Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Jonah is swallowed by a large fish. After three days, Jonah prays to Yahweh and is brought up to dry land.
II. Photo
Jonah is swallowed: “Yahweh provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the fish’s belly three days and three nights.” (v. 1)
III. Select Verses
1: The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the fish’s belly three days and three nights.
4-6: You cast me into the depths, Into the heart of the sea, The floods engulfed me; All Your breakers and billows Swept over me. I thought I was driven away Out of Your sight: Would I ever gaze again Upon Your holy Temple? The waters closed in over me, The deep engulfed me. Weeds twined around my head. 7
8: When my life was ebbing away, I called the LORD to mind; And my prayer came before You, Into Your holy Temple.
9-10: They who cling to empty folly Forsake their own welfare, But I, with loud thanksgiving, Will sacrifice to You; What I have vowed I will perform. Deliverance is the LORD’s!
11: The LORD commanded the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon dry land.
IV. Outline
1. Jonah is swallowed by a large fish
2-10. Jonah’s prayer
2-3a. Introduction
3b. Account of trouble, prayer, and salvation
4. Account of complaint
5. Account of trust
6-7a. Account of trouble
7b-8. Account of prayer and salvation
9. Lesson
10. Vow/Thanksgiving
11. Jonah is brought to dry land
V. Comment
Jonah 2 contains a psalm embedded in a narrative. Other examples of this phenomenon are Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2, David’s thanksgiving in 2 Samuel 22, and Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12. In terms of structure, Jonah 2 can be classified along the “complaint” and “thanksgiving” spectrum, meaning there is an account of suffering and salvation, an acknowledgement of Yahweh’s ability to save, a vow to sacrifice, and the imprecation of enemies. Below is a chart highlighting the striking parallels between Jonah 2 and the book of Psalms.
| Jonah 2 | Parallels from Psalms |
| Jonah 2:3 [2] 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. |
Psa. 118:5 I made my prayer to the Lord in my trouble: and the Lord gave me an answer…
Psa. 30:3 [2] O Lord my God, I sent up my cry to you, and you have made me well.
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| Jonah 2:4 [3] 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.
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Psa. 69:2 [1] …the waters have come in, even to my neck.
Psa. 69:3 [2] My feet are deep in the soft earth, where there is no support; I have come into deep waters, the waves are flowing over me.
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| Jonah 2:5 [4] And I said, I have been sent away from before your eyes; how may I ever again see your holy Temple?
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Psa. 31:23 [22] And as for me, I said in my fear, I am cut off from before your eyes…
Psa. 26:8 Lord, your house has been dear to me, and the resting-place of your glory.
|
| Jonah 2:6 [5] The waters were circling round me, even to the neck; the deep was about me; the sea-grass was twisted round my head.
|
Psa. 18:5 [4] The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear.
Psa. 18:6 [5] The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. |
| Jonah 2:7 [6] 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.
|
Psa. 69:3 [2] My feet are deep in the soft earth, where there is no support; I have come into deep waters, the waves are flowing over me.
Psa. 30:4 [3] O Lord, you have made my soul come again from the underworld…
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| Jonah 2:8 [7] 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.
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Psa. 18:6 In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears.
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| Jonah 2:9 [8] The worshippers of false gods have given up their only hope.
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Psa. 31:6 I am full of hate for those who go after false gods; but my hope is in the Lord.
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| Jonah 2:10 [9] 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.
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Psa. 116:17 I will give an offering of praise to you, and make my prayer in the name of the Lord.
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| Jonah 2 | Parallels from Psalms |
| Jonah 2:3
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קָ֠רָאתִי מִצָּ֥רָה לִ֛י אֶל־יְהוָ֖הוַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי מִבֶּ֧טֶן שְׁא֛וֹל שִׁוַּ֖עְתִּי שָׁמַ֥עְתָּקוֹלִֽי׃
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Psa. 118:5
מִֽן־הַ֭מֵּצַ֥ר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ עָנָ֖נִי בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב יָֽהּ׃ Psa. 30:3 יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֑י שִׁוַּ֥עְתִּי אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃
|
| Jonah 2:4
וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵ֤נִי מְצוּלָה֙ בִּלְבַ֣ב יַמִּ֔ים וְנָהָ֖ריְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי כָּל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְגַלֶּ֖יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃ |
Psa. 69:2
הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֤י בָ֖אוּ מַ֣יִם עַד־נָֽפֶשׁ׃ Psa. 69:3 טָבַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בִּיוֵ֣ן מְ֭צוּלָה וְאֵ֣ין מָעֳמָ֑דבָּ֥אתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי־מַ֝֗יִם וְשִׁבֹּ֥לֶת שְׁטָפָֽתְנִי׃
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Jonah 2:5 וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֚ךְאוֹסִ֣יף לְהַבִּ֔יט אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃
|
Psa. 31:23 וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אָ֘מַ֤רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֗י נִגְרַזְתִּי֮ מִנֶּ֪גֶדעֵ֫ינֶ֥יךָ אָכֵ֗ן שָׁ֭מַעְתָּ ק֥וֹל תַּחֲנוּנַ֗י בְּשַׁוְּעִ֥יאֵלֶֽיךָ׃ Psa. 26:8 יְֽהוָ֗ה אָ֭הַבְתִּי מְע֣וֹן בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מְק֗וֹםמִשְׁכַּ֥ן כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ |
| Jonah 2:6
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֙יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ תְּה֖וֹם יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִיס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי׃ |
Psa. 18:5
אֲפָפ֥וּנִי חֶבְלֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְֽנַחֲלֵ֖י בְלִיַּ֣עַליְבַֽעֲתֽוּנִי׃ Psa. 18:6 חֶבְלֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל סְבָב֑וּנִי קִ֝דְּמ֗וּנִי מ֣וֹקְשֵׁימָֽוֶת׃
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| Jonah 2:7
לְקִצְבֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי הָאָ֛רֶץ בְּרִחֶ֥יהָבַעֲדִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַתַּ֧עַל מִשַּׁ֛חַת חַיַּ֖י יְהוָ֥האֱלֹהָֽי׃ |
Psa. 69:3
טָבַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בִּיוֵ֣ן מְ֭צוּלָה וְאֵ֣ין מָעֳמָ֑דבָּ֥אתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי־מַ֝֗יִם וְשִׁבֹּ֥לֶת שְׁטָפָֽתְנִי׃
Psa. 30:4 יְֽהוָ֗ה הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁא֣וֹל נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִימִיּוֹרְדֵי־[מִ][יָּֽרְדִי]־בֽוֹר׃ |
| Jonah 2:8
בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף עָלַי֙ נַפְשִׁ֔י אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה זָכָ֑רְתִּיוַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּפִלָּתִ֔י אֶל־הֵיכַ֖ל קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ |
Psa. 18:7
בַּצַּר־לִ֤י ׀ אֶֽקְרָ֣א יְהוָה֮ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהַ֪יאֲשַׁ֫וֵּ֥עַ יִשְׁמַ֣ע מֵהֵיכָל֣וֹ קוֹלִ֑י וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗ילְפָנָ֤יו ׀ תָּב֬וֹא בְאָזְנָֽיו׃ |
| Jonah 2:9
מְשַׁמְּרִ֖ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא חַסְדָּ֖ם יַעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ |
Psa. 31:7 שָׂנֵ֗אתִי הַשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וַ֝אֲנִ֗יאֶל־יְהוָ֥ה בָּטָֽחְתִּי׃
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| Jonah 2:10
וַאֲנִ֗י בְּק֤וֹל תּוֹדָה֙ אֶזְבְּחָה־לָּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥רנָדַ֖רְתִּי אֲשַׁלֵּ֑מָה יְשׁוּעָ֖תָה לַיהוָֽה׃ |
Psa. 116:17
לְֽךָ־אֶ֭זְבַּח זֶ֣בַח תּוֹדָ֑ה וּבְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣האֶקְרָֽא׃ Psa. 116:18 נְ֭דָרַי לַיהוָ֣ה אֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם נֶגְדָה־נָּ֝֗אלְכָל־עַמּֽוֹ׃
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VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
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