Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Jonah 4:7

But God prepared a worme, when the morning rose the next day, which smote the gourde, that it withered.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gourd;   Miracles;   Presumption;   Worm;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Worm;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gourd;   Worm;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gourd;   Insects;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jonah;   Jonas;   Worm;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gourd,;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gourd;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Worm;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Intercession;   Jonah, the Book of;   Worm;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Worm;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
Hebrew Names Version
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.
King James Version (1611)
But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
King James Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
English Standard Version
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
New American Standard Bible
But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.
New Century Version
But the next day when the sun rose, God sent a worm to attack the plant so that it died.
Amplified Bible
But God prepared a worm when morning dawned the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day, & it smote the gourd, that it withered.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered.
Legacy Standard Bible
But God appointed a worm at the breaking of dawn the next day, and it struck the plant, and it dried up.
Berean Standard Bible
When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.
Contemporary English Version
but early the next morning the Lord sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the vine dried up.
Complete Jewish Bible
But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up.
Darby Translation
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Easy-to-Read Version
The next morning, God sent a worm to eat part of the plant. The worm began eating the plant, and the plant died.
George Lamsa Translation
But the next day at dawn, God commanded a worm, and it smote the gourd so that it withered.
Good News Translation
But at dawn the next day, at God's command, a worm attacked the plant, and it died.
Lexham English Bible
So God appointed a worm at daybreak the next day, and it attacked the plant, and it withered.
Literal Translation
But God appointed a worm at the rising of the dawn of the next day, and it struck the plant, and it withered.
American Standard Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Bible in Basic English
But early on the morning after, God made ready a worm for the destruction of the vine, and it became dry and dead.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And God commanded a worm the next morning, and it smote the gourd, and it withered away.
English Revised Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
World English Bible
But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And God made redi a worm, in stiyng up of grei dai on the morewe; and it smoot the yuy, and it driede up.
Update Bible Version
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Webster's Bible Translation
But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
New English Translation
So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up.
New King James Version
But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered.
New Living Translation
But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.
New Life Bible
But at the beginning of the next day, God sent a worm to destroy the plant and it dried up.
New Revised Standard
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But God appointed a worm, at the uprisings of the dawn, the next day, - and it smote the gourd, that it withered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But God prepared a worm, when the morning arose on the following day: and it struck the ivy and it withered.
Revised Standard Version
But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant, so that it withered.
Young's Literal Translation
And God appointeth a worm at the going up of the dawn on the morrow, and it smiteth the gourd, and it drieth up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But vpo the nexte morow agaynst the springe of the daye, the LORDE ordened a worme, which smote the wylde vyne, so that it wethered awaye.
THE MESSAGE
But then God sent a worm. By dawn of the next day, the worm had bored into the shade tree and it withered away. The sun came up and God sent a hot, blistering wind from the east. The sun beat down on Jonah's head and he started to faint. He prayed to die: "I'm better off dead!"

Contextual Overview

5 And Ionas went out of the citie, and sate him downe on the east side thereof, and there made him a boothe, and sate vnder it in the shadowe, till he might see what should be done in the citie. 6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it spring vp ouer Ionas, that it might be a shadowe ouer his head, to deliuer him from his griefe: So Ionas was exceeding glad of the gourde. 7 But God prepared a worme, when the morning rose the next day, which smote the gourde, that it withered. 8 And when the sunne rose, God prepared a seruent east winde, and the sunne beat vpon the head of Ionas that he fainted: and wished vnto his soule, that he might dye, and saide, It is better for me to dye, then to lyue. 9 And the Lord saide vnto Ionas: Doest thou well to be so angry within thy selfe for the gourde? And he saide: I do well to be angry euen vnto death. 10 Then saide the Lorde, Thou hast had compassion on the gourde about the which thou bestowedst no labour, neither madest it growe: which came vp in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And shall not I spare Niniue that great citie, in the which are more then sixscore thousand persons that knowe not their right hand and their left, and also much cattaile?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

prepared: Job 1:21, Psalms 30:6, Psalms 30:7, Psalms 102:10

it withered: Psalms 90:5, Psalms 90:6, Isaiah 40:6-8, Joel 1:12

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:39 - for the worms Hosea 5:12 - rottenness Jonah 4:8 - that God James 1:11 - risen

Cross-References

Genesis 3:16
But vnto the woman he sayde: I wyll very much multiplie thy sorowe, and thy griefes of chylde bearyng, In sorowe shalt thou bring foorth children: thy desire [shalbe] to thy husbande, and he shall haue the rule of thee.
Genesis 4:6
And the Lorde saide vnto Cain: why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenaunce abated?
Genesis 4:8
And Cain talked with Habel his brother: and it came to passe when they were in the fielde, Cain rose vp agaynst Habel his brother, & slewe him.
Genesis 4:9
And the Lorde said vnto Cain: where is Habel thy brother? Which sayde I wote not: Am I my brothers keper?
Genesis 4:10
And he sayde: What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me out of the grounde.
Genesis 4:11
And nowe art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receaue thy brothers blood from thy hande.
Genesis 4:12
If thou tyll the grounde, she shall not yeelde vnto thee her strength. A fugitiue and a vacabound shalt thou be in the earth.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain sayde vnto the Lord: My iniquitie is more then that it may be forgeuen.
Genesis 19:21
And he sayde to hym: See, I haue receaued thy request as concernyng this thing, that I wyll not ouerthrowe this citie for the whiche thou hast spoken.
Numbers 32:23
But and if ye wyll not do so, beholde, ye haue sinned agaynst the Lorde: and be sure your sinne wyll finde you out.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day,.... That God that prepared this plant to rise so suddenly, almost as soon prepared a worm to destroy it; for it rose up one night, continued one whole day, to the great delight of Jonah; and by the morning of the following day this worm or grub was prepared in, it, or sent to it, to the root of it: this shows that God is the Creator of the least as well as the largest of creatures, of worms as well as whales, contrary to the notion of Valentinus, Marcion, and Apelles; who, as Jerom s says, introduce another creator of ants, worms, fleas, locusts, c. and another of the heavens, earth, sea, and angels: but it is much that. Arnobius t, an orthodox ancient Christian father, should deny such creatures to be the work of God, and profess his ignorance of the Maker of them. His words are,

"should we deny flies, beetles, worms, mice, weasels, and moths, to be the work of the King Omnipotent, it does not follow that it should be required of us to say who made and formed them for we may without blame be ignorant who gave them their original;''

whereas, in the miracle of the lice, the magicians of Egypt themselves owned that the finger of God was there, and were out of their power to effect; and to the Prophet Amos the great God was represented in a vision as making locusts or grasshoppers, Amos 7:1; and indeed the smallest insect or reptile is a display of the wisdom and power of God, and not at all below his dignity and greatness to produce; and for which there are wise reasons in nature and providence, as here for the production of this worm: the same God that prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and a gourd to shadow him, and an east wind to blow upon him, prepared this worm to destroy his shade, and try his patience:

and it smote the gourd, that it withered; it bit its root, and its moisture dried up, and it withered away at once, and became useless: that same hand that gives mercies can take them away, and that very suddenly, in a trice, in a few hours, as in the case of Job; and sometimes very secretly and invisibly, that men are not aware of; their substance wastes, and they fall to decay, and they can scarcely tell the reason of it; there is a worm at the root of their enjoyments, which kills them; God is as a moth and rottenness unto them; and he does this sometimes by small means, by little instruments, as he plagued Pharaoh and the Egyptians with lice and flies.

s Prooem. in Philemon. ad Paulam & Eustochium. t Adv. Gentes, l. 2. p. 95.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When the morning rose - , i. e., in the earliest dawn, before the actual sunrise. For one day Jonah enjoyed the refreshment of the palm-christ. In early dawn, it still promised the shadow; just ere it was most needed, at God’s command, it withered.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jonah 4:7. But God prepared a worm — By being eaten through the root, the plant, losing its nourishment, would soon wither; and this was the case in the present instance.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile