“And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”
Jonah's prayer that this is why he fled at first because he knew that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster indicates Jonah's understanding of God's character. The confession suggests that Jonah was correct about God's mercy all along. This verse explains Jonah's motivation for initial disobedience.