Jonah 2 The prayer of Jonah, Jonah 1:1–9. He is delivered out of the belly of the fish, Jonah 1:10.

Then, Heb. And, at that time when he lay by the heels a close prisoner in a prison, whence none before or since ever came out alive, Jonah prayed; sent his petition in all humble and submissive manner unto God: Jonah, wonderfully preserved alive, and in full exercise of his judgment and memory, now…

And said: the former verse was a general account that he prayed, this word in the front of this verse is a transition to a more full account of his prayer, what for substance, and somewhat of the words also.

For: this introduceth the account of his distress, mentioned Jonah 2:2. Thou, the Almighty, offended by my frowardness and obstinacy, hadst cast me into the deep; though the mariners’ hands heaved me overboard, it was thy hand that did it, and pressed me sore.

Then: though this word with us ordinarily denoteth time, yet here it denoteth order and connexion; the Hebrew is And. I said, with myself, I thought in the midst of my fears and sufferings.

The former part of this verse seems to be an ingeminating of what was said Jonah 2:3, and bears the self-same meaning and interpretation. The waters; literally, the waters of the sea; metaphorically, afflictions; mystically, temptations; these last arising from his own guilt, and from the tokens of…

I went down, the fish carried him down, to the bottoms of the mountains; as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains, or into those depths out of which might be supposed that mountains were thence drawn out by the roots; an elegant description of fathomless depths, whirlpools of the…

When, so soon as, and so often as, my soul fainted within me, my heart was perplexed with variety of fears, sorrows, temptations, and difficulties; whenever I did forecast, and devise what way I might likely escape out of this forlorn condition, I was dispirited, my heart sunk within me, Ps.

Whoever they are that do, as the heathen mariners, seek to, depend upon, and wait for help from idols, false gods, whoever choose them for their assistance, and worship them, do depend upon most false grounds, wait for most lying and deceiving objects; and this of the prophet is true of, and…

Jonah here doth intimate his adherence to God, his assurance that he should find God to be a. fountain of mercy to him, that God would hear his prayer.

And, or, as the particle is sometimes rendered, Then, i.e. after Jonah had prayed, and acted his faith, though in the whale’s belly. The Lord, who made heaven and earth, and commandeth both, who is God of salvation.