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.
[[To the chief Musician H5329 upon Shoshannim, H7799 A Psalm of David.]] H1732 Save H3467 me, O God; H430 for the waters H4325 are come H935 in unto my soul. H5315 I sink H2883 in deep H4688 mire, H3121 where there is no standing: H4613 I am come H935 into deep H4615 waters, H4325 where the floods H7641 overflow H7857 me.
Deliver H5337 me out of the mire, H2916 and let me not sink: H2883 let me be delivered H5337 from them that hate H8130 me, and out of the deep H4615 waters. H4325 Let not the waterflood H4325 H7641 overflow H7857 me, neither let the deep H4688 swallow me up, H1104 and let not the pit H875 shut H332 her mouth H6310 upon me.
Free H2670 among the dead, H4191 like the slain H2491 that lie H7901 in the grave, H6913 whom thou rememberest H2142 no more: and they are cut off H1504 from thy hand. H3027 Thou hast laid H7896 me in the lowest H8482 pit, H953 in darkness, H4285 in the deeps. H4688 Thy wrath H2534 lieth hard H5564 upon me, and thou hast afflicted H6031 me with all thy waves. H4867 Selah. H5542 Thou hast put away H7368 mine acquaintance H3045 far H7368 from me; thou hast made H7896 me an abomination H8441 unto them: I am shut up, H3607 and I cannot come forth. H3318
And he said H559 unto them, Take me up, H5375 and cast me forth H2904 into the sea; H3220 so shall the sea H3220 be calm H8367 unto you: for I know H3045 that for my sake H7945 this great H1419 tempest H5591 is upon you. Nevertheless the men H582 rowed hard H2864 to bring H7725 it to the land; H3004 but they could H3201 not: for the sea H3220 wrought, H1980 and was tempestuous H5590 against them. Wherefore they cried H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 We beseech thee, H577 O LORD, H3068 we beseech thee, let us not perish H6 for this man's H376 life, H5315 and lay H5414 not upon us innocent H5355 H5355 blood: H1818 for thou, O LORD, H3068 hast done H6213 as it pleased H2654 thee. So they took up H5375 Jonah, H3124 and cast him forth H2904 into the sea: H3220 and the sea H3220 ceased H5975 from her raging. H2197 Then the men H582 feared H3372 the LORD H3068 exceedingly, H1419 H3374 and offered H2076 a sacrifice H2077 unto the LORD, H3068 and made H5087 vows. H5088
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.