Commentators emphasize that Nineveh's core sin was declaring, "I am, and there is none besides me." This is a direct imitation of God's unique claim to self-existence. Scholars like Albert Barnes and John Calvin explain that this arrogant self-reliance is a form of self-idolatry that God cannot tolerate. It serves as a timeless warning against placing our ultimate security and identity in ourselves or our achievements rather than in God.