John Calvin Commentary Jonah 4:3

"Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live." — Jonah 4:3 (ASV)

We see here how angry Jonah was in his zeal, for this prayer cannot certainly be ascribed to his faith, as some think, who say that Jonah took a flight, as it were, in his soul to heaven when he made this prayer, as though he did not dread death but, having been freed from all fear, being free and disengaged, he presented himself to God.

I do not think that Jonah's mind was so heroic. Indeed, there is no doubt, as I have already said, that he still retained some seed of piety; and this, I said, is sufficiently proved by the word prayer, for if Jonah had burst out like one in despair, it would not have been a prayer.

Since he prayed by speaking thus, it follows that it was not the cry of despair, but of too much displeasure, which Jonah did not restrain. In short, this prayer proceeded from a pious and holy zeal, but Jonah sinned in its measure or excess, for he had, in a manner, forgotten himself when he preferred death to life.

You Jehovah, he says, take me away. First, he was not free from blame in hastily wishing to die, for it is not in our power to leave this world; but we ought with submissive minds to remain in it as long as God keeps us in the station in which we are placed.

Whoever, then, hastens to death with such great ardor undoubtedly offends God. Paul knew that death was desirable in his case (Philippians 1:22), but when he understood that his labor would be useful to the Church, he was content with his lot, and preferred the will of God to his own will. Thus, he was prepared both to live and to die, as it seemed good to God.

It was otherwise with Jonah. Now, he says, take away my life. This was one fault, but the other was that he wished to die because God spared the Ninevites. Though he was touched with some grief, he ought not to have gone so far as this, or rather to rush on, so as to desire death on account of the weariness of his life.

But we learn from this to what extremes men are carried when once they give free rein to inconsiderate zeal. The holy Prophet Jonah, who had recently been tamed and subdued by such heavy chastisement, is now seized and carried away by a desire to die—and why? Because he thought it was hard that he had denounced destruction on the Ninevites, and yet their city remained safe.

This example ought to check us, so that we do not express our opinion too boldly regarding the doings of God. On the contrary, we should hold our thoughts captive, lest we manifest any presumption of this kind. For there is no one among us who does not condemn Jonah, just as he also condemned himself; for he does not recount his own praise here, but intends to show how foolishly he had judged God’s work.

Jonah then confesses his own folly. Therefore, his experience is evidence to us that there is nothing more preposterous than for us to decide this or that according to our own wisdom, since true wisdom alone is this: to submit ourselves wholly to the will of God.

Now, if anyone raises a question here—whether it is lawful to desire death—the answer may be briefly this: death is not to be desired on account of the weariness of life. This is one thing. By the weariness of life, I understand that state of mind when either poverty, or lack, or disgrace, or any such thing, makes life hateful to us. But if anyone, through weariness on account of his sins and hatred of them, regrets his remaining on earth and can adopt the language of Paul,

Miserable am I, who will free me from the body of this death! (Romans 7:24)

—he entertains a holy and pious wish, provided the submission I have referred to is added, so that this feeling does not break forth in opposition to the will of God. But he who has such a desire should still allow himself to be detained by God’s hand as long as God pleases.

Furthermore, when anyone wishes to die because he fears for himself regarding the future, or dreads undergoing any evil, he also struggles against God. Such was the fault of Jonah, for he says that death was better to him than life—and why? Because the Lord had spared the Ninevites.

We therefore see how he was blinded, even carried away by a mad impulse to desire death.

Let us then learn to love this life in such a way that we are prepared to lay it down whenever the Lord pleases. Let us also learn to desire death, but in such a way as to live to the Lord and to proceed in the race set before us, until He Himself leads us to its end. Now follows the reproof of God—