Question:
Answer:
It is a matter of translation. Some translations use the word evil while others use: destruction, punishment, sentence, disaster, calamity, etc.
The Scriptures were written at a particular period of history and, while they are do speak to all ages, they had their first audience at the time of their composition. In the ancient world it was widely believed that there were gods for good things and gods for bad things. Though Judaism believed in a celestial realm with angels, it always sought to emphasize its monotheism and God’s absolute sovereignty. As such the prophets would often use phrases that seem theologically awkward today. For example, the prophet Isaiah preached:
I am the LORD, there is no other, there is no God besides me. . . I am the LORD, there is no other. I form the light, and create the darkness, I make weal and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things. (Is. 45:5,7)
When reading the passage through the eyes of those who wrote and heard it we see a larger meaning than the modern philosophical meaning of “evil“.
In this sense the word “evil” in the Book of Jonah is a figure of speech. It is akin to getting caught doing something wrong by our parents and being punished. From the perspective of the child the punishment is “evil.” In the story of Jonah the people of the city were about to experience (depending on the translation) destruction, punishment, sentence, disaster, and calamity. Experiencing such things would certainly be considered an evil by those who are experiencing it. However, in a philosophical and theological sense it is justice (Ez. 18:26) and a natural consequence of certain actions (Deut. 30:15).
We need to be careful to not use modern definitions and philosophical concepts when reading ancient writings.