Matthew Poole and continuators on Jonah 4:2

2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said , I pray thee, O LORD , was not this my saying , when I was yet in my own countrey ? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish : for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful ? slow to anger , and of great kindness , and repentest thee of the evil .

In a strange distempered humour sets about this work, and accordingly manageth it, when he designs to pray, his turbulent Affections hurry him into unseemly contests and quarrels with God, yet since he fell on his knees with purpose to pray to God, the Scriptures report it as his Prayer to the Lord.

Either spake it out in words, or else thus reason'd within himself, and now leaves it recorded what were his words, or his thoughts.

This begins his complaint, or quarrel against the Lord.

Did I not think of this? was I not apprehensive that it would be so? I should preach avenging Justice, and thou wouldst exercise pardoning Mercy; thy Pardon would contradict my Preaching.

Either in Canaan, or Galilee, or in Gat[illegible: 1 letter]-Hepher, where had I died, and never been a Prophet to Nineveh ▪ I had ever had the Reputation of a true Prophet, but now at Nineveh I shall be reported a false dreamer.

There was reason for what I did when I declined the message, and fled away from thy presence, he seems to justifie that flight which God condemn'd in him by a miraculous punishment inflicted on him.

Vid. chap. 1. ver. 3. let. p.

He might know it by Gods dealings with so exorbitantly passionate a man as Ionah himself was, but he knew it from Gods account of himself, Exod. 34.6, 7. and many other places of the Scripture.

Who hath bowels of compassion, a heart that is a fountain of tender mercy.

Readily expressing his compassions toward sinners that need and sue for Mercy.

Who dost wait long for the sinners return, and dost not hasten thy Executions.

And when provoked thou art yet of an infinite Goodness, lenity, and kindness, and forgivest the sinner that repenteth.

Vid. chap. 3. ver. 9. let. a. and ver. 10. let. g.

Marginal references: Psal. [illegible: 2 letters], Joel 2.1[illegible: 1 letter]