Jonah 2:6

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

To the roots of the mountains, went I down, As for the earth, her bars, were about me, age-abidingly, - Then didst thou bring up - out of the pit - my life, O Yahweh my God.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I sank to the foundations of the mountains,the earth’s gates shut behind me forever!Then you raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God!

Hebrew Names Version
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The eretz barred me in forever: Yet have you brought up my life from the pit, LORD my God.

King James Version (1611)
I went downe to the bottomes of the mountaines: the earth with her barres was about me for euer: yet hast thou brought vp my life from corruption, O Lord my God.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
"I descended to the base of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, LORD my God.

New Century Version
When I went down to where the mountains of the sea start to rise, I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but you saved me from the pit of death, Lord my God.

Amplified Bible
"I descended to the [very] roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars closed behind me [bolting me in] forever, Yet You have brought up my life from the pit (death), O LORD my God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I went downe to the bottome of the moutaines: the earth with her barres was about me for euer, yet hast thou brought vp my life from the pit, O Lorde my God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

Legacy Standard Bible
I went down to the base of the mountains.The earth with its bars closed behind me forever,But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Yahweh my God.

Berean Standard Bible
To the roots of the mountains I descended; the earth beneath me barred me in forever! But You raised my life from the pit, O LORD my God!

Contemporary English Version
I had sunk down below the underwater mountains; I knew that forever, I would be a prisoner there. But, you, Lord God, rescued me from that pit.

Complete Jewish Bible
The water surrounded me, threatened my life; the deep closed over me, seaweed twined around my head.

Darby Translation
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The bars of the earth [closed] upon me for ever: But thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

Easy-to-Read Version
I was at the bottom of the sea, the place where the mountains begin. I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but the Lord my God took me out of my grave. God, you gave me life again!

George Lamsa Translation
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth shut up its bars against me for ever; yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Good News Translation
I went down to the very roots of the mountains, into the land whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, brought me back from the depths alive.

Lexham English Bible
I went down to the foundations of the mountains; the Underworld—its bars were around me forever. But you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.

Literal Translation
I went down to the bases of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever. But You brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

American Standard Version
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

Bible in Basic English
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.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the weeds were wrapped about my head.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I went downe to the bottome of the mountaines, the earth with her barres was about me for euer: yet hast thou brought vp my lyfe from corruption, O Lorde my God.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Water was poured around me to the soul: the lowest deep compassed me, my head went down

English Revised Version
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars closed upon me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

World English Bible
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: Yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y wente doun to the vtmeste places of hillis, the barris of erthe closiden me togidere, in to withouten ende; and thou, my Lord God, schalt reise vp my lijf fro corrupcioun.

Update Bible Version
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars [closed] on me forever: Yet you have brought up my life from the pit, O Yahweh my God.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

New English Translation
I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever; but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord , my God.

New King James Version
I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.

New Living Translation
I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!

New Life Bible
I went down to the roots of the mountains. The walls of the earth were around me forever. But You have brought me up from the grave, O Lord my God.

New Revised Standard
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(2-7) I went down to the lowest parts of the mountains: the bars of the earth have shut me up for ever: and thou wilt bring up my life from corruption, O Lord, my God.

Revised Standard Version
at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet thou didst bring up my life from the Pit, O LORD my God.

Young's Literal Translation
To the cuttings of mountains I have come down, The earth, her bars [are] behind me to the age. And Thou bringest up from the pit my life, O Jehovah my God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I wente downe to the botome of the hilles, & was barred in with earth for euer. But thou (o LORDE my God) hast brought vp my lyfe agayne out of corrupcion.

Contextual Overview

¹ Then prayed Jonah, unto Yahweh, his God, - out of the belly of the fish; ² and said - I cried - out of my distress - unto Yahweh, and he answered me, - Out of the belly of hades, called I, Thou didst hear my voice. ³ For thou hast cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and, a flood, enveloped me, - All thy breakers and thy rolling waves, over me, passed. ⁴ And, I, said, I am driven out from before thine eyes, - Yet will I again have regard unto thy holy temple: ⁵ The waters, encompassed me, to the peril of my life, The roaring deep, enveloped me, - The sea-weed, was wrapped about my head: ⁶ To the roots of the mountains, went I down, As for the earth, her bars, were about me, age-abidingly, - Then didst thou bring up - out of the pit - my life, O Yahweh my God. ⁷ When my soul, darkened itself over me, Yahweh, I remembered, - and my prayer, came in unto thee, unto thy holy temple. ⁸ They who take heed to the vanities of falsehood, do, their own lovingkindness, forsake. ⁹ But, I, with the voice of praise, will sacrifice unto thee, What I have vowed, I will pay, - Salvation, belongeth to Yahweh!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bottoms: Heb. cuttings off

mountains: Deuteronomy 32:22, Psalms 65:6, Psalms 104:6, Psalms 104:8, Isaiah 40:12, Habakkuk 3:6, Habakkuk 3:10

the earth: Job 38:4-11, Proverbs 8:25-29

yet: Psalms 16:10, Isaiah 38:17, Acts 13:33-37

corruption: or, the pit, Job 33:24, Job 33:28, Psalms 30:3, Psalms 30:9, Psalms 55:23, Psalms 143:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:26 - everlasting hills Job 17:16 - the bars of the pit Job 18:13 - strength Psalms 18:15 - foundations Psalms 18:16 - many waters Psalms 40:2 - brought Psalms 71:20 - shalt bring Psalms 88:4 - counted Psalms 118:18 - chastened Acts 2:27 - to see

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I went down to the bottom of the mountains,.... Which are in the midst of the sea, whither the fish carried him, and where the waters are deep; or the bottom of rocks and promontories on the shore of the sea; and such vast rocks hanging over the sea, whose bottoms were in it, it seems are on the shore of Joppa, near to which Jonah was cast into the sea, as Egesippus f relates:

the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever; that is, the earth with its cliffs and rocks on the seashore, which are as bars to the sea, that it cannot overflow it; these were such bars to Jonah, that could he have got clear of the fish's belly, and attempted to swim to shore, he could never get to it, or over these bars, the rocks and cliffs, which were so steep and high:

yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God; notwithstanding these difficulties, which were insuperable by human power, and these seeming impossibilities of, deliverance; yet the Lord brought him out of the fish's belly, as out of a grave, the pit of corruption, and where he must otherwise have lain and rotted, and freed his soul from those terrors which would have destroyed him; and by this also we learn, that this form of words was composed after he came to dry land: herein likewise he was a type of Christ, who, though laid in the grave, was not left there so long as to see corruption, Psalms 16:10.

f "De excidio", Urb. Hieros. l. 3. c. 20.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I went down to the bottoms, (literally “the cuttings off”) of the mountains - , the “roots” as the Chaldee and we call them, the hidden rocks, which the mountains push out, as it were, into the sea, and in which they end. Such hidden rocks extend along the whole length of that coast. These were his dungeon walls; “the earth, her bars,” those long submarine reefs of rock, his prison bars, “were around” him “forever:” the seaweeds were his chains: and, even thus, when things were at their uttermost, “Thou hast brought up my life from corruption,” to which his body would have fallen a prey, had not God sent the fish to deliver him. The deliverance for which be thanks God is altogether past: “Thou broughtest me up.” He calls “the” Lord, “my” God, because, being the God of all, He was especially his God, for whom He had done things of such marvelous love. God loves each soul which He has made with the same infinite love with which He loves all. Whence Paul says of Jesus Galatians 2:20, “Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” He loves each, with the same undivided love, as if he had created none besides; and He allows each to say, “My God,” as if the Infinite God belonged wholly to each. So would He teach us the oneness of Union between the soul which God loves and which admits His love, and Himself.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

VerseJonah 2:6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains — This also may be literally understood. The fish followed the slanting base of the mountains, till they terminated in a plain at the bottom of the great deep.

The earth with her bars — He represents himself as a prisoner in a dungeon, closed in with bars which he could not remove, and which at first appeared to be for ever, i.e., the place where his life must terminate.

Yet hast thou brought up my life — The substance of this poetic prayer was composed while in the fish's belly; but afterwards the prophet appears to have thrown it into its present poetic form, and to have added some circumstances, such as that before us; for he now speaks of his deliverance from this imminent danger of death. "Thou hast brought up my life from corruption."