Jonah 4:2 - Exposition

He prayed. He carried his complaint to God, and was prepared to submit it to him, even while he questioned the wisdom of his clemency. I pray thee ( anna ); Vulgate, obsecro . A particle of entreaty, "Ah! I pray thee." Was not this my saying? Was not this what I said to myself, viz. that God would spare Nineveh if it showed signs of repentance? My country. Palestine, where the original message reached him. I fled before; literally, I anticipated to fly; Septuagint, προέφθασα τοῦ φυγεῖν , "I made haste to flee;" Vulgate, praeoccupavi ut fugerem . I hastened to fly before I should be reduced to seeing my mission rendered nugatory. For I knew. Joel knew the character of God, and how that he threatened in order to arouse repentance, and that he might be able to spare (see Exodus 32:14 ; Exodus 34:6 , Exodus 34:7 ). The description of God's mercy agrees with that in Joel 2:13 and Nehemiah 9:17 .