Jonah understood that Israel would be destroyed. For the Lord did not say, "You are angered evilly," lest He seem to blame the saddened man; on the other hand, He did not say, "You are angered rightly," lest He be contrary to His own sentence. Therefore, He questions him concerning the causes of his grief, in order that he may answer, or if he were silent, he may by his silence confirm the judgment of God.