Jonah 4:6

God continued to manifest compassion for Jonah by providing him with a shading plant that relieved the discomfort (Heb. ra’ah) of the blistering Mesopotamian sun. This is the only time that we read that Jonah was happy, and it was because he was physically comfortable. His anger grew out of his personal discomfort resulting from God’s mercy on the Ninevites. The Hebrew word ra’ah, translated "discomfort" here, is the same word translated "evil" when it describes the Ninevites’ evil (Jonah 1:2; Jonah 3:8) and "displeased" when it describes Jonah’s displeasure over God’s decision to spare the city. Jonah’s attitudes were as evil in God’s sight as the Ninevites’ actions. It is impossible to identify the exact plant that God provided, and it is inconsequential. Some commentators speculate that it was probably the castor bean plant, which in Mesopotamia grows rapidly to 12 feet tall and has large leaves.

Notice the shift in the name of God again from Yahweh to Elohim in this verse. This is one of the rare appearances of the compound name "LORD God" in Scripture (cf. Genesis 2; Genesis 3; et al.). Its use here may help make a transition. God dealt with Jonah as He deals with all humanity in what follows.