Bible Commentaries
Jonah 2

Verse 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.

Affliction — Straits with which he was encompassed, his body and mind being both shut up, the one by the monstrous dungeon of the fish’s belly, and the other by the terrors of the Almighty.

Heardest my voice — Of which undoubtedly God gave him an assurance in his own soul.

Verse 4

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

I said — With myself, I thought in the midst of my fears and sufferings.

Cast out — Cut off from all hope of life, and as it were forgotten of God.

I will look — Toward heaven.

Verse 5

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

The weeds — It seems to mean, my case was as hopeless as that of a man wrapt about with weeds in the depth of the sea.

Verse 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.

I went down — The fish carried him down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains.

With her bars — I seemed to be imprisoned where the bars that secured were as durable as the rocks, which they were made of.

Yet — By what was first my danger, thou hast wonderfully secured me.

From corruption — Or the pit, a description of the state of the dead.

O Lord — In the assurance of faith, he speaks of the thing as already done.

Verse 7

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Thine holy temple — Heaven, the temple of his glory, whence God gives the command for his delivery.

Verse 8

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

They — Whoever they are that depend upon idols.

Mercy — The Lord, who is to all that depend upon him, the fountain of living waters; who is an eternal fountain of mercy, and flows freely to all that wait for him.

Verse 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.

Vowed — Which probably was to go to Nineveh, and preach what God commanded him.

The Lord — He only can save.

Verse 10

And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Spake — Though fishes understand not as man, yet they have ears to hear their Creator.