4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah 3:4-10 and 4:1-4
I believe part of Jonah's anger at God was because he went out there, proclaimed they would all be destroyed, and then it didn't come to pass. He was very angry that God would not destroy the city, and that he had said they had. He felt like he was made to be a fool.
No--the reason Jonah was angry was that God chose to spare Ninevah--a mortal enemy of Judah at the time.
It would be like one of us going to Iran and proclaiming God's wrath on them and they repenting and being spared, rather than the destruction we hope would befall them.
Jonah hated Ninevah, and he hated having to go there, and he REALLY hated that God spared them.
This could be part of it; for we see it here on FR.
When a person's whole being is wrapped up on what others have TOLD them (instead of researching it for themselves) turns out to be; shall we say; LESS than what they've been LED to believe; anger at GOD is quite often exhibited.
How could YOU have let me be led astray; GOD??
Quite similar to...
...the woman that YOU gave me...