Keraia
Jonah 2

Jonah 2:6

Jonah’s Prayer · Jonah 2:1–10
Read Jonah 2

Translations

Modern
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!
Traditional
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.
Literal
To the bases of the mountains I went down; the earth with her bars was behind me forever. And You brought up my life from the pit, O YHWH my God.
Latin
Ad extrema montium descendi; terræ vectes concluserunt me in æternum: et sublevabis de corruptione vitam meam, Domine Deus meus.

Original

Hebrew
English
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!

Notes

Jonah 2:6

  • Jonah’s metaphors, like roots of the mountains and the earth beneath me barred me, show ancient ideas about the underworld. People thought the dead were deep within the earth (see also Jonah 2:2). At one point, Jonah felt trapped and doomed to die.

  • But: The change is striking. Jonah, though sure he would die, was still within God's gracious reach.

  • the pit: The Hebrew term usually refers to the place where the dead are thought to dwell. Jonah’s words show that, at this moment, he believed he was about to die.

Jonah 2:1–9

Jonah realized that the Lord had kindly saved him by sending the fish. He then created a prayer similar to a psalm. The prayer's careful structure follows the pattern of a personal song of thanks. This suggests Jonah may have written it after the event, as he remembered his feelings and worries.

Theme notes and profiles

Death God Works through Prayer

Events

Glossary

Book of Jonah

Topics

Afflictions and Adversities: Benefits of, Illustrated Afflictions and Adversities: Prayer In Corruption: Physical Decomposition: After Death Mental Health Repentance: Jonah, After his Punishment