Jonah Chapter 2
1. Jonah 1:17 — Jonah’s three days and nights in the fish
“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
a. The LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah:
God actively appointed, prepared, and directed this creature. This was not a random act of nature but a sovereign intervention. People question whether such a thing is physically possible, but with God nothing is impossible. He created the heavens and the earth; He can create or direct a fish to preserve Jonah. Whether this was a whale, a specially prepared fish, or a completely unique creature, the point is that God made it happen.
God’s preparation: This fish was not an accident of nature but a deliberate instrument of divine discipline and preservation. God prepared it beforehand, demonstrating His sovereignty over creation.
Human speculation: Some suggest it was a whale; others mention a creature known historically as a “sea dog.” The text does not specify, because the identity of the fish is secondary to the power and purpose of God.
Historical parallels: A story is often told of a sailor named James Bartley in 1891 who was reportedly swallowed by a whale and survived. Whether that account is true or not is debated. The truth of Jonah’s account does not rest on human examples but on Jesus’ own affirmation.
i. Jesus’ confirmation:
In Matthew 12:40, Jesus Christ Himself confirmed the historicity of Jonah’s experience:
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
If Jesus — who cannot lie — said it happened, then it happened. That settles the matter for believers.
b. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights:
Jonah was rebellious, running from God’s will, yet God did not abandon him. Instead of letting him drown in the sea, God preserved His prophet. Judgment and mercy met in the belly of the fish.
Purposeful preservation: God could have saved Jonah in countless other ways. He chose this one because it not only saved Jonah’s life but humbled Jonah’s heart.
Lesson in sovereignty: The book of Jonah demonstrates that when God wants a man to do something, He can overrule resistance. He doesn’t force Jonah mechanically — He leads Jonah to the place where Jonah is willing to want what God wants.
c. Three days and three nights — Jonah’s silence before prayer:
Jonah remained inside the fish three days and three nights before the prayer recorded in chapter 2. Scripture implies that Jonah endured those days in reflection, brokenness, and desperation.
Some suggest he was silent and stubborn at first, only repenting after days of darkness.
Others point out that Jonah 2 begins as if he had been crying out to God from the very beginning, and the recorded prayer was offered after he received assurance of deliverance.
Either way, Jonah experienced something profound — isolation, confinement, darkness — until his heart was ready to turn fully back to God.
Key lessons from Jonah 1:17:
God is sovereign over creation and circumstances.
God’s discipline is severe but merciful — He breaks rebellion but preserves life.
Running from God leads to storms and darkness, but God does not abandon His own.
Jonah inside the fish for three days and nights becomes a prophetic picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
2. Jonah 2:1–2 — Jonah Praises God for His Deliverance
“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
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.”
a. Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly
Although Jonah was still physically inside the fish, he prayed with confidence because he knew God had heard him. His circumstances had not yet changed, but his heart had. Faith took hold before deliverance came.
Jonah did not wait until he was on dry ground to pray. He prayed from the depths, still surrounded by darkness, stench, and confinement.
He says, “Thou heardest my voice,” showing assurance. God had not yet brought him out, yet Jonah already knew the answer was certain.
This demonstrates genuine faith: trusting God’s promise before seeing God’s provision. It reflects the peace described in Philippians 4:6–7, where prayer brings peace even before circumstances change.
God sometimes leaves us in the trial long enough to change our heart, but He gives assurance in the midst of it.
i. Faith before deliverance:
Jonah knew that once God heard his cry, deliverance was guaranteed. He trusted God’s character and covenant mercy. God often gives inward assurance before outward rescue.
b. “I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD… out of the belly of hell cried I”
Jonah’s prayer is filled with language from the Psalms. This shows that even in rebellion, he was a man saturated with Scripture. With no scrolls in the fish’s belly, the Word of God was already hidden in his heart.
From affliction to prayer: Jonah did not blame the sailors, the storm, or the fish. He acknowledged his distress and cried directly to the LORD.
“Out of the belly of hell”—the word hell here is Sheol, the realm of the dead. Jonah felt as if he was already buried, cut off from life. His situation was beyond human deliverance, yet not beyond God.
Scripture-filled prayer: His words echo the Psalms because those truths were embedded in his memory.
Examples of Psalms Jonah reflects:
Psalm 18:6 —
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.”Psalm 42:7 —
“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.”Psalm 31:22 —
“For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes: nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee.”
Jonah’s prayer is not original poetry; it is Scripture prayed from the heart in a moment of desperation. This shows that when a believer is broken and alone, the Word of God becomes the language of prayer.
Key Lessons
Prayer should not wait for deliverance—pray in the trial, not only after it.
Assurance from God can come before the answer arrives.
Hiding God’s Word in our hearts prepares us to pray even in darkness.
Even when believers feel as though they are in "the belly of Sheol," God still hears.
3. Jonah 2:3–7 — Jonah Describes His Distress, His Cry, and God’s Faithful Answer
“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.
Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about,
the weeds were wrapped about my head.
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.
When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD:
and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.”
a. “Thou hadst cast me into the deep” — Jonah sees God’s hand in his affliction
Jonah acknowledges that it was ultimately God—not the sailors—who cast him into the sea. The prophet recognizes divine sovereignty behind human actions.
Not coincidence, but God’s discipline: Jonah had tried to flee the presence of the LORD, but even in judgment, he confesses that he was never out of God’s control.
“All Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me” — he understands that even nature is under God’s command. The storm, the sea, and the fish are not random; they are instruments in the hand of a sovereign God.
This confession reflects humility. Jonah no longer blames others, nor does he deny God’s authority. He submits to the truth that God has been directing everything from the beginning.
b. “I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple”
Jonah expresses the deepest agony of his experience—not drowning, not darkness, but the fear of being separated from God.
Spiritual pain greater than physical danger: The words “cast out of Thy sight” show his greatest distress was a broken relationship with God.
Yet he responds with hope: Even from the depths, he says, “Yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.” This is repentance. He turns his heart back toward God’s dwelling place, the symbol of God’s presence, forgiveness, and mercy.
Jonah teaches that real repentance begins not with changing circumstances, but with a changed heart turned toward God.
c. “The waters compassed me about, even to the soul… weeds were wrapped about my head”
Jonah vividly describes the terror of his descent:
He sinks beneath the waves, seaweed tangling around his head.
He feels the pressure and darkness of the deep as he descends toward the ocean floor.
“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains” — he sinks to the foundation of the earth beneath the sea; this expression emphasizes how far he had fallen.
“The earth with her bars was about me for ever” — he felt like he was imprisoned, as if death itself had locked him in a cell.
Here Jonah reaches the lowest point physically and spiritually. Yet this is where grace meets him.
d. “Yet hast Thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God”
Even before he is delivered physically, Jonah declares deliverance spiritually.
Faith before rescue: He praises God not after he is on dry land, but while still inside the fish.
He believes the God who ordained the storm and the fish is also the God who saves.
God gives him assurance before release—Jonah knows he will live.
This is the language of resurrection: brought up my life from corruption. This points forward to Christ, who would rise after three days in the grave.
e. “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD”
When Jonah’s strength failed and hope died, his memory of God revived.
He reached the end of himself—“my soul fainted”—and only then remembered the LORD.
His prayer rose from the depths to the very throne of God — “my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.”
God hears the prayers of His people, regardless of how far they have sunk.
Key Lessons from Jonah 2:3–7
God’s discipline is never outside His mercy.
The worst part of sin is distance from God, not just consequences.
True repentance looks toward God even in judgment.
God hears prayer from the deepest depths.
Salvation begins spiritually, before circumstances change.
Jonah becomes a prophetic picture of Christ’s burial and resurrection.
4. Jonah 2:8–9 — Jonah Declares His Commitment to God
“They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay that that I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
a. “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy”
Jonah now understands that to cling to idols is to abandon the mercy God is willing to give.
“Lying vanities” refers to idols — false gods, empty pursuits, anything trusted in place of God.
When Jonah ran from God, he acted like an idolater — trusting his own way rather than God’s will.
By resisting God, he was not escaping judgment; he was forsaking mercy. Rejecting God’s will always results in forfeiting the blessings that would have been freely given.
Jonah finally sees his rebellion for what it really was: idolatry of self.
b. “But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed”
Jonah’s repentance now turns into commitment. He offers God:
Thanksgiving — not complaints, not bargaining, but praise from the belly of the fish.
Sacrifice — not animals at an altar yet, but a surrendered heart.
A vow kept — he promises to fulfill the obligations he once made to God.
This suggests that earlier in life, Jonah likely said, “Lord, I will go wherever You send me.” He meant it then but ran from it in Jonah 1. Now in the depths, he renews that vow.
This is genuine repentance. Not merely feeling sorry, but submitting to God’s will.
c. “Salvation is of the LORD”
This is the climax of Jonah’s prayer — the central truth of the entire book.
Salvation belongs to God alone. It does not come from human effort, nations, or religious rituals.
Jonah declares it personally — God saved him from drowning and from his own rebellion.
Jonah now sees it theologically — God is the One who saves sinners, whether they are Israelites or Ninevites.
This phrase is the Old Testament equivalent of Ephesians 2:8 — salvation is entirely by God’s grace.
d. Evidence of Jonah’s repentance
By verse 9, Jonah is a changed man. His repentance is not shallow emotion — it shows marks of true transformation:
He openly confessed God and his disobedience (Jonah 1:9).
He accepted consequences and surrendered himself to God’s judgment (Jonah 1:12).
He cried out in prayer from his affliction (Jonah 2:2, 4, 7).
His heart became thankful instead of hardened (Jonah 2:9).
He renewed his obedience and vow to God (Jonah 2:9).
He gave God all the glory, not himself (Jonah 2:9).
True repentance is not just a moment — it is a process:
It begins with a broken heart, but it continues in obedience, gratitude, and worship. Jonah didn’t just escape the fish — he was spiritually restored.
Key Lessons from Jonah 2:8–9
Idolatry is not only bowing to statues — it is trusting anything above God, including our own plans.
Running from God is not freedom; it is forsaking mercy.
True repentance includes confession, surrender, thanksgiving, obedience, and giving glory to God.
The greatest truth Jonah declared — and the message of the whole Bible — is this: “Salvation is of the LORD.”
B. Jonah Out of the Fish
1. (Jonah 2:10a) God Speaks to the Fish
“And the LORD spake unto the fish,”
a. The LORD spoke to the fish:
The same God who appointed the fish to swallow Jonah now commands it to release him. This shows that the fish was never in control — God was. Creation obeys its Creator without hesitation. The wind obeyed, the sea obeyed, the fish obeyed, but only Jonah resisted.
God was sovereign over Jonah’s discipline and Jonah’s deliverance.
The fish did not act randomly by nature but responded specifically to God’s word.
Creation listens to the voice of God more readily than man does.
b. “To the fish”:
If God can speak to a fish, He can speak to anyone. The difference is not in His ability to speak, but in our willingness to listen. Fish do not rebel — people often do.
2. (Jonah 2:10b) Jonah Is Expelled from the Fish
“…and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”
a. “Vomited Jonah”: God’s way of deliverance
Jonah’s deliverance was not elegant or dignified — it was messy. But it was effective.
God’s rescue does not always come the way we expect or prefer.
Jonah might have desired a gentle rescue, but instead he was hurled onto the shore, soaked, filthy, reeking of death — yet alive by the mercy of God.
Sometimes God humbles us in the process of saving us to remove our pride completely.
i. Deliverance came after repentance was complete:
Jonah was not merely sorry — he surrendered. He trusted God again. Until a believer stops resisting the will of God, certain works of deliverance will remain unfinished.
ii. Deliverance after three days and three nights — a picture of Christ:
Jesus Himself confirmed the prophetic nature of this moment:
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)
Jonah’s experience foreshadowed the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
iii. Understanding “three days and three nights”:
Some falsely argue this requires a Thursday crucifixion. However, Jewish idiom of that time counted any part of a day as a whole day. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (around A.D. 100) said, “A day and a night make a whole day, and a part of a day is reckoned as a whole day.” Therefore, Jesus being in the grave parts of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday fulfills the phrase fully in its historic meaning.
iv. Jonah as a messianic picture:
Jonah willingly gave himself up to appease the wrath falling on others.
He descended into a place of death.
After three days, he was raised and set free.
He stood as a living testimony that God saves through death and resurrection.
b. “Upon the dry land”: Location and clarity
Scripture does not say Jonah was deposited at Nineveh. In fact:
Nineveh is roughly 375 miles from the Mediterranean coast.
If Jonah had landed directly at Nineveh, it would require miraculous transport.
More likely, God brought him to a coastline somewhere in Israel or Phoenicia, and from there Jonah willingly obeyed and made the long journey to Nineveh.
The emphasis is not the location — but that Jonah is now restored to obedience and standing on solid ground by God’s mercy.
Key Lessons from Jonah 2:10
God commands all creation — even fish and storms — to accomplish His will.
Deliverance may come in ways that strip us of pride, but always displays God’s mercy.
God finishes what He begins once repentance is real.
Jonah’s experience is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ’s burial and resurrection.
Restoration begins when the rebellious heart submits fully to God.
