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! To the roots of the mountainsThis phrase poetically describes the depths of the sea, where Jonah finds himself. In Hebrew, the word for "roots" (קְצֵבֵי, qetsevei) can also mean "extremities" or "bases," suggesting the very foundations of the earth. The imagery here is profound, as it conveys Jonah's descent to the lowest point, both physically and spiritually. The "mountains" symbolize stability and permanence, yet Jonah is at their roots, indicating his complete separation from the land of the living. This reflects the depth of his distress and the severity of his situation, emphasizing the miraculous nature of his eventual deliverance. I descended
The Hebrew verb יָרַד (yarad) means "to go down" or "descend." Jonah's descent is both literal and metaphorical, representing his journey away from God's presence and into the depths of despair. This downward movement contrasts with the upward call of God, highlighting Jonah's rebellion and the consequences of fleeing from God's command. His descent is a humbling experience, bringing him to a place of repentance and recognition of his need for divine intervention. The earth beneath me barred me in forever
This phrase captures the sense of entrapment and hopelessness Jonah feels. The "earth" (אֶרֶץ, eretz) is often used in Scripture to denote the realm of the living, but here it acts as a prison, with "bars" (בְּרִיחֶיהָ, bericheha) symbolizing confinement. The word "forever" (לְעוֹלָם, le'olam) intensifies the permanence of his situation, suggesting that Jonah sees no way out. This imagery underscores the finality of death and the grave, from which only God can deliver. But You raised my life from the pit
The turning point in Jonah's prayer, this phrase signifies divine intervention. The Hebrew verb עָלָה (alah) means "to go up" or "to ascend," contrasting sharply with Jonah's previous descent. "My life" (נַפְשִׁי, nafshi) refers to Jonah's very being, indicating that God's salvation is comprehensive. The "pit" (שַׁחַת, shachat) is a common metaphor for Sheol or the grave, representing death and destruction. God's action in raising Jonah from the pit is a powerful testament to His mercy and ability to save, even from the most dire circumstances. O LORD my God
This declaration of faith and recognition of God's sovereignty is central to Jonah's transformation. "LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness and relationship with His people. "My God" (אֱלֹהַי, Elohai) personalizes this relationship, indicating Jonah's renewed commitment and trust in God. This acknowledgment is a pivotal moment of repentance and submission, as Jonah turns back to the One who alone can deliver him. It serves as a reminder of the personal nature of faith and the importance of recognizing God's authority in our lives. Persons / Places / Events 1. JonahA prophet of God who initially fled from God's command to go to Nineveh, resulting in his being swallowed by a great fish. 2. The Roots of the MountainsSymbolic language used by Jonah to describe the depths of the sea, emphasizing the severity of his situation. 3. The PitRepresents Sheol or the grave, a place of despair and separation from life, illustrating Jonah's dire circumstances. 4. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, highlighting His personal relationship with Jonah and His power to save. 5. The Great FishThe creature appointed by God to swallow Jonah, serving as both a means of judgment and salvation. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in SalvationJonah's deliverance from the depths illustrates God's power to save, even in seemingly hopeless situations. Repentance and RestorationJonah's prayer from the belly of the fish demonstrates the importance of turning back to God in times of distress. The Depths of DespairLike Jonah, believers may find themselves in deep trials, but God's presence and power can lift them from the "pit." Symbolism of ResurrectionJonah's experience prefigures the resurrection, offering hope of new life through God's intervention. God's FaithfulnessDespite Jonah's initial disobedience, God remains faithful to His purposes and His people, offering redemption and a second chance. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jonah's description of his descent to "the roots of the mountains" enhance our understanding of his situation and God's deliverance? 2. In what ways does Jonah's experience in the fish parallel the concept of death and resurrection found in the New Testament? 3. How can Jonah's prayer in the belly of the fish serve as a model for our own prayers in times of distress? 4. What does Jonah 2:6 teach us about God's ability to save us from our "pits" or moments of despair? 5. How can we apply the lessons of Jonah's deliverance to our own lives when we face trials or feel distant from God? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 18:4-6Similar imagery of being in distress and calling upon the Lord, who rescues from deep waters. Psalm 30:3Speaks of God bringing up the soul from Sheol, paralleling Jonah's experience of being raised from the pit. Matthew 12:40Jesus references Jonah's three days in the fish as a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection. People JonahPlaces JoppaTopics Age, Barred, Bars, Bases, Behind, Beneath, Bottoms, Bring, Bringest, Closed, Corruption, Cuttings, Descended, Forever, Hast, Mountains, O, Pit, Roots, Sank, Underworld, Walls, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Jonah 2:6 4257 pit
4504 roots Jonah 2:1-9 8609 prayer, as praise and thanksgiving Jonah 2:2-7 5300 drowning Library Salvation of the Lord
By salvation here we do not merely understand the special salvation which Jonah received from death; for according to Dr. Gill, there is something so special in the original, in the word salvation having one more letter than it usually has, when it only refers to some temporary deliverance, that we can only understand it here as relating to the great work of the salvation of the soul which endureth for ever. That "salvation is of the Lord," I shall this morning try to show as best I can. First, I …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857The Fainting Soul Revived
WHEN man was first made, there was no fear of his forgetting God for it was his highest privilege and delight to have communion with his Maker. "The Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day," and Adam was privileged to hold fellowship with God, closer, perhaps, than even the angels had in heaven. But the spell of that sacred harmony was rudely broken by man's disobedience and his dreadful fall. Ever since our first parent tasted of the forbidden fruit, which brought death into our world, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916 The Soul.
Man as we behold him is not all there is of man. He is a wonderful being. He stands in the highest order of God's creation. He Is A Compound. Man was created a physical and spiritual organism. He possesses an animal and a spiritual life. Thus he is connected with two worlds. The physical creation is termed the "outward man," and the spiritual, the "inward man." "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16. "For we know …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness of Its Sins, that it Dares not Apply Itself to Christ with Any
1-4. The case described at large.--5. As it frequently occurs.--6. Granting all that the dejected soul charges on itself.--7. The invitations and promises of Christ give hope.--8. The reader urged, under all his burdens and fears, to an humble application to him. Which is accordingly exemplified in the concluding Reflection and Prayer. 1. I have now done with those unhappy creatures who despise the Gospel, and with those who neglect it. With pleasure do I now turn myself to those who will hear me …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul The Sovereignty of God in Salvation
"O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgements, and His ways past finding out" (Rom. 11:33). "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9); but the Lord does not save all. Why not? He does save some; then if He saves some, why not others? Is it because they are too sinful and depraved? No; for the Apostle wrote, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Whether the Fire of Hell is Beneath the Earth?
Objection 1: It would seem that this fire is not beneath the earth. For it is said of the damned (Job 18:18), "And God shall remove him out of the globe [Douay: 'world']." Therefore the fire whereby the damned will be punished is not beneath the earth but outside the globe. Objection 2: Further, nothing violent or accidental can be everlasting. But this fire will be in hell for ever. Therefore it will be there, not by force but naturally. Now fire cannot be under the earth save by violence. Therefore …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Revelation of the Old Testament in Writing.
"Then I said, I will not speak any more in His Name. But His word was in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones: and I was weary with forbearing, but I could not."--Jer. xx. 9. Altho the miracles performed for and in the midst of Israel created a glorious life-center in the midst of the heathen world, yet they did not constitute a Holy Scripture; for this can not be created except God speak to man, even to His people Israel. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit But Though Prayer is Properly Confined to Vows and Supplications...
But though prayer is properly confined to vows and supplications, yet so strong is the affinity between petition and thanksgiving, that both may be conveniently comprehended under one name. For the forms which Paul enumerates (1 Tim. 2:1) fall under the first member of this division. By prayer and supplication we pour out our desires before God, asking as well those things which tend to promote his glory and display his name, as the benefits which contribute to our advantage. By thanksgiving we duly …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith God's Sovereignty and Prayer
"If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14). Throughout this book it has been our chief aim to exalt the Creator and abase the creature. The well-nigh universal tendency now, is to magnify man and dishonour and degrade God. On every hand it will be found that, when spiritual things are under discussion, the human side and element is pressed and stressed, and the Divine side, if not altogether ignored, is relegated to the background. This holds true of very much of the …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God The Pilgrim's Progress
FROM THIS WORLD TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME. THE SECOND PART. DELIVERED UNDER THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM. WHEREIN IS SET FORTH THE MANNER OF THE SETTING OUT OF CHRISTIAN'S WIFE AND CHILDREN, THEIR DANGEROUS JOURNEY, AND SAFE ARRIVAL AT THE DESIRED COUNTRY. By JOHN BUNYAN. 'I have used similitudes.'--Hosea 12:10. London: Printed for Nathaniel Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, near the Church, 1684. THE AUTHOR'S WAY OF SENDING FORTH HIS SECOND PART OF THE PILGRIM. Go now, my little book, to every …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Jonah
The book of Jonah is, in some ways, the greatest in the Old Testament: there is no other which so bravely claims the whole world for the love of God, or presents its noble lessons with so winning or subtle an art. Jonah, a Hebrew prophet, is divinely commanded to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian empire of his day. To escape the unwelcome task of preaching to a heathen people, he takes ship for the distant west, only to be overtaken by a storm, and thrown into the sea, when, by …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jonah 2:6 NIVJonah 2:6 NLTJonah 2:6 ESVJonah 2:6 NASBJonah 2:6 KJV
Jonah 2:6 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
