Jonah 4

It is true that this reform was only temporary, and so are all national reforms. In the next generation they again degenerated, and were eventually destroyed; yet this repentance, which, in many individual cases, was probably permanent and saving, was also to the nation a great “‘ lengthening of their tranquillity” —probably to the extent of a century and a half. Chap. IV. Ver. 1—11. Jonah retires to await the event of his predictions.—‘ Jonah dreading to be thought a false prophet, repines at God’s mercy at sparing the Ninevites, whose destruction he seems to have expected, from his retiring toa lace without the city about the close of the 40 days. But how does he glorify that mercy which he meant to blame!

And what an amiable picture does he give of the compassion of the true God! This attribute of the deity is still farther illustrated by his tenderness and condescension to the Prophet himself, who, with all his spiritual gifts, had much of human infirmity. What pity and what honour did God show him, in prods for him a miraculous shelter? And What a gentle reproof did he give him, when uneasy at its being removed 7— “Thou hast had pity on the gourd, and should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand (infants) that cannot discern between the right hand and left;—and also much cattle?’ (Dr. J. Smith.) _ “Let this goodness of God engage us to fear him, and hope in his mercy, who is long-suffering even to his enemies, ‘not willing that any should perish,’ but desirous that all should come to repentance.”

Notes on the verses

Ver. 7. Man, nor beast.—Heb. “‘ Cattle.” So ver. 8. In some countries, it appears that cattle have been shut up during times of drought, under the idea that their lowing and bleating, joined to the cries of mankind, might induce the Deity to hear, and send rain. See Orient. Lit. No. 1082. & Chap. IV. Ver. 3. Better for me to die than to live.—Heb. ‘‘ My death is better than my life.”.; Ver. 4. Doest thow well to be angry ?—Newcome, “‘ That (thine anger) is kindled?” See margin. Ver. 6. Prepared a gourd.—{Heb, Kikajon, probably the palma Christi, called kiki or kouki, by the Egyptians, and Elkherog, by the Arabs, from which castor oil is extracted. It is as large as the olive tree, has leaves like those of a vine, sometimes as broad as the brim ofa hat, and is of very quick growth.

See Bochart.|—B. Newcome,“ Aplant.” ‘The disputes about the species of this plant are as futile as those respecting the whale. If God pre- CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF JONAH. [Wk are here presented with a fine description of the power and tender mercies of Gop; and the impartiality of the prophet in detailing his own weakness and folly, (a conduct almost wholly restricted to the sacred writers,) is worthy of peices noice: Some writers, from the supposed difficulties of this Book, have considered it as a parabolic history, or allegory; others have thought that the account of his being swallowed by a great fish, praying in its oar and being cast on dry land, was a dream hice had when fast asleep in the ship; and others, with equal propriety, have contended that by daz, we should understand, not a fish, but & fi igng-caies or fishing-boat !

Such absurd opinions are scarcely worthy of notice; they are plain y contrary to the letter of the text, and the obvious meaning of language; and are completely overthrown by the appeal of our Loxp to the main facts of this history, and especially by the use which he makes of it. ((Matthew 12:40). (Luke 11:39).) This testimony puts an end to all mythological, allegorical, and hypothetical interpretations of these great facts; and the whole must be admitted to be a miracle from beginning to end, effected by the almighty power of Gop. Gop, who commissioned Jonah, raised the storm; He prepared the great fish to swallow the disobedient prophet; He maintained his life for three days and three nights in the bowels of this marine monster; He led it to the shore, and caused it to eject the prophet on dry land at the appointed time.

He miraculously produced the sheltering gourd, that came to perfection in a night; He {THE prophet MICAH was a native of Moresheth, a town in tae kingdom of Judah, which JEROME places about ten furlongs from Eleutheropolis; and, as we learn from the commencement of his predictions, prophes md ia the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. He was, therefore, contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea; though it is probable that he began to prophesy later than they.]—B. He reproves the Jews for their sins with great pared a fish, a plant, or a worm, for any special purpose, it was no doubt fitted for that purpose; but. there must be something miraculous in the rapidity with which it grew and withered.

Jonah had made himself a booth, but the shade must have been imperfect, till this plant shot up, and filled up all the interstices through which the noon-day sun might smite him.. Ver. 10. Which came up in a night, &c.—* Which was the son of a night, and which perished the son of a night.”, Ver. 11. Persons that cannot discern—That is, children. [It is generally calculated, that the young children of any place are a fifth of the inhabitants; and consequently the whole population of Nineveh would amount to above 600,000; which is very inferior to that of London and Paris, though they oceupy not one quarter of the ground. In eastern cities there are large vacant’ spaces for gardens and pasturages, so that there might be “ very much cattle.”

See note on (Jonah 3:3).]—Bagster. prepared the worm which caused it to wither in a night. And how naky was all this to the almighty power of the Author and Sustainer of life, who has a sovereign, omnipresent, and energetic sway In the heavens and in the earth! The miraculous preservation and deliverance of Jonah were surely not more remarkable or descriptive of almighty power, than the multiplied wonders in the wilderness, the protection of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the fiery furnace, of Daniel in-the lion’s den, or the resurrection of the widow’s son: all were deviations from the general laws of nature, and the ordinary course of human events, and evident demonstrations of supernatural and miraculous interference.

But fooiish man will affect to be wise, though born as a wild ags’s colt; and some, because they cannot work a miracle themselves, can hardly be persuaded that Gop can do it! The fame of the prophet’s deliverance appears to have been widely propagated among the heathen nations; and the Greeks, ever fond of enoraing the memory of their heroes by every remarkable event and embellishment which they could appropriate, added to the fictitious adventures of Hercules, that of having continued three days and nights in the belly of a sea monster, or shark, cutting and hacking his entrails, and afterwards coming out of the monster without any injury, except the loss of his hair. The fable of Arion and the Dolphin, of which the date is fixed at a period nearly coeval with that of Jonah, is probably also a misrepresentation of the particulars recorded in this sacred Book.}—Bagster.

THE BOOK OF MICAH. warmth and indignation; foretels their several captivities; and, forthe comfort of the pious, delivers many things concerning the Messiah, his incarnation and offices, and the happiness and glory of his church in the latter days. “* The style of Micah is for the most part close, forcible, pointed, and concise; sometimes approaching the obscurity of Hosea; in many parts apimated and sublime: and in general truly poetical.” Fp. Lowth, Lect. xxi. Chap. L. Ver. 1. The Morasthite.—See ver. 15. Maresha is placed in Judah, (Joshua 15:44). (2 Chronicles 11:8). Ver. 2. From his holy temple—Heb. “‘ The temple of his holiness.” Ver. 3. High places.—See (Amos 4:13). Ver. 4. Be molten—That is, ‘* Melted.”.——A steep place —‘ A descent.”

(Amos 9:5). Ver. 5. Are they not Jerusalem ?—There were hign paces near Jerusalem. i Kings xi. 7. _ Ver. 6. Samaria.—{ Samaria was taken by Shalmaneser, ((2 Kings 17:6).) B. C. 724; razed to the ground by Hyrcanus, (Josephus, Ant.) restored by Herod, and called Sebaste; and it is now a small village called Sabusta, its ancient site being converted into gardens. See on (1 Kings 16:24).|—B.— As plantings of a vineyard.—A vineyard, at the time of being planted, and walled in with svone, probably appears as ruinous as a building, either when erecting or being taken down. Ver. 7. And all the hires thereof.—All the produce of their idolatry, which was probably, at times, considerable, as is that of idolatrous priests in general.

Ver. 8. Stripped and naked.—As we say, “ undressed;” in the habit of mouiners.—Like the dragons and owls.—‘ Daughters of the owl, or ostrich.”” See (Job 30:28-30), and note on ver. 29. Ver. 9. Her wound is incurable.—Newcome, “ Grievous.” Ver. 10. In the house of Aphrah.—Newcome, ** In Beth-Ophrah.” See (Joshua 18:23). The name means, “ The house of dust.” Ver. 11. Inhabitant of Pe (or the fair city.)—Eusebius places this in the tribe of Judah, between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon.—— Having thy shame D.—Newcome, “ Naked, and in confusion,’ or ashamed.— Zaanan.— Another city of Judah, (Joshua 15:37).—Beth-ezel—Near Jerusalem, (Zechariah 14:5). Dr. Boothroyd translatea this, ‘‘ Let not the inhabitress of Zaanan go forth; the mourning of Beth-ezel will take from you its support.”

In the original here is a peculiar pes of words, in the nature of punning. Bp. Lowth remarks the same in all the prophets, particularly Isaiah x. 283—32. See also Orient. Lit. No. 1085. The general sense in Micah seems to be, that the funeral rites should be embarrassed and neglected. fe Ver. 12. The inhabitant of Maroth waited, &c.—Maroth is bitter, and here is, perhaps, another paronomasia; but to render these verses ineligaes toa mere English reader, would be very difficult, and occupy much room. We must therefore refer to Bp. Newocome. Ver. 14. Achzib means a lie, Jos, xv. 44. 3 2 Ver. 16. Make thee bald.—As a sign of mourning. See (Amos 8:10). The bald eagle is probably here referred to.—Orient.

Lit. Nu. 1086.