Original Word: קִיקָיוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qiyqayown
Pronunciation: kee-kaw-yone'
Phonetic Spelling: (kee-kaw-yone')
KJV: gourd
NASB: plant
Word Origin: [perhaps from H7006 (קָיָה - Kite)]

1. the gourd (as nauseous)

gourd

Perhaps from qayah; the gourd (as nauseous) -- gourd.

see HEBREW qayah

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
(a plant) perhaps castor-oil plant
NASB Translation
plant (5).

קִיקָיוֺן noun masculine^{Jonah 4:6} a plant (compare Assyrian Kukkânîtum (כ) a garden-plant, Dl^{HWB 327}); — usually ricinus (R. communis, Linn. = castor-oil tree; compare Dioscor^{iv. 164} κίκι (Egypt) = κρότων [castor-oil tree]; Talmud שֶׁמֶן קִיק see especially Löw^{p. 353 f.}); perhaps < bottle-gourd (ᵐ5 κολόκυνθα; i.e. cucurbita lagenaria, a vine growing and withering rapidly, Post in Hastings^{DB ii. 250}); — Jonah 4:6 (twice in verse); Jonah 4:7,9,10.

קִיקָלוֺן see קלל.

Overview of the Word’s Old Testament Setting

The noun קִיקָיוֹן appears only in Jonah 4, where it designates the plant that the LORD appoints to shelter Jonah. The five occurrences (Jonah 4:6 twice, 4:7, 4:9, 4:10) form a tightly woven literary unit that highlights both Jonah’s experience and God’s didactic purpose.

Botanical Identification

Ancient and modern commentators have suggested several species—most notably the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), and even varieties of ivy. The castor oil plant fits the text well: it is native to the region, grows rapidly, and has broad leaves capable of providing shade. Whatever the precise species, Scripture’s focus lies less on botany and more on divine appointment: “the LORD God appointed a plant” (Jonah 4:6). The plant’s supernatural growth underscores Yahweh’s sovereign power over creation.

Narrative Function in the Book of Jonah

1. Provision (Jonah 4:6). After Jonah finds a vantage point east of Nineveh, the plant grows “to shade his head to ease his discomfort.” The word translated “discomfort” can be rendered “evil” or “distress,” hinting at Jonah’s deeper spiritual malaise.
2. Removal (Jonah 4:7). “At dawn the next day God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered”. The speed with which the shade disappears mirrors Jonah’s volatile emotions and emphasizes life’s transience.
3. Confrontation (Jonah 4:9-10). The LORD’s questions expose Jonah’s misplaced compassion: he grieves a plant he neither labored for nor caused to grow, yet resents God’s mercy toward more than 120,000 souls in Nineveh. The קִיקָיוֹן becomes a living parable, illustrating divine concern that extends beyond Israel to all creation.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: The repeated verb “appointed” (Jonah 4:6-8) governs plant, worm, wind, and sun alike, depicting God’s meticulous rule over nature.
• Compassion and Mission: The plant dramatizes God’s argument that if a prophet can pity a perishing vine, the Creator may surely pity a perishing city.
• Human Self-Interest vs. Divine Mercy: Jonah’s joy over the plant and anger at its loss expose a heart valuing personal comfort above eternal realities.

Historical and Cultural Background

Nineveh’s Assyrian empire was notorious for cruelty, making Jonah’s reluctance understandable from a nationalistic standpoint. Yet the narrative subverts ethnic exclusivism: God’s grace reaches Israel’s enemies. The rapid growth of the plant may reflect Mesopotamian agricultural scenes familiar to Jonah’s first audience, heightening the story’s realism.

Intertestamental and Rabbinic Reflection

Jewish tradition often views the plant as symbolizing Israel—chosen, cherished, and disciplined by God. Some midrashim liken the worm to Babylon, which felled the Jerusalem “vine.” Such interpretations reinforce the prophetic call to repentance.

New Testament Echoes

While the Greek Scriptures never mention the plant explicitly, Jesus’ reference to Jonah’s sign (Matthew 12:39-41) implicitly carries the book’s entire theological weight, including the lesson of the plant: Gentile inclusion and divine empathy. Paul echoes a similar breadth of mercy in Romans 11:32—“For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone”.

Ministry and Homiletical Applications

• Heart Diagnosis: Preachers may employ the plant to expose congregational comforts that eclipse evangelistic zeal.
• Object Lessons on Stewardship: The fleeting shade warns against placing ultimate value on temporal gifts.
• Missions Emphasis: The episode encourages believers to rejoice over God’s blessings to all nations, mirroring His compassion.
• Counseling Contexts: Jonah’s depression under the scorching sun illustrates how misplaced affections can intensify spiritual distress, offering counselors a biblical case study.

Practical Devotional Insights

The LORD who “appointed” a plant also “appoints” seasons of both relief and testing for His children. Gratitude should persist through both, recognizing that every circumstance is tailored to deepen alignment with God’s missionary heart.

Summary

קִיקָיוֹן, though botanically humble and textually rare, serves as a pivotal instrument in Jonah 4. Through it God contrasts temporal comforts with eternal compassion, confronts prophetic parochialism, and reveals His sovereign, missionary love.

הַקִּ֣יקָי֔וֹן הַקִּֽיקָי֑וֹן הַקִּֽיקָי֖וֹן הקיקיון קִיקָי֞וֹן קיקיון hakkikaYon haq·qî·qā·yō·wn haqqîqāyōwn kikaYon qî·qā·yō·wn qîqāyōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts