow to angerNominativepredicate adjective (Sinai formula — third attribute)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeμακρόθυμος: literally 'long-spirited,' hence 'patient, slow to anger'; renders אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם ('long of nostrils') in Exod 34:6 MT.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
πολυέλεοςabounding in steadfast loveNominativepredicate adjective (Sinai formula — fourth attribute)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπολυέλεος: 'greatly merciful, rich in mercy'; compound from πολύς + ἔλεος; renders רַב-חֶסֶד ('abundant in hesed') in Exod 34:6 MT. The word ἔλεος regularly renders חֶסֶד ('covenant loyalty/steadfast love').
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
μετανοῶνrelentingPres Act Ptcp Nom Sg Masc · μετανοέωpredicate participle (Sinai formula — fifth attribute, describing divine character)→ durative/customary present (habitual disposition of God)μετανοέω: 'change one's mind, repent, relent'; LXX uses the same word for human repentance and divine 'relenting' (MT נִחַם niham). Applied to God it is a profound anthropomorphism: he genuinely changes course in response to human repentance.
ἐπὶover / concerningpreposition + dative (reference/object of relenting)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπί + dative: 'over / concerning'; here it marks the object with respect to which God relents or Jonah grieves.
ταῖςtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
κακίαιςcalamities / evil deedsDativedative after ἐπί (object of God's relenting)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκακία: 'badness, evil, trouble, calamity'; deliberately ambiguous — can mean human wickedness (on which God relents to punish) or the threatened disaster (which God relents from sending). Context here (Nineveh's reprieve) favours the latter.
3
καὶ νῦν, δέσποτα κύριε, λάβε τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι καλόν μοι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν ἢ ζῆν.
And now, O Master, Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
The formula καὶ νῦν ('and now') marks the transition from ground to consequence: because God is merciful, Jonah requests death. The double address δέσποτα κύριε ('Master, Lord') is emphatic in the LXX, unlike MT's simple אֲדֹנָי. The petition echoes Elijah's death-wish in 1 Kgs 19:4 LXX (ἄρον δὴ τὴν ψυχήν μου), a deliberate typological resonance — the prophet under the broom tree and the prophet under his booth.
Word-by-word analysis· 17 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
νῦνnowtemporal adverb (transition marker: 'and now therefore')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeνῦν: 'now'; with καί forms the LXX formula καὶ νῦν marking logical consequence or appeal.
δέσποταMasterVocativevocative (emphatic double address — LXX expansion)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeδεσπότης: 'master, absolute sovereign'; LXX addition to the MT's single אֲדֹנָי. Emphasises God's absolute authority, heightening the irony of Jonah demanding death.
κύριεLordVocativevocative (second term of double address)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: renders אֲדֹנָי; both terms together form an intensified divine address.
λάβεtakeAor Act Imper 2 Sg · λαμβάνωmain verb (petition/imperative)→ constative aorist (urgency — a single decisive act requested)λαμβάνω: 'take, receive'; imperative requesting God to take his life. Echoes Elijah's death-wish (1 Kgs 19:4 LXX ἄρον).
τὴνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
ψυχήνlife / soulAccusativedirect object→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeψυχή: 'life, soul, self'; here equivalent to life itself. Renders נַפְשִׁי ('my life/self') in MT.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close personal reference.
ἀπ᾽frompreposition + genitive (separation)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἀπό + genitive: 'from'; the elided form ἀπ᾽ marks separation or point of departure.
ἐμοῦmeGenitivegenitive after ἀπό (separation)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the genitive after ἀπό; it marks separation 'from me.'
ὅτιfor / becausecausal conjunction (ground for the petition)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅτι: conjunction introducing either cause or reported content; its precise force is determined by context in the clause.
καλόνbetter / goodNominativepredicate adjective (verbless clause — comparative sense)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαλός: 'good, fine'; in comparisons with ἤ, 'better.' Renders טוֹב (tov) in MT. The comparative construction without a comparative form is a Hebraism.
μοιfor meDativedative of advantage (ethical dative)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the dative; here it is an ethical or advantageous dative, 'for me.'
τὸtheNominativearticle (substantivizing the infinitive)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
ἀποθανεῖνto dieAor Act Inf · ἀποθνῄσκωarticular infinitive (subject of verbless clause)→ constative aoristἀποθνῄσκω: 'die'; the articular infinitive τὸ ἀποθανεῖν functions as the grammatical subject of the verbless predication.
ἢthancomparative particle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἢ: lexical item here glossed 'than', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ζῆνto livePres Act Inf · ζάωinfinitive (second term of comparison)→ durative present (ongoing life as alternative)ζάω: 'live, be alive'; the present infinitive emphasises continuous existence as something Jonah now devalues.
4
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Ιωναν Εἰ σφόδρα λελύπησαι σύ;
And the Lord said to Jonah: 'Are you very deeply grieved?'
God answers not with comfort or rebuke but with a question: εἰ σφόδρα λελύπησαι σύ; The perfect λελύπησαι ('you have been grieved,' = 'you are grieved') expresses the abiding state of grief. The emphatic σύ ('you') at the end sets up the contrast: you, Jonah, are grieved — but what of the city? God does not deny or defend his mercy; he probes Jonah's anger, beginning a Socratic dialogue that runs to the book's end.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
κύριοςthe LordNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: renders יהוה.
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (addressee)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπρός + accusative: 'to / toward'; here marks the addressee of speech or prayer.
ΙωνανJonahAccusativeobject of πρός (addressee)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the Greek form of the prophet's name used here as the addressee of divine speech.
Εἰwhether / [introduces rhetorical question]interrogative particle (LXX Hebraism — εἰ = הֲ interrogative he)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeεἰ: in LXX regularly used for the interrogative הֲ (he), translating a yes/no question. Not a conditional here.
σφόδραvery / greatlyintensifying adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσφόδρα: 'very, exceedingly, greatly'; frequent in LXX; renders מְאֹד (meod) and cognates.
λελύπησαιyou have been grieved / you are grievedPerf Pass Indic 2 Sg · λυπέωmain verb (interrogative clause)→ intensive perfect (abiding state of grief)λυπέω: 'grieve, pain'; the perfect passive λελύπησαι expresses a state persisting from the grief first described in 4:1.
σύyouNominativeemphatic subject (end position for contrastive stress)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσύ: second-person pronoun used emphatically; Jonah stresses God's own character in the quoted creed.
5
καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ιωνας ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἀπέναντι τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ ἐκεῖ σκηνήν, καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐκεῖ ὑπὸ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐν σκιᾷ ἕως οὗ ἀπίδοι τί ἀποβήσεται τῇ πόλει.
And Jonah went out of the city and sat down opposite the city, and he made for himself a booth there; and he sat there under the booth in the shade to see what would happen to the city.
This verse is transitional and has caused critical debate: if Jonah has already received God's word (4:2–4), why does he now watch to see what happens? Many interpreters see a seam or a flashback here; the LXX, like the MT, simply presents Jonah as watchfully hoping for judgment despite his outward complaint. The optative ἀπίδοι and subjunctive ἀποβήσεται mark the purpose clause as uncertain hope. Jonah's booth σκηνή echoes the Feast of Booths (Sukkoth) motif.
Word-by-word analysis· 31 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐξῆλθενwent outAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐξέρχομαιmain verb→ constative aoristἐξέρχομαι: 'go out, depart'; Jonah exits the city — a spatial marker of his alienation from Nineveh.
ΙωναςJonahNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the nominative form names the prophet as subject in the narrative.
ἐκout ofpreposition + genitive (separation)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐκ + genitive: 'out of, from'; here it marks Jonah's movement out from the city.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
πόλεωςcityGenitivegenitive after ἐκ (source/separation)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπόλις: 'city'; Nineveh, referred to throughout ch. 4 as 'the city.'
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐκάθισενsat downAor Act Indic 3 Sg · καθίζωsecond main verb→ ingressive aorist (taking up position)καθίζω: 'sit down, be seated'; ingressive aorist — he takes up the position of a watcher.
ἀπέναντιopposite / in front ofpreposition + genitive (spatial — facing)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἀπέναντι: 'opposite, in front of, facing'; LXX adverb-preposition; Jonah takes up a watching position directly facing the city.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
πόλεωςcityGenitivegenitive after ἀπέναντι→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπόλις: 'city'; in Jonah 4 the city is Nineveh, the object of divine compassion and Jonah's displeasure.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐποίησενmadeAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ποιέωthird main verb→ constative aoristποιέω: 'make, do'; here 'made [for himself] a booth.'
ἑαυτῷfor himselfDativedative of advantage (reflexive indirect object)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἑαυτοῦ: reflexive pronoun; 'for himself.'
ἐκεῖtherelocative adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐκεῖ: locative adverb meaning 'there'; it fixes Jonah's position outside Nineveh.
σκηνήνa booth / shelterAccusativedirect object→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσκηνή: 'tent, booth, shelter'; echoes Sukkoth (Feast of Booths) imagery; the temporary shelter from which Jonah watches for the city's doom.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐκάθητοhe was sittingImpf Mid Indic 3 Sg · κάθημαιfourth main verb (imperfect — ongoing state)→ progressive imperfect (continuous vigil)κάθημαι: 'sit, be seated'; the imperfect (vs. the aorists) marks prolonged watching — a sustained vigil.
ἐκεῖtherelocative adverb (resumptive)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐκεῖ: locative adverb meaning 'there'; it fixes Jonah's position outside Nineveh.
ὑπὸunderpreposition + accusative (spatial — beneath)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπό + accusative: here a spatial use meaning 'under, beneath,' describing Jonah's place of shelter.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
σκηνὴνboothAccusativeobject of ὑπό (shelter beneath)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσκηνή: 'booth, shelter'; Jonah builds a temporary shelter east of Nineveh to watch the city's fate.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative — circumstance)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐν: lexical item here glossed 'in', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
σκιᾷshadeDativedative of circumstance / locative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσκιά: 'shade, shadow'; the shade provided by the booth anticipates the shade of the κολόκυνθα in 4:6 and frames the irony — Jonah seeks shade from the sun while remaining unmoved by the city's need.
ἕωςuntiltemporal conjunction (purpose/expectation: 'until he might see')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἕως: temporal particle or preposition meaning 'until'; here it introduces Jonah's watchful waiting to see what will happen.
οὗwhich [time]Genitivegenitive with ἕως (temporal)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅς: relative form used temporally with ἕως, meaning 'until the time when / what time.'
ἀπίδοιhe might seeAor Act Opt 3 Sg · ἀφοράωoptative in purpose/result clause after ἕως (LXX idiom for uncertain expectation)→ constative aorist optative (hoped-for moment of seeing)ἀφοράω: 'look away toward, observe, see (from a distance)'; optative marks the hoped-for or uncertain outcome — Jonah watches in expectant uncertainty.
τίwhatNominativeinterrogative pronoun (subject of indirect question)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeτίς: interrogative pronoun meaning 'what?'; here it opens an indirect question about the city's fate.
ἀποβήσεταιwill happen / will come outFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἀποβαίνωverb of indirect question→ predictive futureἀποβαίνω: 'go away, turn out, result'; future middle here = 'what will come out of / happen to.' The future tense within the indirect question preserves the original directness.
τῇtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
πόλειcityDativedative of reference / disadvantage (what will happen to the city)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπόλις: 'city'; the dative marks the city as the thing affected in Jonah's watching.
6
καὶ προσέταξεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς κολόκυνθαν καὶ ἀνέβη ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τοῦ Ιωνα τοῦ εἶναι σκιὰν ὑπεράνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τοῦ σκιάζειν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐχάρη Ιωνας ἐπὶ τῇ κολοκύνθῃ χαρὰν μεγάλην.
And the Lord God appointed a gourd-plant, and it grew up over the head of Jonah to be a shade over his head, to shelter him from his troubles; and Jonah rejoiced over the gourd with great joy.
The narrative sequence of divine 'appointments' (προσέταξεν) begins: God appoints the plant, then the worm (4:7), then the wind (4:8), controlling each natural agent. The κολόκυνθα ('gourd') is the most famous lexical crux in the book — Jerome's Vulgate choice of hedera ('ivy') vs. the LXX's cucurbit tradition generated the Augustine–Jerome debate. Jonah's great joy (χαρὰν μεγάλην — another cognate accusative Hebraism) over the plant is set up to be the pivot of the divine argument: he who pitied nothing for Nineveh now rejoices greatly over a plant.
Word-by-word analysis· 34 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
προσέταξενappointed / commandedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · προστάσσωmain verb→ constative aorist (single divine appointment)προστάσσω: 'command, assign, appoint'; the LXX's standard term for God's sovereign appointment of natural agents in Jonah (also 1:17; 4:7, 8). Shows God's control over the entire created order.
κύριοςthe LordNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: standard LXX rendering of the divine name יהוה; here the Lord is explicit subject of the action.
ὁtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
θεὸςGodNominativeappositive to κύριος→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeθεός: 'God'; the double designation κύριος ὁ θεός renders יהוה אֱלֹהִים.
κολόκυνθανa gourd / κολόκυνθα-plantAccusativedirect object (appointed thing)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκολόκυνθα: 'gourd'; in Rahlfs–Hanhart the LXX term for MT's קִיקָיוֹן (qiqayon), a botanical hapax. The LXX sides with the gourd (cucurbit) tradition; Jerome chose hedera (ivy), provoking Augustine's correction (Ep. 71). The plant grows and withers within 24 hours as a divine object lesson.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἀνέβηit grew up / came upAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀναβαίνωsecond main verb→ constative aorist (swift growth as fact)ἀναβαίνω: 'go up, rise, grow up'; used of plants growing; the overnight growth emphasises miraculous or providential speed.
ὑπὲρoverpreposition + genitive (spatial — above)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπὲρ: lexical item here glossed 'over', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
κεφαλῆςheadGenitivegenitive after ὑπέρ (spatial)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκεφαλή: 'head'; the plant rises above Jonah's head, offering direct shelter.
τοῦofGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
ΙωναJonahGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the genitive marks possession or relation, as in Jonah's head or Jonah's joy.
τοῦto / so as toGenitivearticle with infinitive (purpose: τοῦ + inf.)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
εἶναιbePres Act Inf · εἰμίinfinitive of purpose (τοῦ εἶναι — so as to be)→ durative present infinitiveεἰμί: copula; in purpose construction τοῦ εἶναι σκιάν = 'so as to be a shade.'
σκιὰνa shadeAccusativepredicate accusative (complement of εἶναι)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσκιά: 'shade, shadow'; repeats the σκιά motif from 4:5 — Jonah's booth gave shade, now God provides enhanced shade, heightening the irony when it is taken away.
ὑπεράνωabovepreposition + genitive (spatial — directly above)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπεράνω: 'far above, directly overhead'; strengthened compound of ὑπέρ + ἄνω.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
κεφαλῆςheadGenitivegenitive after ὑπεράνω→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκεφαλή: 'head'; the noun marks the part of Jonah protected by the divinely appointed plant.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close relation ('his').
τοῦtoGenitivearticle with infinitive (second purpose clause)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
σκιάζεινto shelter / shadePres Act Inf · σκιάζωinfinitive of purpose (second purpose: to give shade)→ durative present (ongoing sheltering action)σκιάζω: 'cast a shadow over, shelter from sun'; from σκιά; a vivid word emphasising the plant's protective function.
αὐτῷhimDativedative of advantage→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the dative; here it marks advantage or affected interest ('for him').
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation/protection from)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἀπό + genitive: 'from'; here it marks separation or protection from the evil affecting Jonah.
τῶνtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
κακῶνtroubles / hardshipsGenitivegenitive after ἀπό (what he is protected from)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκακός: 'bad, evil'; neuter plural κακά = 'troubles, hardships, misfortunes'; here the physical discomforts (heat, exposure) of Jonah's watch. The same root κακία appears in the credal formula of 4:2.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession / reference→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close relation ('his').
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐχάρηrejoicedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · χαίρωthird main verb→ ingressive aorist (burst of joy)χαίρω: 'rejoice, be glad'; the ingressive aorist marks the sudden onset of great delight. Contrast: Jonah shows no joy at Nineveh's repentance but great joy over a gourd.
ΙωναςJonahNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the nominative form names the prophet as subject in the narrative.
ἐπὶover / because ofpreposition + dative (cause of joy)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπί + dative: 'over / concerning'; here it marks the object with respect to which God relents or Jonah grieves.
τῇtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
κολοκύνθῃgourdDativedative after ἐπί (object of joy)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκολόκυνθα: same plant; the dative form κολοκύνθῃ. Jonah's great joy over this transient plant is the premise of God's a fortiori argument in 4:10–11.
χαρὰνjoyAccusativecognate accusative (Hebraism — internal object of ἐχάρη)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeχαρά: 'joy, gladness'; cognate accusative with χαίρω mirrors Hebrew שָׂמַח שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה construction.
μεγάληνgreatAccusativeattributive adjective→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeμέγας: common adjective meaning 'great, large'; in Jonah 4 it intensifies grief or joy by scale.
7
καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ θεὸς σκώληκι ἕωθεν τῇ ἐπαύριον, καὶ ἐπάταξεν τὴν κολόκυνθαν, καὶ ἀπεξηράνθη.
And God appointed a worm at dawn the next day, and it struck the gourd, and it withered.
God's second appointment (σκώληκι — 'a worm') reverses the first: what he gave in the night (the plant) he removes at dawn. The brevity of the verse — three short clauses — mirrors the swiftness of the destruction. ἐπάταξεν ('struck') is the standard LXX word for God's smiting blow, used of plagues and judgment. ἀπεξηράνθη ('was withered') uses the compound ἀπό- for thoroughness: completely dried up.
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
προσέταξενappointedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · προστάσσωmain verb→ constative aoristπροστάσσω: repeated from 4:6; the same verb ties together God's serial appointments — plant, worm, wind. Each created agent is entirely under divine command.
ὁtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
θεὸςGodNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeθεός: 'God'; the LXX's ordinary word for Israel's God, explicit subject of the divine appointments and questions in the chapter.
σκώληκιa wormDativedative direct object (after προστάσσω — dat. of commissioned agent)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσκώληξ: 'worm, maggot'; the LXX uses this word for עוֹלֵעַ (tola'at) — a small worm or grub that attacks plants. Its appearance at dawn is precisely timed by God.
ἕωθενat dawntemporal adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἕωθεν: 'at dawn, in the early morning'; from ἕως ('dawn'). The worm acts at the precise moment the sun rises — maximising Jonah's suffering from the heat.
τῇtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
ἐπαύριονnext dayDativedative of time (temporal expression: 'on the next day')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπαύριον: 'the next day, the morrow'; here adverbial dative with the article.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐπάταξενstruck / attackedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · πατάσσωsecond main verb→ constative aoristπατάσσω: 'strike, smite'; the LXX's standard word for divine smiting (plagues, enemies); used of the worm's attack on the plant — the worm is God's agent of judgment.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
κολόκυνθανgourdAccusativedirect object→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκολόκυνθα: the same plant of 4:6; now struck by the worm.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἀπεξηράνθηit witheredAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · ἀποξηραίνωthird main verb→ constative aorist (complete withering as fact)ἀποξηραίνω: 'dry up completely, wither'; the compound ἀπό- intensifies the thorough drying: the plant is completely dried up. Renders יִיבַשׁ (yibbash) in MT.
8
καὶ ἐγένετο ἅμα τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τὸν ἥλιον καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ θεὸς πνεύματι καύσωνος ἀπηλιώτῃ συγκαίοντι, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ιωνα, καὶ ὠλιγοψύχει· καὶ ἀπελέγετο τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν Καλόν μοι ἀποθανεῖν ἢ ζῆν.
And it happened that at the rising of the sun, God appointed a scorching east wind to burn, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah, and he was faint; and he begged for his life to be taken and said: 'It is better for me to die than to live.'
God's third appointment (πνεύματι καύσωνος ἀπηλιώτῃ — 'a burning eastern wind') compounds the misery: plant gone, scorching wind, sun striking his bare head. The imperfects ὠλιγοψύχει ('he was fainting') and ἀπελέγετο ('he was requesting') mark the prolonged physical distress. Jonah repeats his death-wish (nearly word-for-word from 4:3 — Καλόν μοι ἀποθανεῖν ἢ ζῆν), now triggered not by theological offence but by physical suffering — which prepares God's sarcastic question in 4:9.
Word-by-word analysis· 37 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐγένετοit came to pass / it happenedAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · γίνομαιmain verb (narrative formula: καὶ ἐγένετο + temporal phrase — LXX Hebraism)→ constative aoristγίνομαι: 'become, happen'; καὶ ἐγένετο renders וַיְהִי (wayyehi) — the LXX's standard narrative-transition Hebraism introducing temporal clauses.
ἅμαat the same time / astemporal particle (simultaneous with the sun's rising)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἅμα: 'at the same time, together with'; with the dative articular infinitive: 'at the moment of.'
τῷtheDativearticle (with infinitive — dative of time)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
ἀνατεῖλαιriseAor Act Inf · ἀνατέλλωarticular infinitive (temporal — 'at the rising of')→ constative aorist infinitiveἀνατέλλω: 'rise, spring up' (of the sun, stars, plants); the articular dative infinitive τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι marks simultaneous time.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
ἥλιονsunAccusativeaccusative subject of infinitive→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἥλιος: 'sun'; subject of the infinitive ἀνατεῖλαι.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
προσέταξενappointedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · προστάσσωsecond main verb (third divine appointment in the series)→ constative aoristπροστάσσω: third occurrence in the chapter (cf. 4:6, 4:7); the verbal echo underlines God's comprehensive sovereignty over creation.
ὁtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
θεὸςGodNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeθεός: 'God'; the LXX's ordinary word for Israel's God, explicit subject of the divine appointments and questions in the chapter.
πνεύματιa windDativedative (appointed agent — dative after προστάσσω)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπνεῦμα: 'wind, breath, spirit'; here a scorching east wind appointed as instrument.
καύσωνοςscorching / burningGenitivegenitive of quality (characterising the wind)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαύσων: 'burning heat, scorching'; from καίω ('burn'). The scorching east wind (sirocco) is a figure for divine judgment in Hos 13:15, Ezek 19:12.
ἀπηλιώτῃeast[ern]Dativedative in apposition to πνεύματι (specifying the wind's direction)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἀπηλιώτης: 'east wind' (literally 'from where the sun rises'); the technical LXX term for the sirocco-like hot east wind.
συγκαίοντιburning / scorchingPres Act Ptcp Dat Sg Masc · συγκαίωattributive participle modifying πνεύματι/ἀπηλιώτῃ→ durative present (continuously burning character)συγκαίω: 'burn up, scorch'; compound of σύν + καίω; the wind 'co-burns' with the sun, intensifying the heat.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐπάταξενbeat down / struckAor Act Indic 3 Sg · πατάσσωthird main verb→ constative aoristπατάσσω: same verb used of the worm in 4:7; now the sun 'smites' Jonah — divine instruments in parallel.
ὁtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
ἥλιοςsunNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἥλιος: 'sun'; here the rising sun becomes one of the appointed instruments in God's object lesson to Jonah.
ἐπὶupon / onpreposition + accusative (point of impact)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπί + dative: 'over / concerning'; here it marks the object with respect to which God relents or Jonah grieves.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
κεφαλὴνheadAccusativeobject of ἐπί (struck on the head)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκεφαλή: 'head'; the precise spot the plant had shaded (4:6) is now exposed — the plant's absence is made tangible.
Ιωναof JonahGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the genitive marks possession or relation, as in Jonah's head or Jonah's joy.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ὠλιγοψύχειwas faint / was despondentImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · ὀλιγοψυχέωfourth main verb (imperfect — prolonged state of faintness)→ progressive imperfect (sustained physical and psychological faintness)ὀλιγοψυχέω: 'be faint-hearted, be despondent, despair'; compound of ὀλίγος ('little') + ψυχή ('soul/life'). LXX renders וַיִּתְעַלַּף ('he fainted/was about to faint'). The imperfect signals a prolonged collapse of strength.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἀπελέγετοwas praying / was askingImpf Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἀπολέγωfifth main verb (imperfect — ongoing petition)→ progressive imperfect (repeated requesting)ἀπολέγω: 'speak away, renounce, beg off, request'; middle voice here = 'was requesting [release for] his life.' The imperfect records a sustained, repeated petition.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: accusative article marking a direct object, complement, or substantivized phrase.
ψυχὴνlife / soulAccusativedirect object of ἀπελέγετο→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeψυχή: 'life, soul'; repeats the petition of 4:3 (λάβε τὴν ψυχήν μου).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the genitive; here it marks possession or close relation ('his').
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
ΚαλόνbetterNominativepredicate adjective (verbless comparative clause — repeated from 4:3)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαλός: as in 4:3; the near-verbatim repetition of the death-wish (Καλόν μοι ἀποθανεῖν ἢ ζῆν) creates a literary frame: Jonah's spiritual anger (4:3) and his physical suffering (4:8) produce the same response.
μοιfor meDativedative of advantage→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun in the dative; here it is an ethical or advantageous dative, 'for me.'
ἀποθανεῖνto dieAor Act Inf · ἀποθνῄσκωinfinitive (subject of verbless clause — first term of comparison)→ constative aoristἀποθνῄσκω: aorist infinitive meaning 'to die'; here it forms the first term in Jonah's death-versus-life comparison.
ἢthancomparative particle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἢ: lexical item here glossed 'than', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ζῆνto livePres Act Inf · ζάωinfinitive (second term of comparison)→ durative presentζάω: present infinitive meaning 'to live'; it stands as the second term in Jonah's comparison with dying.
9
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Ιωναν Εἰ σφόδρα λελύπησαι σὺ ἐπὶ τῇ κολοκύνθῃ; καὶ εἶπεν Σφόδρα λελύπημαι ἐγὼ ἕως θανάτου.
And God said to Jonah: 'Are you very deeply grieved over the gourd?' And he said: 'I am very deeply grieved, even to death.'
God repeats his question from 4:4 but now specifies the object: ἐπὶ τῇ κολοκύνθῃ ('over the gourd'). This sharpens the point — Jonah's grief is now exposed as being about a plant, not about God's justice. Jonah's answer is defiant and unguarded: Σφόδρα λελύπημαι ἐγὼ ἕως θανάτου. The addition ἕως θανάτου ('to the point of death') — which echoes the Gethsemane language of Mark 14:34 and Ps 42:6 LXX — is unique to this second death-wish and signals total despair. The emphatic ἐγώ ('I myself') at the end of the clause sets up the divine foil in 4:10–11.
Word-by-word analysis· 20 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
ὁtheNominativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: nominative article marking a subject, predicate, or substantival phrase in context.
θεὸςGodNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeθεός: 'God'; the LXX's ordinary word for Israel's God, explicit subject of the divine appointments and questions in the chapter.
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (addressee)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπρός + accusative: 'to / toward'; here marks the addressee of speech or prayer.
ΙωνανJonahAccusativeobject of πρός→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἸωνᾶς: Jonah, son of Amittai; the Greek form of the prophet's name used here as the addressee of divine speech.
Εἰ[interrogative particle]interrogative particle (Hebraism — εἰ = הֲ)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeεἰ: interrogative he; repeats the question form of 4:4 exactly.
σφόδραvery / greatlyintensifying adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσφόδρα: strong intensifying adverb meaning 'very, exceedingly'; it heightens Jonah's emotional response.
λελύπησαιyou have been grievedPerf Pass Indic 2 Sg · λυπέωmain verb of question→ intensive perfect (abiding state)λυπέω: same perfect as 4:4; the parallel phrasing makes God's second question feel almost ironic — the first question was about the city, this one is about a gourd.
σὺyouNominativeemphatic subject (contrast with God's own perspective)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσύ: emphatic second-person pronoun; in end position it heightens contrast between Jonah's pity and God's perspective.
ἐπὶover / aboutpreposition + dative (cause/object of grief)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπί + dative: 'over / concerning'; here it marks the object with respect to which God relents or Jonah grieves.
τῇtheDativearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: dative article marking a phrase of location, reference, advantage, or relation.
κολοκύνθῃgourdDativedative after ἐπί (object of grief)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκολόκυνθα: fourth occurrence in the chapter; the plant that was the pivot of Jonah's great joy (4:6) is now named as the object of his great grief — completing the irony.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb (Jonah's reply)→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
Σφόδραvery / greatlyintensifying adverb→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσφόδρα: strong intensifying adverb meaning 'very, exceedingly'; capitalization here simply reflects sentence position.
λελύπημαιI am grieved / I have been grievedPerf Pass Indic 1 Sg · λυπέωmain verb of Jonah's answer→ intensive perfect (confirmed state of grief)λυπέω: Jonah mirrors God's own question-form — he answers with the same perfect tense, confirming he is indeed in that state of deep grief.
ἐγὼINominativeemphatic subject (asserted with full weight — contrastive with God)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐγώ: first-person pronoun used emphatically; Jonah forcefully asserts his own point of view in response to God.
ἕωςeven to / as far aspreposition + genitive (extent — 'to the point of')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἕως: temporal particle or preposition meaning 'until'; here it introduces Jonah's watchful waiting to see what will happen.
θανάτουdeathGenitivegenitive after ἕως (limit of extent)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeθάνατος: 'death'; ἕως θανάτου = 'to the point of death.' Echoed in Ps 41:6, 12 LXX (ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου) and Matt 26:38 / Mark 14:34 (περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου).
10
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος Σὺ ἐφείσω τῆς κολοκύνθης, ὑπὲρ ἧς οὐκ ἐκακοπάθησας ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν, οὐδὲ ἐξέθρεψας αὐτήν, ἣ ἐγενήθη ὑπὸ νύκτα καὶ ὑπὸ νύκτα ἀπώλετο·
And the Lord said: 'You have shown pity for the gourd, over which you did not labour and which you did not cause to grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night;'
This verse states the lesser-to-greater argument's major premise: Jonah pitied (ἐφείσω) something he did not plant, grow, or earn — a transient, undeserved plant. Three relative clauses nail down Jonah's lack of investment: he did not suffer over it (οὐκ ἐκακοπάθησας), did not grow it (οὐδὲ ἐξέθρεψας), and it lived only a single night (ὑπὸ νύκτα καὶ ὑπὸ νύκτα ἀπώλετο). The verb φείδομαι ('spare, pity') frames both 4:10 and 4:11 — forming the rhetorical pivot of the book's last word.
Word-by-word analysis· 24 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωspeech-introducing verb→ constative aoristλέγω: the ordinary verb of speaking; here it introduces direct speech in a compact narrative frame.
κύριοςthe LordNominativesubject nominative→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκύριος: standard LXX rendering of the divine name יהוה; here the Lord is explicit subject of the action.
ΣὺYouNominativeemphatic subject (contrastive: you pitied, but I…)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeσύ: emphatic second-person pronoun; capitalization reflects sentence position, not a different lexical value.
ἐφείσωyou showed pity / you sparedAor Mid Indic 2 Sg · φείδομαιmain verb (major-premise statement)→ constative aorist (Jonah's act of pity as fact)φείδομαι: 'spare, refrain from harming, have pity on'; the key verb of the chapter's closing argument. MT חָסַתָּ (hast). The same root recurs in the future φείσομαι (4:11) — God's claimed right to pity Nineveh.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
κολοκύνθηςgourdGenitivegenitive after φείδομαι (object of pity)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκολόκυνθα: fifth occurrence; the plant now named as the object of Jonah's unearned pity, to be contrasted with the 120,000 persons.
ὑπὲρover / forpreposition + genitive (reference — 'on behalf of / regarding')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπὲρ: lexical item here glossed 'over / for', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ἧςwhichGenitiverelative pronoun — genitive (antecedent: κολοκύνθης)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅς: relative pronoun in the genitive; it refers back to the plant in God's lesser-to-greater argument.
οὐκnotnegating particle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὐ: standard negative particle before a smooth breathing or consonant; it negates the clause directly.
ἐκακοπάθησαςyou suffered / you labouredAor Act Indic 2 Sg · κακοπαθέωmain verb of first relative clause→ constative aorist (no labour expended)κακοπαθέω: 'suffer hardship, endure toil'; Jonah did not suffer over this plant. MT לֹא-עָמַלְתָּ בוֹ ('you did not labour over it').
ἐπ᾽over / forpreposition + accusative (reference)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐπί + accusative: 'over / for'; the elided form marks the object of Jonah's pity or God's argument from comparison.
αὐτήνitAccusativeobject of ἐπί→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the accusative; here it refers to the plant as direct object.
οὐδὲnor / and notnegative coordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὐδέ: negative coordinator meaning 'and not, nor'; it links and extends a preceding negation.
ἐξέθρεψαςyou brought up / you caused to growAor Act Indic 2 Sg · ἐκτρέφωmain verb of second relative clause→ constative aoristἐκτρέφω: 'nourish, bring up, cause to grow'; Jonah had no hand in cultivating the plant. MT לֹא גִדַּלְתּוֹ ('you did not make it grow').
αὐτήνitAccusativedirect object→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the accusative; here it refers to the plant as direct object.
ἣwhichNominativerelative pronoun — nominative (introduces third relative clause)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅς: relative pronoun in the nominative; it introduces a clause describing the plant's sudden life span.
ἐγενήθηcame into being / appearedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · γίνομαιmain verb of third relative clause→ constative aoristγίνομαι: 'become, come into existence'; the plant simply appeared — it was not planted by Jonah.
ὑπὸin [a]preposition + accusative (temporal — within a period of)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπό: here temporal 'within the course of' (a night); unusual construction but clear in context.
νύκταnightAccusativeobject of ὑπό (temporal: in one night)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeνύξ: 'night'; the plant lived and died within a single night-to-night cycle.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ὑπὸin [a]preposition + accusative (temporal, repeated — second night)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπό + accusative: here a spatial use meaning 'under, beneath,' describing Jonah's place of shelter.
νύκταnightAccusativeobject of ὑπό→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeνύξ: the repeated ὑπὸ νύκτα … ὑπὸ νύκτα makes explicit that the plant's entire existence was nocturnal and transient: it rose in one night and perished the following night.
ἀπώλετοit perishedAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἀπόλλυμιsecond verb of third relative clause→ constative aoristἀπόλλυμι: 'destroy, perish'; the middle ἀπώλετο = 'it perished.' The plant's brevity underlines the absurdity of Jonah's depth of grief.
11
καὶ ἐγὼ οὐ φείσομαι ὑπὲρ Νινευη τῆς πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης, ἐν ᾗ κατοικοῦσιν πλείους δώδεκα μυριάδες ἀνθρώπων, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν δεξιὰν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀριστερὰν αὐτῶν, καὶ κτήνη πολλά;
And shall I not show pity for Nineveh, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of persons, who do not know their right hand from their left, and many cattle?
The book's final verse is a question with no recorded answer — the most celebrated open ending in the Hebrew Bible. God draws the a fortiori conclusion: if you (Jonah) pitied the gourd, shall not I (ἐγὼ — emphatic) pity the great city? The symmetry of φείσομαι (v.11) with ἐφείσω (v.10) makes the argument explicit. The 120,000 'who do not know their right hand from their left' is variously interpreted: children below the age of moral discernment, or (more likely) the city's population as morally ignorant — the same ignorance that was met by God's patience rather than wrath. The addition of 'many cattle' (καὶ κτήνη πολλά) widens divine concern to creation itself. The book ends here — with a future tense (φείσομαι) hanging as an unanswered question.
Word-by-word analysis· 28 words
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (connects the conclusion to the major premise of v.10)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
ἐγὼINominativeemphatic subject (contrastive with σύ of v.10 — I/you contrast)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeThe emphatic ἐγώ sets God's right to pity over against Jonah's demonstrated pity: you pitied a plant — shall not I pity a great city?
οὐnotnegating particle (within rhetorical question expecting 'yes, you will')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὐ: negative particle; here it negates within God's concluding rhetorical question.
φείσομαιshall I spare / shall I show pityFut Mid Indic 1 Sg · φείδομαιmain verb (rhetorical question — the book's final word)→ deliberative future (expressing God's rhetorical self-questioning)φείδομαι: 'spare, show pity, refrain from punishing'; future tense turns the book's last moment into an open question — οὐ φείσομαι is not a statement that God will spare, but a question inviting Jonah (and the reader) to supply the obvious answer: 'Yes, you shall.' The verb brackets 4:10–11 with ἐφείσω.
ὑπὲρfor / overpreposition + genitive (object of pity — 'on behalf of')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὑπὲρ: lexical item here glossed 'for / over', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ΝινευηNinevehGenitiveindeclinable proper name (object of ὑπέρ)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeΝινευή: LXX transliteration of נִינְוֵה; indeclinable. The great Assyrian capital, enemy of Israel.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
πόλεωςcityGenitivegenitive in apposition to Νινευή→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπόλις: repeated throughout; 'the great city' is the constant epithet for Nineveh in Jonah (1:2; 3:2, 3; 4:11).
τῆςtheGenitivearticle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὁ: genitive article marking a dependent noun phrase, often possessive, descriptive, or partitive.
μεγάληςgreatGenitiveattributive adjective (in apposition)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeμέγας: 'great, large'; Nineveh as 'the great city' (ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη) is a formula in Jonah and links to the primordial city-building tradition of Genesis.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἐν: lexical item here glossed 'in', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ᾗwhichDativerelative pronoun — dative (antecedent: πόλεως)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅς: relative pronoun in the dative; it refers back to Nineveh as the city 'in which' the multitude lives.
κατοικοῦσινdwellPres Act Indic 3 Pl · κατοικέωverb of relative clause→ durative present (ongoing population)κατοικέω: 'dwell, inhabit, reside'; present tense — these people are still there, now spared.
πλείουςmore thanNominativepredicate adjective (comparative — more than [twelve myriads])→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπολύς (comp. πλείων): 'more, greater in number'; πλείους δώδεκα μυριάδες = 'more than 120,000.'
δώδεκαtwelvenumeral (indeclinable)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeδώδεκα: '12'; indeclinable; δώδεκα μυριάδες = 12 × 10,000 = 120,000.
μυριάδεςmyriads / ten-thousandsNominativenominative (subject of κατοικοῦσιν — extent of population)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeμυριάς: 'ten thousand, myriad'; μυριάδες is the LXX standard for large round numbers; 120,000 is a literary hyperbole for an enormous city.
ἀνθρώπωνof personsGenitivepartitive genitive→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἄνθρωπος: 'person, human being'; the partitive genitive specifies the class — persons (not animals).
οἵτινεςwhoNominativerelative pronoun (qualitative — 'the sort who') — subject of οὐκ ἔγνωσαν→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeὅστις: qualitative relative 'whoever, the sort who'; the qualitative force stresses the character of these people — not individually wicked but ignorant.
οὐκnotnegating particle→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeοὐ: standard negative particle before a smooth breathing or consonant; it negates the clause directly.
ἔγνωσανthey knew / they knowAor Act Indic 3 Pl · γινώσκωmain verb of relative clause→ constative aorist (state of moral ignorance described as fact)γινώσκω: 'know'; the constative aorist as a description of moral condition: these people have not known the difference between right and left — a proverbial expression of moral or developmental ignorance.
δεξιὰνright [hand]Accusativedirect object (first term of the contrast)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeδεξιά: 'right hand'; with ἀριστερά forms a merism for moral discernment. The phrase 'does not know right from left' is an idiom for moral ignorance or developmental immaturity.
αὐτῶνtheirGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the genitive plural; here it marks possession or relation ('their').
ἢfrom / ordisjunctive particle (separating the two terms of comparison)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἢ: lexical item here glossed 'from / or', functioning as described by the existing syntax note.
ἀριστερὰνleft [hand]Accusativesecond direct object (second term of the contrast)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeἀριστερά: 'left hand'; completing the idiom 'right hand or left hand' — not knowing the moral or physical distinction.
αὐτῶνtheirGenitivegenitive of possession→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeαὐτός: third-person pronoun in the genitive plural; here it marks possession or relation ('their').
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (adds cattle to the list of those to be pitied)→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκαί: simple coordinator linking clauses, cola, or phrase-level additions in the chapter's compact narrative flow.
κτήνηcattle / livestockNominativenominative (added object of pity — elliptical: 'and many cattle [dwell there]')→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeκτῆνος: 'beast, cattle, livestock'; the inclusion of animals in God's compassion broadens the scope of divine care to all of creation. Parallels the cattle mentioned in the Ninevite fast decree (Jon 3:7–8 LXX).
πολλάmanyNominativeattributive adjective→ resentment, compassion, and divine rebukeπολύς: common adjective meaning 'many, much'; here it adds even the animals to God's closing argument for pity.