Grammatical and Syntactical Analysis on Jonah 4

As we approach a book like Jonah which combines poetry, prophecy and

Narrative is important to understand what parts or what chapters fall in
each category.
We also need to understand that to be able to translate correctly and
follow the authors intent in chapter 4 of Jonah we need to see some
similarities and paterns.
In this syntax analysis we will focus on a few words, verbs, clauses and
particles to understand correctly the Hebrew text of this chapter.

We will see that the begining word of chapter 4:1‫ַוי ֵַּרע‬

Is Narrative discourse and as we know the vayyiqtol verbs are the
backbone of biblical narratives. And in this case its a transition from
chapter 3 to chapter 4. It also reflects the difference on the

We will continue to see this vayyiqtol verbs through this chapter v2, v4,
v5, v6, v7, v8, v9, v10 as this chapter is mainly a Narrative discourse.

Even though many of the verbs are in vayyiqtol not all of them are in the
same in the same stem (ie not all of the are in the Qal stem)

Besides this we will have to focus on other aspects of the grammar and
syntax to be able to discern the true meaning of chapter 4, and answer
questions such as why is Jonah angry about? it is right for Jonah to be
angry? which is the best way to translate this phrase in verse 4 "" in verse
9 (very similar but with the added preposition)
v4"‫"הַ הֵּ יטֵּ ב חָ ָרה לְָך‬
v9" ‫"הַ הֵּ יטֵּ ב חָ ָרה־לְ ָך עַל־הַ קִּ יקָ יֹון‬
Its also important to know why the use of different names of God such as
YHVH, Ha Elohim, YHVH-Elohim.
 and why is important for the grammar such different uses of the names.

We have to also see the similarities in clauses and words and phrases
within the chapter, one example of this is v5 ""
‫ִּמקֶּ דֶּ ם לָעִּ יר‬
and v8
‫אֱֹלהִּ ים רּוחַ קָ ִּדים‬
Is clearly important the notion that Jonah went to the east of the city to
wait what will happen to Nineveh and that a wind came from the east.
The narrator is trying to point something to the reader.

Lastly we can see the main clauses and subordinate clauses.

the second clause in v2 starting with
‫ַוי ֹּאמַ ר‬
besides continuing with the narrative or extending it, this clause also
expresses a switch from Narrative Discourse to Direct Speech.

This is to be expected in the Narrative in the Hebrew Bible because often

together with the vayyiqtol found in the narrative it usally also contains
some forms of quotations and then switches back to vayyiqtol verbs to
continue the flow of the story.

‫הֲלֹוא־זֶּה ְדבָ ִּרי‬

This part of v2 introduces a rhetorical question with the Interrogative
and the negative, in which Jonah is trying to acuse God with this
question.

It is also important to notice the way the author uses the prepositions,
for example this construction below establishes a link between two
clauses.
‫עַל־ּכֵּן‬.
This particle is important as well
 ‫כִּ י‬
because it usually embeds one discourse type in another through the use
of this subordinating particle.

in v5 brings the story back to Narrative but it has raised a lot of discusion
on how to translate the this opening vayyiqtol , if we pay attention to the
flow of the story we will see that this vayyiqtol is opening a new section
of the narrative in the storyline, because it introduces new characters and
‫ ַויֵּצֵּ א‬a change of location.