Jonah 4:1-2

1, 2. Displeased Jonah exceedingly,… was very angry Since his message remained unfulfilled, he feared that his honor as a prophet was at stake; which would be of supreme moment to a selfish person.

He prayed Many commentators have considered the prayer an expression of pious devotion, but its contents make this impossible. Keil comes nearer the truth when he says, “He tried to quarrel with God by praying.”

Was not this my saying Not openly, perhaps, but in his heart he suspected that Jehovah would save the Ninevites, if they repented.

Therefore Because of this suspicion.

I fled before R.V., “I hasted to flee.” The Hebrew construction is peculiar (G.-K., 114n, note 3), and the exact meaning is doubtful. Either “I fled before,” that is, when thou didst call me the first time; or “I was beforehand in fleeing,” that is, I sought to avoid the commission because I knew the message would remain unfulfilled; or “I sought to prevent by fleeing,” the very thing that has now happened.

Tarshish See on Jonah 1:3.

For I knew His conviction as to what God would do arose from his knowledge of the divine character. For the rest of the verse see on Joel 2:13.