But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
Contrast the Apostle Paul’s attitude in Romans 9:1-3. Why did Jonah become so angry? Who was he to complain? He had only recently been very happy that God had saved him from destruction (cf. Matthew 18:23-35). It was not primarily because his announced judgment failed to materialize and so raised questions about his authenticity as a true prophet (cf. Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Almost all prophecies of impending doom in the Bible assume that those being judged will remain unmoved. Divine punishment is avoidable provided people repent (cf. Jeremiah 3:22; Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 26:2-6; Ezekiel 18:21-22; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Ezekiel 33:10-15). [Note: Pentecost, p. 180.] Jonah undoubtedly became angry because he wanted God to judge the Ninevites and thereby remove a military threat to the nation of Israel. If he was aware of Hosea and Amos’ prophecies, he would have known that Assyria would invade and defeat Israel (Hosea 11:5; Amos 5:27).