Jonah 2:2-9

Jonah 2:2-9

[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  [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  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. 

What does Jonah 2:2-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The following prayer is mainly thanksgiving for deliverance from drowning. It is not thanksgiving for deliverance from the fish or a prayer of confession, as we might expect. Jonah prayed it while he was in the fish. Evidently he concluded after some time in the fish"s stomach that he would not die from drowning. Drowning was a particularly distasteful form of death for an ancient Near Easterner such as Jonah who regarded the sea as a great enemy. Jonah"s ability to thank God in the midst of his black torture chamber, which must have pitched him uncontrollably in every direction, shows that he had experienced a remarkable change in attitude (cf. Jonah 1:3; Jonah 1:12).
Jonah could have composed the core of this Psalm , which contains his prayer, while he was inside the great fish. He may have composed or polished the whole psalm sometime after he was safely back on dry land. It bears many similarities to other psalms in the Psalter. Clearly Jonah knew the psalms well, and he could have spent much time reflecting on them during his three days in the fish. One wonders, however, how anyone could think very coherently inside a fish.
This chapter corresponds to chapter one in its contents. [1]
Ch1: The SailorsCh2: The Prophet Jonah 1:4Crisis on the sea Jonah 2:3-6 aCrisis in the sea Jonah 1:14Prayer to Yahweh Jonah 2:2; Jonah 2:7Prayer to Yahweh Jonah 1:15 bDeliverance from the storm Jonah 2:6 bDeliverance from drowning Jonah 1:16Sacrifice and vows offered to God Jonah 2:9Sacrifice and vows offered to God