OLBHeb;
Prepared; commanded that in the place where Jonah's booth stood, this herb, or spreading plant, should spring up to be a shade when the gathered boughs are withered. A gourd: it is not certain what this was; some say ivy; others say it was palma christi, or five-leaved, whose leaves are so set as to resemble a man's hand, or a wild vine or colocyntha; nor is it very material we should search further into the nature of this Nzyqyq in the text, it was some wild plant with long and broad leaves, which suddenly grew, spread itself, and made a good shade. Made it to come up; God gate it a speedy growth, and directed the growth that it should cover the top of the booth, and be a shade to Jonah against the vehemence of the sun, which did shine very parchingly hot in those countries. To deliver him from his grief; to give some ease to his mind, refresh his natural spirits, much discomposed by the violence of his passions and by the violent heat of the sun. It is probable this grief was some extreme fit of continued head-ache. Exceeding glad; as vehement in his joy now as in his grief before; he was a man of great affections, whatever moved them. Of the gourd; his ease by the gourd made him glad of it, and I observe that here is no mention made of Jonah's seeing God in it.