2:1 Jonah prayed to Yahweh The prayer that follows is a prayer of thanksgiving and trust. While Jonah appears thankful that the fish has saved him, he doesn’t actually acknowledge his sin or explicitly repent of his actions. He is only thankful that he did not drown (see Jonah 2:3, 5–6).

the belly of the fish See note on 1:17.

2:2 I called This same verb is used when the sailors pray in 1:14.

he answered me Yahweh responded to Jonah’s distress by sending the fish to swallow him.

the belly of Sheol A figure of speech referring to the depths of the ocean. The chaos of the sea was associated with drawing closer to the underworld or (she’ol in Hebrew; see note on Gen 37:35).

2:3 the heart of The Hebrew term for the heart is used here in the sense of the inmost part of the ocean.

2:4 I am banished from your sight Jonah felt that God no longer looked on him with favor since he was descending to the depths of the ocean. Therefore, he cried out (past tense) in the midst of his distress (Jonah 2:2).

will I continue to look on your holy temple This is a present-tense statement of faith as Jonah reflects on his situation in the belly of the whale.

your holy temple Meaning the temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew phrase here is rarely used in the ot. It appears elsewhere only in the Psalms (Pss 5:7; 11:4; 65:4; 79:1; 138:2), in Micah (Mic 1:2), and in Habakkuk (Hab 2:20).

2:5 my neck The Hebrew term used here has a variety of meanings, all of which illustrate the extent to which the waters closed over Jonah.

Old Testament Anthropology

seaweed was wrapped around my head Refers to plants growing at the bottom of the ocean.

2:6 the foundations of the mountains The lowest parts of the ocean floor. See note on Jonah 2:2.

bars Bars were used on city gates and prisons as locks. Jonah is picturing himself locked inside the earth.

you brought up my life from the pit Another statement of faith (compare v. 4). Jonah trusts that he will be rescued even though he is still in the belly of the fish.

from the pit That is, Sheol (see v. 2), used figuratively of the depths of the ocean. The Hebrew term here is also used as a synonym for Sheol in Job 33:18.

2:7 I remembered The Hebrew word used here most often occurs in the context of prayer (see 1 Sam 1:11; 2 Kgs 20:3; 2 Chr 6:42; Neh 5:19).

When my life was ebbing away Meaning that Jonah was losing hope. The Hebrew word translated as “life” or “soul” is used here to describe Jonah’s mental state. (Note that Jonah’s physical life is described with the word chay in the previous verse.) Nephesh, meaning “life,” and ataph, meaning “to faint,” are used together in a similar way in Psa 107:5. See note on Jonah 2:5.

2:8 Those who worship vain idols A reference to the Israelites, the audience of the book of Jonah. The sailors and the men of Nineveh are shown mercy in the narrative. The Israelites refused to repent of their idolatry and eventually were sent to Assyria as exiles.

vain The Hebrew word here is used to denote falsehood or lack of value.

loyal love The Hebrew term used here is often used in reference to Yahweh’s covenant with Israel (see Deut 7:9, 12; 1 Kgs 8:23; Neh 1:5).

Chesed Word Study

2:9 a voice of This term is used in the sense of “sound,” probably to indicate thankful singing.

will sacrifice to you Jonah intends to offer a sacrifice in the temple when he returns to Jerusalem (see Jonah 2:4).

I will fulfill what I have vowed Jonah may have vowed to offer a sacrifice to Yahweh when he prayed for deliverance (see v. 2), or the reference may be to the first half of the verse and Jonah is at that moment making a vow to Yahweh.

Deliverance belongs to Yahweh The Hebrew word used here, yeshu'a, meaning “salvation,” is used in the sense of deliverance.

2:10 it vomited Jonah out on the dry land The fish likely deposited Jonah somewhere along the eastern Mediterranean coast, perhaps near Joppa itself.

Miracles of the Prophets Table