Jonah 4.6-The Lord Provides a Plant to Grow Up Over Jonah to Be Shade for Him (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday April 26, 2026

Jonah Series: Jonah 4:6-The Lord Provides A Plant To Grow Up Over Jonah To Be Shade For Him

Lesson # 42

The seventh and final scene in the book of Jonah continues with Jonah 4:6, which records the Lord providing a plant for Jonah, which grows up over him and functions as shade for the prophet, consequently, this makes him extremely delighted.

Jonah 4:1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.” 10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (NIV84)

The expression yhwh ʾělō·hîm (יהוה־אֱלֹהִים), “Lord God” appears 37 times in the Old Testament and only once in the book of Jonah.

This expression in Jonah 4:6 speaks of several concepts.

First of all, it combines the attributes of transcendence and immanence since the former is denoted by the noun ʾělō·hîm, “God” and the latter is denoted by Yahweh, “Lord” and so it emphasizes with the reader that the transcendent God is intervening in the life of Jonah.

Secondly, the expression emphasizes with the reader that the prophet Jonah is no better or worse than the Ninevites and is being treated according to the Lord’s grace policy just as the Ninevites were.

This is indicated in that the noun ʾělō·hîm, “God” is used in relation to the Gentiles and the Yahweh, “Lord” is used in relation to God’s covenant people Israel.

So in a subtle way this expression speaks of the principle communicated by Paul in Romans 3:29 that God is not only the God of the Jews but also the Gentiles.

“Appointed” is the verb mā∙nā(h) (מָנָה), which means “to provide” since the context indicates that the Lord God is making provision for Jonah and meeting his need in the hot Middle Eastern sun.

This verb emphasizes with the reader the Lord’s sovereign control over His creation and His omnipotence over creation.

“A plant” is the masculine singular form of the noun qî∙qāy∙wōn (קִיקָיוֹן), which appears only in the book of Jonah occurring fives times (4:6 twice, 7, 9, 10).

Most scholars identify this word with the castor oil plant or ricinus communis, which is indigenous to the Middle East.

It can reach the height of ten to fifteen feet and its stalk is soft and can be easily killed by insects.

Its large palmate leaves would have provided Jonah an excellent shield from the sun.

The plant’s flowers are yellow and pink and are arranged along stalklike protuberances.

The daily maximum temperature in Mesopotamia is approximately 110 degrees, thus this plant was a great relief for the prophet.

“And made it grow up over Jonah” emphasizes to the reader the purpose of this plant indicating that the little qîqāywōn plant growing up over Jonah was for his benefit.

“To give shade for his head” indicates the purpose for the Lord God providing this the little qîqāywōn plant for Jonah.

“To ease” is composed of the preposition le (לְ), “to” and the hiphil active infinitive construct form of the verb nā∙ṣǎl (נָצַל), “ease.”

This is a result clause indicating that the little qîqāywōn plant grew up over Jonah for his benefit in order to function as a shade for his head “so that” or “so as a result” he would be delivered from his discomfort.

The verb nā∙ṣǎl speaks of not only Jonah’s deliverance from the sun but more importantly, his deliverance from his bad attitude towards the Ninevites.

Specifically, it speaks of Jonah’s deliverance from his bad attitude towards God’s grace policy towards the Ninevites, which is indicated by the dialogue that follows in verses 7-11 where the Lord is teaching Jonah about His grace policy.

“Discomfort” is the noun rā∙ʿā(h) (רָעָה), which means “evil” and is used with reference to not only Jonah’s suffering from the extreme heat of the sun but also his suffering from possessing an evil attitude towards God’s grace policy with respect to the Ninevites.

“Was very happy” is referring to the attitude of joyful happiness experienced by Jonah as a result of the shade provided by the plant.

In Jonah 4:6, we have the Lord responding to Jonah’s anger with grace and love.

The Lord does not speak to Jonah but rather responds to the prophet’s silent angry protest with silent gracious, compassionate and loving action.

The Lord uses the plant as a visual aid to teach Jonah about grace.

Undoubtedly, Jonah recognized that God was being merciful to him and giving him a gift that he did not deserve.

He enjoyed God being gracious to him but not others and specifically, not his enemies.

Jonah is excited about the great miracle of the plant but not about the greater miracle, namely that of the Ninevites getting saved by believing in the Lord and repenting from their infamous evil way of living.

This verse records Jonah being happy for the first time.

His extreme delight because of the shade the plant provided him stands in stark contrast to his being infuriated by the Lord’s decision to relent and spare the Ninevites.

This should have caused him extreme joy since human beings are of more value than a plant.

He is very happy when the Lord delivered him from drowning even though he was insubordinate yet he is infuriated when the Lord spares the Ninevites.

This demonstrates to the reader just how self-centered Jonah is which is an indication that he is living according to the desires of his sin nature and is deceived by Satan’s cosmic system.

Jonah 4:6 also teaches that the Lord not only was attempting to deliver Jonah from the scorching Middle Eastern sun but more importantly, He was attempting to deliver the prophet from his evil attitude towards His grace policy with regards to the Ninevites.

This is indicated by the dialogue that follows in verses 7-11 where the Lord is teaching Jonah about His grace policy.

So the Lord provided this plant since the prophet’s makeshift shelter, which he built from brush or leaves, was flimsy at best and thus he needed something better.

Secondly and more importantly, the Lord wanted to use this plant as an object lesson to teach Jonah about His grace policy.

He wants the prophet to see the Ninevites and all men from His perspective (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).