JONAH PRAYS FROM INSIDE THE FISH
Key verse: 9
NIV
2 1 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called(A) to the Lord,(B)
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead(C) I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,(D)
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves(E) and breakers
swept over me.(F)
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;(G)
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’(H)
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.(I)
6 To the roots of the mountains(J) I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.(K)
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered(L) you, Lord,
and my prayer(M) rose to you,
to your holy temple.(N)
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols(O)
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,(P)
will sacrifice(Q) to you.
What I have vowed(R) I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation(S) comes from the Lord.’”
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Footnotes
Cross references
- Jonah 2:2 : La 3:55
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps 18:6; 120:1
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps 86:13
- Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 88:6
- Jonah 2:3 : S 2Sa 22:5
- Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 42:7
- Jonah 2:4 : Ps 31:22; Jer 7:15
- Jonah 2:4 : S 1Ki 8:48
- Jonah 2:5 : Ps 69:1-2
- Jonah 2:6 : Job 28:9
- Jonah 2:6 : S Job 17:16; S 33:18; S Ps 30:3
- Jonah 2:7 : Ps 77:11-12
- Jonah 2:7 : 2Ch 30:27
- Jonah 2:7 : S Ps 11:4; 18:6
- Jonah 2:8 : S Dt 32:21; S 1Sa 12:21
- Jonah 2:9 : S Ps 42:4
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps 50:14, 23; Heb 13:15
- Jonah 2:9 : S Nu 30:2; Ps 116:14; S Ecc 5:4-5
- Jonah 2:9 : S Ex 15:2; S Ps 3:8
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Jonah's Prayer
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
(A)“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
(B)out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
(C)and you heard my voice.
3 (D)For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
(E)all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
4 (F)Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
(G)yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
5 (H)The waters closed in over me (I)to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
(J)and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
8 (K)Those who pay regard to vain idols
(L)forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 (M)But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
(N)Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Read full chapterCross references
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps. 3:4; 120:1; Lam. 3:55
- Jonah 2:2 : Ps. 118:5
- Jonah 2:2 : Lam. 3:56
- Jonah 2:3 : Ps. 88:6, 7
- Jonah 2:3 : Ps. 42:7
- Jonah 2:4 : Ps. 31:22
- Jonah 2:4 : [1 Kgs. 8:35, 38]
- Jonah 2:5 : [Lam. 3:54]
- Jonah 2:5 : Ps. 69:1
- Jonah 2:7 : [2 Chr. 30:27]
- Jonah 2:8 : Ps. 31:6; [2 Kgs. 17:15; Jer. 2:5]
- Jonah 2:8 : [Jer. 2:13]
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps. 50:14; [Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15]
- Jonah 2:9 : Ps. 3:8
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. In my distress I called to the Lord (1-6)
Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. It was like being in the grave. Jonah's situation looked hopeless, but he didn't lose hope. Engulfing waters threatened him and seaweed wrapped around his head, but he didn't despair; he called to the Lord. God brought him up from the pit.
2. With a song of thanksgiving (7-1
)
Jonah knew that those who cling to worthless idols forfeit grace. He clung to God in prayer. The great fish which the Lord had provided was for his salvation. It was to save him from drowning and lead him to turn away from his stubborn rebelliousness and turn to God. Jonah repented. He made a vow to obey God. He would accept God's mission and go to Nineveh. God commanded the fish to vomit him onto dry land. Jonah tasted the salvation of God and he was full of thanksgiving and joy.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to have hope in you and to thank you even in the worst possible situation. Give me a repentant heart so that I may rejoice daily in your salvation.
One Word: Pray even from inside a fish
