SUMMARY
After Nineveh repents, God relents and does not punish the city. Jonah is angry and tells God that this is why he fled in the opposite direction from Nineveh in the first place–because he knew that God was merciful.
ANALYSIS
The language that JonahJonah son of Amittai was a rebellious prophet who fled from the Lord's command, only to be delivered by a big and fish and bring about the repentance of Nineveh. More uses here is traditional language. It occurs famously in Exodus 34: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (v. 6). Jonah does not use this traditional language to praise God but to accuse God of forgiving a people whom he thought deserved to be judged and punished.
