Jonah 4 · Verse 5

Jonah 4:5

So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
Jonah 4:5, King James Version

Jonah 4:5 in other translations

BSBThen Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.
WEBThen Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city.
ASVThen 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 shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
YLTAnd Jonah goeth forth from the city, and sitteth on the east of the city, and maketh to himself there a booth, and sitteth under it in the shade, till that he seeth what is in the city.
DARBYAnd 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 shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
BBEThen Jonah went out of the town, and took his seat on the east side of the town and made himself a roof of branches and took his seat under its shade till he saw what would become of the town.
WebsterSo 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 shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

What does Jonah 4:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. made him a booth--that is, a temporary hut of branches and leaves, so slightly formed as to be open to the wind and sun's heat. see what would become of the city--The term of forty days had not yet elapsed, and Jonah did not know that anything more than a suspension, or mitigation, of judgment had been granted to Nineveh. Therefore, not from sullennesss, but in order to watch the event from a neighboring station, he lodged in the booth. As a stranger, he did not know the depth of Nineveh's repentance; besides, from the Old Testament standpoint he knew that chastening judgments often followed, as in David's case (2Sa 12:10-12, 14), even where sin had been repented of. To show him what he knew not, the largeness and completeness of God's mercy to penitent Nineveh, and the reasonableness of it, God made his booth a school of discipline to give him more enlightened views.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 So Jonah went out of the city - I believe this refers to what had already passed; and I therefore agree with Bp. Newcome, who translates, "Now Jonah Had gone out of the city, and Had sat," etc.; for there are many instances where verbs in the preterite form have this force, the ו vau here turning the future into the preterite. And the passage is here to be understood thus: When he had delivered his message he left the city, and went and made himself a tent, or got under some shelter on the east side of the city, and there he was determined to remain till he should see what would become of the city. But when the forty days had expired, and he saw no evidence of the Divine wrath, he became angry, and expostulated with God as above. The fifth verse should be read in a parenthesis, or be considered as beginning the chapter.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 4:5-11
Jonah went out of the city, yet remained near at hand, as if he expected and desired its overthrow. Those who have fretful, uneasy spirits, often make troubles for themselves, that they may still have something to complain of. See how tender God is of his people in their afflictions, even though they are foolish and froward. A thing small in itself, yet coming seasonably, may be a valuable blessing. A gourd in the right place may do us more service than a cedar. The least creatures may be great plagues, or great comforts, as God is pleased to make them. Persons of strong passions are apt to be cast down with any trifle that crosses them, or to be lifted up with a trifle that pleases them. See what our creature-comforts are, and what we may expect them to be; they are withering things. A small worm at the root destroys a large gourd: our gourds wither, and we know not what is the cause. Perhaps creature-comforts are continued to us, but are made bitter; the creature is continued, but the comfort is gone. God prepared a wind to make Jonah feel the want of the gourd. It is just that those who love to complain, should never be left without something to complain of. When afflicting providences take away relations, possessions, and enjoyments, we must not be angry at God. What should especially silence discontent, is, that when our gourd is gone, our God is not gone. Sin and death are very dreadful, yet Jonah, in his heat, makes light of both. One soul is of more value than the whole world; surely then one soul is of more value than many gourds: we should have more concern for our own and others' precious souls, than for the riches and enjoyments of this world. It is a great encouragement to hope we shall find mercy with the Lord, that he is ready to show mercy. And murmurers shall be made to understand, that how willing soever they are to keep the Divine grace to themselves and those of their own way, there is one Lord over all, who is rich in mercy to all that call upon him. Do we wonder at the forbearance of God towards his perverse servant? Let us study our own hearts and ways; let us not forget our own ingratitude and obstinacy; and let us be astonished at God's patience towards us.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jonah 4:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּצֵ֤אvai.ye.Tze'and he went outH3318
יוֹנָה֙yo.NahJonahH3124
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעִ֔ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he satH3427
מִקֶּ֣דֶםmi.Ke.demfrom eastH6924
לָעִ֑ירla.'Irof the cityH5892
וַיַּעַשׂ֩vai.ya.'Asand he madeH6213
ל֨וֹlofor <the> himself
שָׁ֜םshamthereH8033
סֻכָּ֗הsu.Kaha shelterH5521
וַיֵּ֤שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he satH3427
תַּחְתֶּ֙יהָ֙tach.Tei.haunder itH8478
בַּצֵּ֔לba.Tzelin the shadeH6738
עַ֚ד'aduntilH5704
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherthatH834
יִרְאֶ֔הyir.'Ehhe will seeH7200
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
יִּהְיֶ֖הyih.Yehwill it beH1961
בָּעִֽיר\׃ba.'Irin the cityH5892

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jonah 4:5

  • 1 Kings 19:9

    And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

  • Isaiah 57:17

    For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

  • 1 Kings 19:13

    And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

  • Jeremiah 17:15-16

    Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

  • Genesis 19:27-28

    And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

  • Jonah 1:5

    Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

  • Luke 19:41-44

    And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

  • Jeremiah 20:9

    Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jonah.
1:5; 1Ki 19:9,13; Isa 57:17; Jer 20:9
till.
Ge 19:27,28; Jer 17:15,16; Lu 19:41-44

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jonah 4:4

    Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

  • Jonah 4:5

    So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

  • Jonah 4:6

    And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

Read all of Jonah 4

Jonah 4:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y salióse Jonás de la ciudad, y asentó hacia el oriente de la ciudad, é hízose allí una choza, y se sentó debajo de ella á la sombra, hasta ver qué sería de la ciudad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jonas sortit de la ville, et s’assit à l’orient de la ville; et il se fit là une cabane, et s’assit dessous à l’ombre, jusqu’à ce qu’il voie ce qui arriverait à la ville.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jona ging aus der Stadt hinaus und setzte sich gegen Osten der Stadt. Und er machte sich daselbst eine Hütte; und er saß darunter im Schatten, bis er sähe, was mit der Stadt geschehen würde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et egressus est Jonas de civitate, et sedit contra orientem civitatis: et fecit sibimet umbraculum ibi, et sedebat subter illud in umbra, donec videret quid accideret civitati.