But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
(4) Jonah recognized that the sparing of Nineveh would ultimately result in the loss of Israel's territory, the very territory which, following his prophecy, Jeroboam II had recovered for Israel.  He also projected prosperity of Nineveh as a sign that God would ultimately use Assyria to punish Israel for their disobedience, a fact which Isaiah later pointed out  (Isaiah 10:5).  Thus, Jonah's patriotism and love of his own country could have been at the root of his anger.  The Jews of Jonah's time, "could only see God's kingdom being established by the overthrow of the kingdom of the world,"[5]  a misunderstanding that persisted and finally resulted in their rejection of the Christ himself.  In fact, one of the shameful and destructive influences on earth till this day is the savage, malignant, and carnal patriotism which equated love of one's own nation with the hatred of every other nation.