Troubled. His concern was lest he should pass for a false prophet; or rather lest God’s word, by this occasion might come to be slighted and disbelieved. (Challoner) — He conjectured that God would spare the penitent Ninivites, and feared lest prophecies should be deemed uncertain. But this doubt is solved by observing that some are conditional, ([Jonah 3:4], and [Jer 18:8]) as it proved here. When the people relapsed, they were afterwards destroyed, Nahum i., &c. (Worthington) [Jonah 3:10] — The conversion of Ninive was an earnest of that of the Gentiles. (Calmet) — This being so intimately connected with the reprobation of the Jews, (Haydock) the prophet was grieved at the misery of the latter, (St. Jerome) which our Saviour and St. Paul bewailed. [Acts 6:2]; [Rom 10:19]; [Luke 19] Yet Jonas seems to have considered himself rather too much.
 | Author: George Leo Haydock Rank: Author AD: 1849 Source: Title: Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary Year (original): 1859 Number of pages: 571 Print: Edward Dunigan and Brother, New York, New York |
St. John Chrysostom says: [Truly, the Prophet was embarrassed that what he foretold did not come true, but God is not embarrassed because all He really wants is the salvation of humanity and the good of His servant (1).]
St. Jerome sees that Jonah’s distress and complaints are based on his trust in God’s mercy and compassion, because there was no way he would introduce Him to the people of Nineveh as a cruel God, but he preferred to die rather than see God’s mercies encompass the Gentiles while the Jews perish. He quotes the Prophet saying, [I am the only Prophet who would announce to his own people their destruction through the salvation of others.]
Throughout these feelings which were filled with love towards his own people, yet seemed to carry cruelty towards the Gentiles, he asked God to take his life because he saw that death was better than life; Jonah repeated the same request when the gourd (Israel) withered. At any rate, this request or desire contained a prophetic aspect, because like Christ, or as a symbol of Him, Jonah requested to die for his people, hoping that salvation of humanity be realized by the death on the Cross, not by getting off it or avoiding it. So it is not surprising when we read that Christ told His disciples: “with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” [Luke 22:15]. Since He is the slaughtered Lamb of the Passover thus He desired to hand over His life by His own hands, to grant His believers His Body and Blood which were given and shed for the salvation of the world.
Jonah desired to die, but in bitterness, for the destruction of his people which was announced through the salvation of the Gentiles. However our Jonah came purposely for that hour, gladly approaching pain, despising the shame [Heb 12:2], to save all humanity.
St. Jerome sees that Jonah’s distress and complaints are based on his trust in God’s mercy and compassion, because there was no way he would introduce Him to the people of Nineveh as a cruel God, but he preferred to die rather than see God’s mercies encompass the Gentiles while the Jews perish. He quotes the Prophet saying, [I am the only Prophet who would announce to his own people their destruction through the salvation of others.]
Throughout these feelings which were filled with love towards his own people, yet seemed to carry cruelty towards the Gentiles, he asked God to take his life because he saw that death was better than life; Jonah repeated the same request when the gourd (Israel) withered. At any rate, this request or desire contained a prophetic aspect, because like Christ, or as a symbol of Him, Jonah requested to die for his people, hoping that salvation of humanity be realized by the death on the Cross, not by getting off it or avoiding it. So it is not surprising when we read that Christ told His disciples: “with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” [Luke 22:15]. Since He is the slaughtered Lamb of the Passover thus He desired to hand over His life by His own hands, to grant His believers His Body and Blood which were given and shed for the salvation of the world.
Jonah desired to die, but in bitterness, for the destruction of his people which was announced through the salvation of the Gentiles. However our Jonah came purposely for that hour, gladly approaching pain, despising the shame [Heb 12:2], to save all humanity.
Footnote
(1) Conc. Stat. 5:18.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-4
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, [was] not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou [art] a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for [it is] better for me to die than to live. 4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?
 | Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty Rank: Monk Posted on: 2022-10-27 |
After he preached in the midst of Nineveh, he went out of the city in order to observe if anything should happen. When he saw that three days had passed and nothing had happened anywhere near what was threatened, he then put forward his first thought and said, “Are these not my words that I was saying that God is merciful and longsuffering and repents for people’s evils?” Homilies on Repentance and Almsgiving
 | Author: John Chrysostom Rank: Bishop AD: 407 |
But God will reply by the mouth of Jeremiah, “At what instant I will speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy it; if that nation, concerning what I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them. And at what instant I will speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it does evil in my sight, that it obeys not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them.” Jonah was indignant because, at God’s command, he had spoken falsely; but his sorrow was proved to be ill founded, since he would rather speak truth and have a countless multitude perish than speak falsely and have them saved.
 | Author: Jerome Rank: Priest AD: 420 |
LXX: 'Jonah was saddened by a great sadness, and he was confounded. And he prayed to the Lord, and he said'. Seeing the crowd of gentiles enter, and that fulfils what is written in Deuteronomy: "they annoyed me with these gods who are not gods, so I will annoy them with a people that is not one; I shall anger them like a foolish nation". He despairs of Israel's safety and is hit by a great suffering which breaks out in words. He shows the signs of his suffering and more or less says this: 'I have been the only one of the prophets chosen to announce my people's ruin to them through the safety of others.' Thus he is not sad that the crowd of gentiles should be saved, as some people believe, but it is the destruction of Israel. Moreover our Lord wept for Jerusalem and refused to take bread away from the children to give to the dogs. And the apostles preach firstly to Israel, and Paul wishes to be anathema for his brothers who are Israelites and have adoption, glory, alliance, promises and law, and from whom the patriarchs come, and from them too according to the flesh came Christ. But suffering in vain, which is interpreted as the word Jonah, he is smitten by suffering, and 'the spirit is sad until death'. For lest the people of the Jews should die, he has suffered as much as he was in power. The name of the sufferer also is appropriate to the story, since it signifies the toil of the prophet, weighed down by the miseries of his journey and the shipwreck.
| Author: Jerome Rank: Priest AD: 420 |
The blessed Jonah was distressed, it was not because the city escaped destruction, but because he gave the impression of being a liar and a braggart, idly alarming them, speaking his own mind and not at all what came from the mouth of the Lord.
 | Author: Cyril of Alexandria Rank: Pope AD: 444 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.
