Gourd

Two different plants are called gourd in the English Bible. (1.) Jonah's gourd (Hebrew qîqāyôn, Jonah 4:6–10), identified by most modern scholars with the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis), which grows rapidly to provide shade and then withers quickly. God used this plant to illustrate his compassion: when Jonah was angry over its withering, God pointed out that Jonah's concern for a temporary plant was nothing compared to God's compassion for the 120,000 souls of Nineveh. (2.) The "wild gourds" (Hebrew paqquōt), shredded into the pot at Gilgal causing poisoning, were likely colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis), a bitter and toxic wild plant (2 Kings 4:38–40). Elisha healed the stew by adding meal.