Topical Bible: Death: Desired: Jonah

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In the biblical narrative, the prophet Jonah is a unique figure who expresses a desire for death on multiple occasions. His account is primarily found in the Book of Jonah, a part of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Jonah's desire for death is intertwined with his complex relationship with God's will, his personal emotions, and his mission to the city of Nineveh.

Context and Background

Jonah, the son of Amittai, is called by God to go to Nineveh, a great city known for its wickedness, and to proclaim a message of impending judgment. Instead of obeying, Jonah attempts to flee from the presence of the Lord by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. This act of disobedience sets the stage for a series of events that reveal Jonah's inner turmoil and his struggle with God's mercy.

Jonah's Desire for Death

1. During the Storm (Jonah 1:12): When a violent storm threatens the ship he is on, Jonah acknowledges that he is the cause of the calamity. He tells the sailors, "Pick me up and cast me into the sea, so that it may quiet down for you. For I know that it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you" (Jonah 1:12). Here, Jonah's willingness to be thrown into the sea can be seen as an implicit desire for death, as he prefers this fate over facing God's command.

2. After Nineveh's Repentance (Jonah 4:3): Following Jonah's eventual compliance and Nineveh's subsequent repentance, God spares the city from destruction. Jonah becomes exceedingly displeased and angry, revealing his struggle with God's compassion towards the Ninevites. In his frustration, Jonah prays, "And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:3). Jonah's desire for death here is rooted in his inability to reconcile God's mercy with his own expectations of justice.

3. Under the Withered Vine (Jonah 4:8): God provides a vine to give Jonah shade, but then causes it to wither. As the sun beats down on Jonah, he becomes faint and again expresses his wish to die, saying, "It is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:8). This episode highlights Jonah's struggle with his own comfort and the transient nature of his desires, contrasting with God's enduring compassion.

Theological Implications

Jonah's repeated desire for death underscores the tension between human expectations and divine will. His account illustrates the challenges of accepting God's sovereignty and mercy, especially when it extends to those whom one might consider undeserving. Jonah's experiences serve as a reminder of the importance of aligning one's heart with God's purposes, even when they defy personal understanding or preference.

Throughout the narrative, Jonah's desire for death is not met with divine condemnation but rather with patient teaching. God engages Jonah with questions and object lessons, inviting him to see beyond his limited perspective. This interaction reveals God's character as both just and merciful, willing to extend grace to all, including the reluctant prophet himself.

Nave's Topical Index

Jonah 4:8
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Concerning Our Lord, and Concerning Death and Satan
... Sin and Hell were terrified: Death trembled and the dead ... Jonah emerged, after three
days and came up; but ... his past, with pleasant bread, but He desired it not. ...
/.../hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xxxv concerning our lord.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... after being tossed by the waves, arrives in port, and makes some wondrous hair-breadth
escape from death"all these ... When he desired that Jonah should be ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

Epistle xx. St. Ambrose Relates to his Sister the Events at Milan ...
... He adapts the story of Jonah to the present circumstances ... to cast me into chains,
or to give me to death? ... Then I was desired to restrain the people; I answered ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle xx st ambrose relates.htm

Lamps and Bushels
... danger, if for any reason it were desired to shade the ... was 'the sign of the prophet
Jonah,' which sign ... and then letting the endless shades of death muffle and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/lamps and bushels.htm

Letters of St. Augustin Index of Subjects
... Death-bed, a triumphant, [1462]509-[1463]512. ... Jonah's history defended and allegorized,
[1568]422, [1569]423. ... Praise should not be vehemently desired, [1652]583. ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letters of st augustin index.htm

Christ's Prayer for his People
... Do not put any confidence in death-beds, my dear ... Like Jonah, I have thought I would
really pay my fare ... preach, and found you could not succeed as you desired. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/christs prayer for his people.htm

Letter cviii. To Eustochium.
... Joppa too is hard by, the port of Jonah's flight; [2766 ... Why dost thou shudder to
approach her death? ... illness and thus gained what she most desired, power to ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cviii to eustochium.htm

The Ship on Fire --A Voice of Warning
... ship, and never more could she reach her desired haven. ... street had a Jonah in it,
and that Jonah's sermon were ... Yours may be a sudden death; and sudden death to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/the ship on firea voice.htm

Letter Lxxvii. To Oceanus.
... and in the book of the prophet Jonah [2343] to ... As she was always ready, death could
not find her ... victors and vanquished for what each had desired to effect ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxxvii to oceanus.htm

The Exhortation of the Last HomilyIs Continued in This. ...
... to pass, and yet that which I most desired should come ... the sentence threatening death,
brought forth life ... The sailors therefore threw Jonah in the deep, and the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily v the exhortation of.htm