3
And now,וְעַתָּהYHWH,יְהוָהtake,קַחplease,נָאmy soulאֶת נַפְשִׁיfrom me,מִמֶּנִּיforכִּיbetterטוֹבismy deathמוֹתִיthan my life.”מֵחַיָּי
Jonah 4:3
Study it in the app“And now, YHWH, take, please, my soul from me, for better is my death than my life.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Jonah 4:3, word by word
- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- takeקַחkach
take
To grasp something in the hand to carry or use it.
Where else “kach” appears- my soulנַפְשִׁnafshi
life
Life, when it is at stake.
Where else “nafshi” appears- betterטוֹבtov
better
Worth more or more profitable than something it is compared with.
Where else “tov” appears- my deathמוֹתִmoti
death
The end of life: when someone stops breathing and returns to dust.
Where else “moti” appears- than my lifeחַיָּchaya
life
The span and strength of being alive, which come from God.
Where else “chaya” appears
The context
2And he prayed to YHWH and said, “I beg you, YHWH, was this not my word while I was still in my land? That is why I hurried to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are El, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, and one who relents concerning evil.
3 · This verse (above)
4And YHWH said, “Do you do well to be angry?”