Jonah 2:1-7

1 And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's womb,

2 and said, I cried to God of my tribulation, and he heard me (and he said, I cried out to God in my tribulation, and he heard me); from the womb of hell I cried, and thou heardest my voice.

3 Thou castedest me down into deepness, in the heart of the sea, and the floods compassed me [about]; all thy swells and thy waves passed on me. (Thou hast thrown me down into the depths, into the heart of the sea, and the water surrounded me; yea, all thy swells and thy waves passed over me.)

4 And I said, I am cast away from the sight of thine eyes; nevertheless again I shall see thine holy temple. (And I said, Though I am thrown away from thy sight; nevertheless I shall see thy holy Temple again.)

5 Waters (en)compassed me till to my soul, deepness environed me, the sea(weed) covered mine head. (The water surrounded me unto my very breath, the depths environed me, the seaweed covered my head.)

6 I went down to the uttermost places of hills, the bars of earth (en)closed me (al)together, into without end; and thou, my Lord God, shalt raise up my life from corruption. (I went down to the uttermost places, or the very roots, of the hills, or of the mountains, and there the bars, or the gates, of the earth would have locked me in forever; but thou, my Lord God, raised up my life from corruption.)

7 When my soul was anguished in me, I bethought on the Lord, that my prayer come to thee, to thine holy temple. (And when my soul was anguished within me, I thought about the Lord, and that my prayer would come to thee, in thy holy Temple.)

Jonah 2:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JONAH 2

This chapter contains the prayer of Jonah, when in the fish's belly; the time when he prayed, the person he prayed unto, and the place where, are suggested in Jon 2:1; and the latter described as a place of great straitness and distress, and even as hell itself, Jon 2:2; The condition he was in, when cast into the sea, and when in the belly of the fish, which is observed, the more to heighten the greatness of the deliverance, Jon 2:3-6. The different frame of mind he was in, sometimes almost in despair, and ready to faint; and presently exercising faith and hope, remembering the goodness of the Lord, and resolving to look again to him, Jon 2:4,7. The gracious regards of God to him, in receiving, hearing, and answering his prayer, and bringing up his life from corruption, Jon 2:2,6,7. His resolution, let others do what they would, to praise the Lord, and give him the glory of his salvation, Jon 2:8,9; and the chapter is concluded with the order for his deliverance, and the manner of it, Jon 2:10.