Jonah 4:3
1 Jonah, however, was greatly displeased, and he became angry.
2 So he prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I was so quick to flee toward Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion—One who relents from sending disaster.
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
5 Then 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.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- KJV
- Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
- WEB
- Therefore now, LORD, take, I beg you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- ASV
- Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
- DARBY
- And now, Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
- BLB
- And now, O YHWH, take, please, my soul from me, for better [is] my death than my life.”
- ÅB
- Så ta nå, Herre, mitt liv! For jeg vil heller dø enn leve.
- OTB
- Så, Herre, ta nå mitt liv fra meg, for jeg vil heller dø enn leve.»
- B1930
- Så ta nu, Herre, mitt liv! For jeg vil heller dø enn leve.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Kings 19:4
while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Read in contextEcclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
Read in contextJeremiah 20:14–18
Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.
Read in contextNumbers 11:15
If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.”
Read in contextNumbers 20:3
The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD!
Read in contextJonah 4:8
As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
Read in contextJob 7:15–16
so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body.
Read in contextJob 3:20–21
Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
Read in context