The unique aspect of this section is clearly
The Tender Plant
It is tied by fury to the prior section.
The child of the night, stressing transience, closes the child frame opened in the first chapter. Jonah's patronym makes him a child of truth. The great city, Nineveh, is also a frame for the story.
So at the end of this revisitation of a delightfully serious and comical tale, I have revised my mnemonics for the whole poem slightly. The first two chapters, encompassing the city with the sea and windy (spirit) tempest and the havoc of hurling actions, are comprised of: The Descent, The Dice, The Mortals and The Fish. The Mortals anticipate Nineveh, its turning, and its belonging to God. The second two chapters are comprised of The Day, The Turn, The Fury (not God's but Jonah's), parts 1 and 2. Unlike Jonah, the king leads his people in the turning and God turns in comfort (sighing) to them. Such turning is evil for Jonah. Evil, used as a frame when the seafarers turn and again in this chapter, ties together chapters 1 and 4. Jonah succeeds in bringing evil upon others and in knowing it in himself.
וַיְמַן יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים קִיקָיוֹן וַיַּעַל מֵעַל לְיוֹנָה לִהְיוֹת צֵל עַל רֹאשׁוֹ לְהַצִּיל לוֹ מֵרָעָתוֹ וַיִּשְׂמַח יוֹנָה עַל הַקִּיקָיוֹן שִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה | 4.6 | and יְהוָה God appointed a tender plant and made it come up over Jonah to become shade over his head to deliver him from his evil and Jonah was glad for the tender plant he was very glad |
וַיְמַן הָאֱלֹהִים תּוֹלַעַת בַּעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר לַמָּחֳרָת וַתַּךְ אֶת הַקִּיקָיוֹן וַיִּיבָשׁ | 4.7 | and God appointed a worm as the dawn came up in the morning and it struck the tender plant and it dried up |
וַיְהִי כִּזְרֹחַ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיְמַן אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ קָדִים חֲרִישִׁית וַתַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַל רֹאשׁ יוֹנָה וַיִּתְעַלָּף וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת וַיֹּאמֶר טוֹב מוֹתִי מֵחַיָּי | 4.8 | and it happened when the sun shone and God appointed a sultry east wind and the sun struck Jonah's head and he fainted and he wished his being to die and he said death is good compared with my life |
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל יוֹנָה הַהֵיטֵב חָרָה לְךָ עַל הַקִּיקָיוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר הֵיטֵב חָרָה לִי עַד מָוֶת | 4.9 | and God said to Jonah is it good for you to be furious over the tender plant? and he said it is good for me to be furious even to death |
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אַתָּה חַסְתָּ עַל הַקִּיקָיוֹן אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָמַלְתָּ בּוֹ וְלֹא גִדַּלְתּוֹ שֶׁבִּן לַיְלָה הָיָה וּבִן לַיְלָה אָבָד | 4.10 | and יְהוָה said you yourself showed pity for the tender plant that you did not toil for and did not make grow1 that happened as a child of the night and as a child of the night perished |
וַאֲנִי לֹא אָחוּס עַל נִינְוֵה הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ בָּהּ הַרְבֵּה מִשְׁתֵּים-שְׂרֵה רִבּוֹ אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַע בֵּין יְמִינוֹ לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ וּבְהֵמָה רַבָּה ש | 4.11 | and I, will I not show pity to Nineveh the great city? for there are in her more than 12 ten-thousands of humans who cannot tell their right hand from their left and also many cattle ש |
1or make great
Jonah 4:6-11
This petulant prophet appears to be devoid of tenderness. But at least he is forthright. He knows his fury. God's mercy lies outside the human idea of fair or due reward. Jonah does not really like the good of creation, though he is glad enough for himself. His reaction is quite different from Job's. Job is ultimately seen to be both tender and right. Job changes. We don't know about Jonah. We are left with a question probably directed at ourselves. The inconsequential child of the night, the tender plant, is given to deliver Jonah from his evil.
Does the technique of observing the sequences and circles of repeating words help in memorizing this story? It has certainly made me read it with greater care than I did 40 odd years ago when I was asked to present this book at a conference (O how unprepared I was for that experience).
There are still many questions for me when I consider Jonah as 'the only sign to be given to this generation' (Matthew 16:4, Luke 11:29). What, for example, about the 'pilot', the chief of the encumbered band of seafarers? Why that phrase רַב הַחֹבֵל, surely an odd word for the quartermaster, or what is the significance of the one who descends paying the fare for the ship - her fare? Perhaps there are mortals who could comment. Is the foot-washing modeled after the actions of the king of Nineveh?
Halleluyah from the heart of God (Christopher Smart Jubilate Agno)
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp.
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Selected recurring words in relative order (6 to 11)
| Word and gloss * first usage | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 1 | 2 | Vs | Root |
וימן and appointed | ░ | 6 | מנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה | ░ | 6 | יהוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
אלהים God | ░ | 6 | אלוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
קיקיון a tender plant | ░ | 6 | קיקיון | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויעל and made it come up | ░ | 6 | עלה | |||||||||||||||||||||
ליונה Jonah | ░ | 6 | יונה | |||||||||||||||||||||
להיות to become | ░ | 6 | היה | |||||||||||||||||||||
ראשׁו his head | ░ | 6 | ראשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
וישׂמח and was glad | ░ | 6 | שׂמח | |||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | 6 | יונה | |||||||||||||||||||||
הקיקיון the tender plant | ░ | 6 | קיקיון | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׂמחה he was glad | ░ | 6 | שׂמח | |||||||||||||||||||||
גדולה very | ░ | 6 | גדל | |||||||||||||||||||||
וימן and appointed | ░ | 7 | מנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
האלהים God | ░ | 7 | אלוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
בעלות as came up | ░ | 7 | בעל | |||||||||||||||||||||
ותך and it struck | ░ | 7 | נכה | |||||||||||||||||||||
הקיקיון the tender plant | ░ | 7 | קיקיון | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויהי and it happened | ░ | 8 | היה | |||||||||||||||||||||
השׁמשׁ the sun | ░ | 8 | שׁמשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
וימן and appointed | ░ | 8 | מנה | |||||||||||||||||||||
אלהים God | ░ | 8 | אלוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
ותך and struck | ░ | 8 | נכה | |||||||||||||||||||||
השׁמשׁ the sun | ░ | 8 | שׁמשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
ראשׁ head | ░ | 8 | ראשׁ | |||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah's | ░ | 8 | יונה | |||||||||||||||||||||
למות to die | ░ | 8 | מות | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and he said | ░ | 8 | אמר | |||||||||||||||||||||
מותי death is | ░ | 8 | מות | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and said | ░ | 9 | אמר | |||||||||||||||||||||
אלהים God | ░ | 9 | אלוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | 9 | יונה | |||||||||||||||||||||
ההיטב is it good | ░ | 9 | יטב | |||||||||||||||||||||
חרה to be furious | ░ | 9 | חרה | |||||||||||||||||||||
הקיקיון the tender plant | ░ | 9 | קיקיון | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and he said | ░ | 9 | אמר | |||||||||||||||||||||
היטב it is good | ░ | 9 | יטב | |||||||||||||||||||||
חרה to be furious | ░ | 9 | חרה | |||||||||||||||||||||
מות death | ░ | 9 | מות | |||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and said | ░ | 10 | אמר | |||||||||||||||||||||
יהוה יהוה | ░ | 10 | יהוה | |||||||||||||||||||||
חסת showed pity | ░ | 10 | חוס | |||||||||||||||||||||
הקיקיון the tender plant | ░ | 10 | קיקיון | |||||||||||||||||||||
אשׁר that | ░ | 10 | אשׁר | |||||||||||||||||||||
לא not | ░ | 10 | לא | |||||||||||||||||||||
ולא and not | ░ | 10 | לא | |||||||||||||||||||||
גדלתו you did make grow | ░ | 10 | גדל | |||||||||||||||||||||
שׁבן as a child of | ░ | 10 | בן | |||||||||||||||||||||
לילה the night | ░ | 10 | לילה | |||||||||||||||||||||
היה happened | ░ | 10 | היה | |||||||||||||||||||||
ובן and as a child of | ░ | 10 | בן | |||||||||||||||||||||
לילה the night | ░ | 10 | לילה | |||||||||||||||||||||
לא not | ░ | 11 | לא | |||||||||||||||||||||
אחוס will I show pity | ░ | 11 | חוס | |||||||||||||||||||||
הגדולה great | ░ | 11 | גדל | |||||||||||||||||||||
אשׁר for | ░ | 11 | אשׁר | |||||||||||||||||||||
הרבה more than | ░ | 11 | רב | |||||||||||||||||||||
אשׁר who | ░ | 11 | אשׁר | |||||||||||||||||||||
לא cannot | ░ | 11 | לא | |||||||||||||||||||||
רבה many | ░ | 11 | רב |
Does the technique of observing the sequences and circles of repeating words help in memorizing this story? It has certainly made me read it with greater care than I did 40 odd years ago when I was asked to present this book at a conference (O how unprepared I was for that experience).
There are still many questions for me when I consider Jonah as 'the only sign to be given to this generation' (Matthew 16:4, Luke 11:29). What, for example, about the 'pilot', the chief of the encumbered band of seafarers? Why that phrase רַב הַחֹבֵל, surely an odd word for the quartermaster, or what is the significance of the one who descends paying the fare for the ship - her fare? Perhaps there are mortals who could comment. Is the foot-washing modeled after the actions of the king of Nineveh?
Halleluyah from the heart of God (Christopher Smart Jubilate Agno)
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp.
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
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