SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
Y acaeció que saliendo el sol, preparó Dios un recio viento solano; y el sol hirió a Jonás en la cabeza, y se desmayaba, y pedía su alma la muerte, diciendo: Mejor sería para mí la muerte que mi vida.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Jonah 4:8
Verse 8. A vehement east wind] Which was of itself of a parching, withering nature; and the sun, in addition, made it intolerable. These winds are both scorching and suffocating in the East, for deserts of burning sand lay to the east or south-east; and the easterly winds often brought such a multitude of minute particles of sand on their wings, as to add greatly to the mischief. I believe these, and the sands they carry, are the cause of the ophthalmia which prevails so much both in Egypt and India.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And it came to pass when the sun did arise , etc.] After that the gourd was smitten and withered; when it was not only risen, but shone out with great force and heat: that God prepared a vehement east wind ; or, “a deafening east wind” f92 ; which blew so strong, and so loud, as R. Marinus in Aben Ezra and Kimchi say, made people deaf that heard it: or, “a silencing east wind”; which when it blew, all other winds were silent, as Jarchi: or it made men silent, not being to be heard for it: or, “a silent” f93 , that is, a still quiet wind, as the Targum; which blew so gently and slowly, that it increased the heat, instead of lessening it: or rather “a ploughing east wind” f94 ; such as are frequent in the eastern countries, which plough up the dry land, cause the sand to arise and cover men and camels, and bury them in it. Of these winds Monsieur Thevenot speaks more than once; in sandy deserts, between Cairo and Suez, he says, “it blew so furiously, that I thought all the tents would have been carried away with the wind; which drove before it such clouds of sand, that we were almost buried under it; for seeing nobody could stay outside, without having mouth and eyes immediately filled with sand, we lay under the tents, where the wind drove in the sand above a foot deep round about us;” and in another place he observes f97 “from Suez to Cairo, for a day’s time or more, we had so hot a wind, that we were forced to turn our backs to it, to take a little breath, and so soon as we opened our mouths they were full of sand;” such an one was here raised, which blew the sand and dust into the face of Jonah, and almost suffocated him; which, with the heat of the sun, was very afflictive to him: and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted ; the boughs of trees, of which the booth was made, being withered, and his gourd, or whatever plant it was, also, he had nothing to shelter him from the heat of the sun; but the beams of it darted directly upon him, so that he was not able to sustain them; they quite overwhelmed him, and caused him to faint, and just ready to die away: and wished in himself to die ; or, “desired his soul might die” f98 ; not his rational soul, which was immortal; by this animal or sensitive soul, which he had in common with animals; he wished his animal life might be taken from him, because the distress through the wind and sun was intolerable to him: and said, [it is] better for me to die than to live ; in so much pain and misery; (see Jon 4:3).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-11 - Jonah went out of the city, yet remained near at hand, as if he expected and desired its overthrow. Those who have fretful, uneas spirits, often make troubles for themselves, that they may still have something to complain of. See how tender God is of his people in their afflictions, even though they are foolish and froward. A thing small i itself, yet coming seasonably, may be a valuable blessing. A gourd in the right place may do us more service than a cedar. The leas creatures may be great plagues, or great comforts, as God is pleased to make them. Persons of strong passions are apt to be cast down with an trifle that crosses them, or to be lifted up with a trifle that please them. See what our creature-comforts are, and what we may expect the to be; they are withering things. A small worm at the root destroys large gourd: our gourds wither, and we know not what is the cause Perhaps creature-comforts are continued to us, but are made bitter; the creature is continued, but the comfort is gone. God prepared a wind to make Jonah feel the want of the gourd. It is just that those who love to complain, should never be left without something to complain of When afflicting providences take away relations, possessions, an enjoyments, we must not be angry at God. What should especially silenc discontent, is, that when our gourd is gone, our God is not gone. Sin and death are very dreadful, yet Jonah, in his heat, makes light of both. One soul is of more value than the whole world; surely then on soul is of more value than many gourds: we should have more concern for our own and others' precious souls, than for the riches and enjoyment of this world. It is a great encouragement to hope we shall find merc with the Lord, that he is ready to show mercy. And murmurers shall be made to understand, that how willing soever they are to keep the Divin grace to themselves and those of their own way, there is one Lord ove all, who is rich in mercy to all that call upon him. Do we wonder a the forbearance of God towards his perverse servant? Let us study ou own hearts and ways; let us not forget our own ingratitude an obstinacy; and let us be astonished at God's patience towards us __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויהי 1961 כזרח 2224 השׁמשׁ 8121 וימן 4487 אלהים 430 רוח 7307 קדים 6921 חרישׁית 2759 ותך 5221 השׁמשׁ 8121 על 5921 ראשׁ 7218 יונה 3124 ויתעלף 5968 וישׁאל 7592 את 853 נפשׁו 5315 למות 4191 ויאמר 559 טוב 2896 מותי 4191 מחיי׃ 2416
