Jonah 4:2
And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? 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.
Cross-references
Jonah 3:10 narrates God relenting from disaster, the very event that confirms Jonah's complaint in 4:2.
Jonah 4:2 directly recalls his flight to Tarshish described in Jonah 1:3 — the same event.
Exodus 34:6 is the original self-revelation of God's mercy that Jonah quotes verbatim — the source of his complaint.
Micah 7:18 celebrates God's pardon and steadfast love, echoing the same attributes Jonah acknowledges but laments.
Amos 7:6 is another instance of God relenting from disaster, reinforcing the pattern Jonah resents.
Amos 7:3 shows God relenting from judgment after intercession, a prior example of the attribute Jonah complains about.
Joel 2:13 repeats the same divine attribute list Jonah quotes, emphasizing God's mercy and relenting as a basis for repentance.
Hosea 11:8 reveals God's inner turmoil and compassion — the same relenting heart that Jonah accuses God of having.
Hosea 11:8 reveals God's inner turmoil and compassion — the same relenting heart that Jonah accuses God of having.
Jeremiah 20:7 laments being deceived into prophecy — Jonah similarly complains God's mercy undermined his message.
Jeremiah 18:8 explains the condition (repentance) for God's relenting, the same divine action Jonah resents in 4:2.
Psalm 145:8 uses the same merciful attributes — confirming that God's character is consistently gracious, which Jonah laments.
Psalm 86:15 directly quotes the same compassionate, gracious, slow-to-anger formula — the very reason Jonah is angry.
Psalm 86:5 celebrates God's forgiving goodness to all who call — echoing the attribute Jonah knows but wishes God didn't act on.
Exodus 32:14 is an earlier instance of God relenting from disaster, the same attribute Jonah laments in 4:2.
Exodus 34:7 adds the justice side — God punishes guilt — which Jonah omits, highlighting his selective use of God's character.
Numbers 14:18 repeats the mercy formula with the justice clause — Jonah quotes only the mercy, ignoring the punishment aspect.
Numbers 14:19 shows Moses pleading for forgiveness based on God's great love — a direct application of the mercy Jonah resents.
Psalm 78:38 recounts God's repeated mercy toward Israel — the same relenting compassion that frustrates Jonah.
Daniel 9:9 appeals to God's mercy and forgiveness despite rebellion, mirroring the attribute Jonah acknowledges in God.
James 5:11 directly cites the same OT attribute: 'The Lord is full of compassion and mercy,' echoing Jonah 4:2.
Romans 2:4 explains that God's kindness leads to repentance, which is exactly the outcome in Nineveh that Jonah resents.
Nahum 1:3 says God is slow to anger but will not leave the guilty unpunished, contrasting with Jonah's focus on relenting.
Jeremiah 26:13 echoes the same pattern: repentance leads God to relent from disaster, validating Jonah's complaint about God's mercy.
Jeremiah 26:13 urges repentance so God will relent from calamity — the very outcome Jonah laments and resists.
1 Chronicles 21:15 portrays God relenting from destroying Jerusalem — the very action Jonah resents and laments.
Psalm 103:8 repeats the exact description of God's compassion from Exodus 34:6, which Jonah also recites.
Deuteronomy 18:22 defines a false prophet by unfulfilled predictions — Jonah fears his Nineveh prophecy will fail because God relents.
1 Samuel 15:11 shows God relenting from blessing (making Saul king) — opposite direction to Jonah's complaint about God relenting from calamity.
In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah flees from his mission in despair — Jonah confesses his own flight to Tarshish here.
Psalm 135:14 declares that God relents concerning his servants — directly relevant to God's relenting that frustrates Jonah.
2 Chronicles 30:9 appeals to God's gracious and merciful character — the same creed Jonah quotes from Exodus.
Jeremiah 42:10 shows God relenting from disaster for the remnant, a specific instance of the attribute Jonah cites.
2 Samuel 24:14 shows David trusting God's mercy over human judgment — echoing the divine compassion Jonah acknowledges.
Deuteronomy 4:31 declares God merciful and faithful to covenant, matching the gracious character Jonah cites in 4:2.
Jeremiah 20:16 expresses a prophet's despair over his calling — a parallel to Jonah's frustration with God's mercy toward Nineveh.
1 Chronicles 21:13 records David's choice to rely on God's mercy — a parallel to Jonah's recognition of God's compassionate nature.