Jonah, Chapter 2, Commentary
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
Jonah got to the point of humility. He realized here that he had tried to flee from the Lord, but that was impossible. He lost the competition. God didn’t kill him for his disobedience and foolishness. He put Jonah into a situation where he would soul search and listen to the Lord. God’s Holy Spirit was there with Jonah, in the depths of the sea, when he was in the belly of the whale. The Holy Spirit, teaching and leading us into all truth, like He always does.
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.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Psalm 139:7-8
No matter where we go, God is there.
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. Jeremiah 23:24
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 me.
Jonah knew he was disobedient to God. That is why he told the men to toss him overboard.
Those men all gave God glory when the waves calmed. For Jonah, he was still in the midst of the discipline of the Lord. God loved Jonah.
For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom He delighteth. Proverbs 3:12
4 Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.
Jonah knew the Lord would receive him again. He knew he was the one trying to run away. God wasn’t trying to get away from him. God was solid, like a rock, there on HIs throne.
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? Must’ve been seaweeds. Jonah was humbled because he had exalted himself.
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.
Jonah is still talking of his dissent. Before, he had been thinking he could get away from God. Now he knows getting away from God is less than pleasant. Being out of God’s good graces is like a prison. He was appreciating that God heard his prayer and he was rescued, which only God could have done. No one else knew where Jonah was.
7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord:
and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.
Jonah knew God heard his prayers. He knew God was far above him in rank and he knew He still heard him when he was so far below. It was after his flesh fainted. Jonah’s flesh lost the battle.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Those who do not understand the Lord, those who are caught up in the worldly lusts, don’t understand the Lord and turn their backs on God who offers them mercy.
Commentary from Matthew Poole a most beautiful description of God’s mercy:
Their own mercy; the Lord, who is to all that seek Him, and depend on him, the fountain of living waters, who is an eternal fountain of mercy, and flows forth freely to all that wait for Him.
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.
Jonah had somewhere made a vow unto the Lord. We know Jonah knew the Lord, he heard from the Lord, he prophesied for the Lord and He took instruction from the Lord. Jonah did not like these instructions, but he reconciled with God and did obey, against his own wishes. We also know he argued with God and felt comfortable to tell God how he felt. He did so before he ran away and after he came back. Though Jonah did what he was told, he let God know he did not like this mission.
10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
God didn’t even make Jonah swim a bit to get back. I suspect Jonah was very tired at that point. God’s mercy was upon Jonah and God was giving Jonah another chance to make it right with God and to obey Him.