John Calvin Commentary Jonah 4:1

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry." — Jonah 4:1 (ASV)

Jerome commends this grief of Jonah and compares it to the holy zeal of Paul, who wished himself to be an anathema for his brothers (Romans 9:3). For Jerome denies that Jonah grieved because God had shown mercy to so illustrious a city, but rather because the conversion of the Gentiles was a certain presage of the destruction of the chosen people.

According to Jerome, Jonah perceived the near ruin of Israel as if in a mirror and grieved on this account. But this notion is extremely frivolous, for immediately afterward, God reproved Jonah. What then will the foolish and puerile apology of Jerome benefit the Prophet, since God Himself has declared that Jonah acted perversely in grieving?

Indeed, Jerome's dullness has thus become evident (and thus indeed I speak of a man who, though learned and laborious, has yet deprived himself of the praise he might otherwise have justly earned). His wayward disposition revealed itself everywhere, and he is clearly refuted in this very context, where Jonah plainly shows that the cause of his grief was different—namely, that he was unwilling to be considered a false or a lying prophet. This was the source of his great grief and bitterness. And we see that this motivation was unjust and inconsistent with all reason, even if God had not expressed His mind on the matter.

We may then conclude that Jonah was influenced by false zeal when he could not bear with resignation that the city of Nineveh had been delivered from destruction. He himself also amplifies the greatness of his sin. He might have said, in one word, that it displeased Jonah. But not satisfied with this simple statement, he adds that he felt great displeasure or grief, and he afterward adds that he was very angry.

Though the initial feeling might not have been wrong, the excess was certainly sinful. But Jonah himself confesses that there was excess and a lack of moderation in his grief. Since he then accuses himself in plain words, what good is it to try to cover with false and invented pretenses what we clearly see cannot be excused? However, so that it may be more evident why the deliverance of the city of Nineveh displeased Jonah, let us continue with the context.