Jon 4:8 | NETfull | STEP | When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, “I would rather die than live!”

Jonah 4:8

8 When the sun began to shine, God sent ^{▼▼ Or “appointed.” See preceding note on v. 7.} a hot ^{▼▼ The MT adjective חֲרִישִׁית (kharishit, “autumnal”) is a hapax legomenon with an unclear meaning (BDB 362 s.v. חֲרִישִׁי); therefore, the BHS editors propose a conjectural emendation to the adjective חֲרִיפִית (kharifit, “autumnal”) from the noun חֹרֶף (khoref, “autumn”; see BDB 358 s.v. חרֶף). However, this emendation would also create a hapax legomenon and it would be no more clear than relating the MT’s חֲרִישִׁית to I חָרַשׁ (kharash, “to plough” [in autumn harvest]).} ^{▼▼ Heb “autumnal” or “sultry.” The adjective חֲרִישִׁית is a hapax legomenon whose meaning is unclear; it might mean “autumnal” (from I חָרַשׁ, kharash; “to plough” [in the autumn harvest-time]), “silent” = “sultry” (from IV. חרשׁ, “to be silent”; BDB 362 s.v. חֲרִישִׁי). The form חֲרִישִׁית might be an alternate spelling of חֲרִיסִית (kharisit) from the noun חֶרֶס (kheres, “sun”) and so mean “hot” (BDB 362 s.v.).} east wind. So the sun beat down ^{▼▼ Heb “attacked” or “smote.”} on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, ^{▼▼ Heb “he asked his soul to die.”} and said, “I would rather die than live!” ^{▼▼ Heb “better my death than my life.”} ^{▼▼ Jonah repeats his assessment, found also in 4:3.}