1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
1 Then Jonah H3124 prayed H6419 unto the LORD H3068 his God H430 out of the fish's H1710 belly, H4578
2 And said, H559 I cried H7121 by reason of mine affliction H6869 unto the LORD, H3068 and he heard H6030 me; out of the belly H990 of hell H7585 cried H7768 I, and thou heardest H8085 my voice. H6963
3 For thou hadst cast H7993 me into the deep, H4688 in the midst H3824 of the seas; H3220 and the floods H5104 compassed H5437 me about: all thy billows H4867 and thy waves H1530 passed over H5674 me.
4 Then I said, H559 I am cast out H1644 of thy sight; H5869 yet I will look H5027 again H3254 toward thy holy H6944 temple. H1964
5 The waters H4325 compassed me about, H661 even to the soul: H5315 the depth H8415 closed me round about, H5437 the weeds H5488 were wrapped about H2280 my head. H7218
6 I went down H3381 to the bottoms H7095 of the mountains; H2022 the earth H776 with her bars H1280 was about me for ever: H5769 yet hast thou brought up H5927 my life H2416 from corruption, H7845 O LORD H3068 my God. H430
7 When my soul H5315 fainted H5848 within me I remembered H2142 the LORD: H3068 and my prayer H8605 came in H935 unto thee, into thine holy H6944 temple. H1964
8 They that observe H8104 lying H7723 vanities H1892 forsake H5800 their own mercy. H2617
9 But I will sacrifice H2076 unto thee with the voice H6963 of thanksgiving; H8426 I will pay H7999 that that I have vowed. H5087 Salvation H3444 is of the LORD. H3068
10 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto the fish, H1709 and it vomited out H6958 Jonah H3124 upon the dry H3004 land.
1 Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly.
2 And he said, I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, `And' thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.
4 And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars `closed' upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple.
8 They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah.
10 And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
1 And Jonah prayeth unto Jehovah his God from the bowels of the fish.
2 And he saith: I called, because of my distress, to Jehovah, And He doth answer me, From the belly of sheol I have cried, Thou hast heard my voice.
3 When Thou dost cast me `into' the deep, Into the heart of the seas, Then the flood doth compass me, All Thy breakers and Thy billows have passed over me.
4 And I -- I said: I have been cast out from before Thine eyes, (Yet I add to look unto Thy holy temple!)
5 Compassed me have waters unto the soul, The deep doth compass me, The weed is bound to my head.
6 To the cuttings of mountains I have come down, The earth, her bars `are' behind me to the age. And Thou bringest up from the pit my life, O Jehovah my God.
7 In the feebleness within me of my soul Jehovah I have remembered, And come in unto Thee doth my prayer, Unto Thy holy temple.
8 Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.
9 And I -- with a voice of thanksgiving -- I sacrifice to Thee, That which I have vowed I complete, Salvation `is' of Jehovah.
10 And Jehovah saith to the fish, and it vomiteth out Jonah on the dry land.
1 And Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly;
2 and he said: I cried by reason of my distress unto Jehovah, and he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I: thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou didst cast me into the depth, into the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me: All thy breakers and thy billows are gone over me.
4 And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes, Yet will I look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters encompassed me, to the soul: The deep was round about me, The weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The bars of the earth [closed] upon me for ever: But thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, Into thy holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah.
10 And Jehovah commanded the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land].
1 Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly.
2 He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
3 For you threw me into the depths, In the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.
4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; Yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
5 The waters surrounded me, Even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: Yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
8 Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh."
10 Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
1 And the Lord made ready a great fish to take Jonah into its mouth; and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
2 Then Jonah made prayer to the Lord his God from the inside of the fish, and said,
3 In my trouble I was crying to the Lord, and he gave me an answer; out of the deepest underworld I sent up a cry, and you gave ear to my voice.
4 For you have put me down into the deep, into the heart of the sea; and the river was round about me; all your waves and your rolling waters went over me.
5 And I said, I have been sent away from before your eyes; how may I ever again see your holy Temple?
6 The waters were circling round me, even to the neck; the deep was about me; the sea-grass was twisted round my head.
7 I went down to the bases of the mountains; as for the earth, her walls were about me for ever: but you have taken up my life from the underworld, O Lord my God.
8 When my soul in me was overcome, I kept the memory of the Lord: and my prayer came in to you, into your holy Temple.
9 The worshippers of false gods have given up their only hope.
10 But I will make an offering to you with the voice of praise; I will give effect to my oaths. Salvation is the Lord's.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jonah 2
Commentary on Jonah 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Jon 2:1-10. Jonah's Prayer of Faith and Deliverance.
1. his God—"his" still, though Jonah had fled from Him. Faith enables Jonah now to feel this; just as the returning prodigal says of the Father, from whom he had wandered, "I will arise and go to my Father" (Lu 15:18).
out of the fish's belly—Every place may serve as an oratory. No place is amiss for prayer. Others translate, "when (delivered) out of the fish's belly." English Version is better.
2. His prayer is partly descriptive and precatory, partly eucharistical. Jonah incorporates with his own language inspired utterances familiar to the Church long before in Jon 2:2, Ps 120:1; in Jon 2:3, Ps 42:7; in Jon 2:4, Ps 31:22; in Jon 2:5, Ps 69:1; in Jon 2:7, Ps 142:3; 18:6; in Jon 2:8, Ps 31:6; in Jon 2:9, Ps 116:17, 18, and 3:8. Jonah, an inspired man, thus attests both the antiquity and inspiration of the Psalms. It marks the spirit of faith, that Jonah identifies himself with the saints of old, appropriating their experiences as recorded in the Word of God (Ps 119:50). Affliction opens up the mine of Scripture, before seen only on the surface.
out of the belly of hell—Sheol, the unseen world, which the belly of the fish resembled.
3. thou hadst cast … thy billows … thy waves—Jonah recognizes the source whence his sufferings came. It was no mere chance, but the hand of God which sent them. Compare Job's similar recognition of God's hand in calamities, Job 1:21; 2:10; and David's, 2Sa 16:5-11.
4. cast out from thy sight—that is, from Thy favorable regard. A just retribution on one who had fled "from the presence of the Lord" (Jon 1:3). Now that he has got his desire, he feels it to be his bitterest sorrow to be deprived of God's presence, which once he regarded as a burden, and from which he desired to escape. He had turned his back on God; so God turned His back on him, making his sin his punishment.
toward thy holy temple—In the confidence of faith he anticipates yet to see the temple at Jerusalem, the appointed place of worship (1Ki 8:38), and there to render thanksgiving [Henderson]. Rather, I think, "Though cast out of Thy sight, I will still with the eye of faith once more look in prayer towards Thy temple at Jerusalem, whither, as Thy earthly throne, Thou hast desired Thy worshippers to direct their prayers."
5. even to the soul—that is, threatening to extinguish the animal life.
weeds—He felt as if the seaweeds through which he was dragged were wrapped about his head.
6. bottoms of … mountains—their extremities where they terminate in the hidden depths of the sea. Compare Ps 18:7, "the foundations of the hills" (Ps 18:15).
earth with her bars was about me—Earth, the land of the living, is (not "was") shut against me.
for ever—so far as any effort of mine can deliver me.
yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption—rather, "Thou bringest … from the pit" [Maurer]. As in the previous clauses he expresses the hopelessness of his state, so in this, his sure hope of deliverance through Jehovah's infinite resources. "Against hope he believes in hope," and speaks as if the deliverance were actually being accomplished. Hezekiah seems to have incorporated Jonah's very words in his prayer (Isa 38:17), just as Jonah appropriated the language of the Psalms.
7. soul fainted … I remembered the Lord—beautifully exemplifying the triumph of spirit over flesh, of faith over sense (Ps 73:26; 42:6). For a time troubles shut out hope; but faith revived when Jonah "remembered the Lord," what a gracious God He is, and how now He still preserves his life and consciousness in his dark prison-house.
into thine holy temple—the temple at Jerusalem (Jon 2:4). As there he looks in believing prayer towards it, so here he regards his prayer as already heard.
8. observe lying vanities—regard or reverence idols, powerless to save (Ps 31:6).
mercy—Jehovah, the very idea of whom is identified now in Jonah's mind with mercy and loving-kindness. As the Psalmist (Ps 144:2) styles Him, "my goodness"; God who is to me all beneficence. Compare Ps 59:17, "the God of my mercy," literally, "my kindness-God." Jonah had "forsaken His own mercy," God, to flee to heathen lands where "lying vanities" (idols) were worshipped. But now, taught by his own preservation in conscious life in the fish's belly, and by the inability of the mariners' idols to lull the storm (Jon 1:5), estrangement from God seems estrangement from his own happiness (Jer 2:13; 17:13). Prayer has been restrained in Jonah's case, so that he was "fast asleep" in the midst of danger, heretofore; but now prayer is the sure sign of his return to God.
9. I will sacrifice … thanksgiving—In the believing anticipation of sure deliverance, he offers thanksgivings already. So Jehoshaphat (2Ch 20:21) appointed singers to praise the Lord in front of the army before the battle with Moab and Ammon, as if the victory was already gained. God honors such confidence in Him. There is also herein a mark of sanctified affliction, that he vows amendment and thankful obedience (Ps 119:67).
10. upon the dry land—probably on the coast of Palestine.