Jonah 2

Chapter context

What is happening in Jonah 2?

mercymissionrepentanceprophetic vocation

Jonah 2 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as the fish and prayer. Jonah is a prophetic narrative about flight, reluctant witness, repentance in Nineveh, and the scandal of God’s mercy toward enemies. Read this chapter with the wider themes of mercy, mission, and repentance in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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.

Study helps

Glossary

Jonah Person v. 1, 10: A dove, the son of Amittai of Gath-hepher. He was a prophet of Israel, and predicted the restoration of the ancient boundaries ( 2 Kings 14:25-27 ) of the kingdom.