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In Yona 4:4 why does God need to explain/justify what he did to Yona?

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Does He? God responds, but that happens with other prophets too. What do you see in this specific text? – Monica Cellio♦ Aug 23 '12 at 18:27

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"Is it right for you to be angry?"

Here, God gives an opportunity for Yonah to rectify his own sin, by causing him to reflect on himself. It is not God's intention to destroy, but to rectify us.

He is revealing to Yonah his own idol, the will.

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Idol? [15 char] – Seth J Mar 21 at 0:43
I was thinking of it as an idol (so to speak), as Yonah was not serving Hashem in his heart, but himself. – jay Mar 21 at 20:45
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He is not justifying what he did, he is asking Yonah an almost sarcastic question so that he can then go and show Yonah how silly it is for him to be so angry (with the kikayon).

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