10 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto the fish, H1709 and it vomited out H6958 Jonah H3124 upon the dry H3004 land.
Now the LORD H3068 had prepared H4487 a great H1419 fish H1709 to swallow up H1104 Jonah. H3124 And Jonah H3124 was in the belly H4578 of the fish H1709 three H7969 days H3117 and three H7969 nights. H3915
The centurion G1543 answered G611 and G2532 said, G5346 Lord, G2962 I am G1510 not G3756 worthy G2425 that G2443 thou shouldest come G1525 under G5259 my G3450 roof: G4721 but G235 speak G2036 the word G3056 only, G3440 and G2532 my G3450 servant G3816 shall be healed. G2390 For G1063 G2532 I G1473 am G1510 a man G444 under G5259 authority, G1849 having G2192 soldiers G4757 under G5259 me: G1683 and G2532 I say G3004 to this G5129 man, Go, G4198 and G2532 he goeth; G4198 and G2532 to another, G243 Come, G2064 and G2532 he cometh; G2064 and G2532 to my G3450 servant, G1401 Do G4160 this, G5124 and G2532 he doeth G4160 it.
And God H430 made H6213 the firmament, H7549 and divided H914 the waters H4325 which H834 were under H8478 the firmament H7549 from the waters H4325 which H834 were above H5921 the firmament: H7549 and it was so. H3651
And God H430 said, H559 Let the waters H4325 under the heaven H8064 be gathered together H6960 unto H413 one H259 place, H4725 and let the dry H3004 land appear: H7200 and it was so.
And God H430 said, H559 Let there be lights H3974 in the firmament H7549 of the heaven H8064 to divide H914 the day H3117 from the night; H3915 and let them be for signs, H226 and for seasons, H4150 and for days, H3117 and years: H8141
For he spake, H559 and it was done; he commanded, H6680 and it stood fast. H5975
He spake, H559 and the locusts H697 came, H935 and caterpillers, H3218 and that without number, H4557
Wherefore, when I came, H935 was there no man? H376 when I called, H7121 was there none to answer? H6030 Is my hand H3027 shortened H7114 at all, H7114 that it cannot redeem? H6304 or have I no power H3581 to deliver? H5337 behold, at my rebuke H1606 I dry up H2717 the sea, H3220 I make H7760 the rivers H5104 a wilderness: H4057 their fish H1710 stinketh, H887 because there is no water, H4325 and dieth H4191 for thirst. H6772
And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Why G5101 are ye G2075 fearful, G1169 O ye of little faith? G3640 Then G5119 he arose, G1453 and rebuked G2008 the winds G417 and G2532 the sea; G2281 and G2532 there was G1096 a great G3173 calm. G1055 But G1161 the men G444 marvelled, G2296 saying, G3004 What manner of man G4217 is G2076 this, G3778 that G3754 even G2532 the winds G417 and G2532 the sea G2281 obey G5219 him! G846
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.