Jonah 4:11

Context

The prophet Jonah was commanded to proclaim judgment against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. He fled, but he eventually went to Nineveh and announced its destruction. When the people of Nineveh fasted and turned from their ways, God relented from the disaster He had planned to bring upon them (Jonah 3:10). Jonah was deeply angered by this and said he would rather die. God caused a gourd to grow up over the place where Jonah sat to give him shade, then made it wither overnight. When Jonah had pity on the gourd, God asked whether it was not right for Him to spare Nineveh, with its more than 120,000 people who could not tell their right hand from their left and its many cattle: "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" (Jonah 4:11). Jonah's answer is not recorded.

Interpretation

• As a declaration of universal compassion: This reading holds that the heart of the verse is that God's mercy is not confined to Israel but extends even to the people and animals of an enemy nation. The character of God that Jonah himself had confessed earlier—"a gracious God, and merciful" (Jonah 4:2)—applies to the Gentiles as well.
• As an open question addressed to the reader: This reading holds that the book's ending without an answer is a device that demands a response from the reader who stands in Jonah's place—that is, the believer who cares only for his own people and his own side.
• The meaning of "cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand": Some interpret the phrase as referring to young children, while others take it to describe the moral ignorance of the Ninevites as a whole, who did not know God's law.

Debates and Issues

Whether the Book of Jonah records actual history or is a story intended to teach a lesson is a long-standing debate. Conservative denominations read it as history, pointing out that Jesus referred to the sign of Jonah as an actual event (Matthew 12:40–41), while some scholars emphasize its literary character. As to whether this verse implies the salvation of all people, the common response is that Nineveh was forgiven because its people repented, and that the forgiveness was not unconditional. Some also note that the verse should be read alongside the prophecy of Nahum, which foretells Nineveh's eventual destruction.

In the Korean Church

The verse is frequently preached on Missions Sunday and at missions rallies, and it is cited as a basis for missions to unreached regions and hostile nations. It is also sometimes used in prayer meetings for North Korea, where North Korea is likened to Nineveh.

Related Passages

• Jonah 4:2
• Jonah 3:10
• Ezekiel 18:23
• Matthew 12:41