As with all psalms, there is a space where the poet realizes that things have changed. In this psalm there are two such gaps that move from death to life.
| Story | Vs | Story |
| וַיְמַן יְהוָה דָּג גָּדוֹל לִבְלֹעַ אֶת יוֹנָה וַיְהִי יוֹנָה בִּמְעֵי הַדָּג שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֵילוֹת | 2.1 | And יְהוָה appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah and it happened Jonah was in the innards of the fish three days and three nights |
| וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יוֹנָה אֶל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו מִמְּעֵי הַדָּגָה | 2.2 | and Jonah prayed to יְהוָה his God from the innards of the fish |
| וַיֹּאמֶר קָרָאתִי מִצָּרָה לִי אֶל יְהוָה וַיַּעֲנֵנִי מִבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל שִׁוַּעְתִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ קוֹלִי | 2.3 | and he said I called out from my trouble to יְהוָה and he answered me from the belly of the grave I cried you heard my voice |
| וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי מְצוּלָה בִּלְבַב יַמִּים וְנָהָר יְסֹבְבֵנִי כָּל מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ | 2.4 | and you cast me from the depth into the heart of the seas and torrent surrounded me All your breakers and your waves have passed over me |
| וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְרַשְׁתִּי מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ אַךְ אוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיט אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ | 2.5 | and I, I said I am driven out from before your eyes surely I will again be attentive in your holy temple |
| אֲפָפוּנִי מַיִם עַד נֶפֶשׁ תְּהוֹם יְסֹבְבֵנִי סוּף חָבוּשׁ לְרֹאשִׁי | 2.6 | they enveloped me waters - ever - self abyss surrounding me reed wrapped round my head |
| לְקִצְבֵי הָרִים יָרַדְתִּי הָאָרֶץ בְּרִחֶיהָ בַעֲדִי לְעוֹלָם וַתַּעַל מִשַּׁחַת חַיַּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי | 2.7 | of the roots of the hills I descended the earth with her bars about me forever but you brought up my life from destruction יְהוָה my God |
| בְּהִתְעַטֵּף עָלַי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְהוָה זָכָרְתִּי וַתָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִי אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ | 2.8 | when I in myself was disabled I remembered יְהוָה and my prayer came to you in your holy temple |
| מְשַׁמְּרִים הַבְלֵי שָׁוְא חַסְדָּם יַעֲזֹבוּ | 2.9 | those who keep futile emptiness abandon their kindness |
| וַאֲנִי בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה אֶזְבְּחָה לָּךְ אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתִּי אֲשַׁלֵּמָה יְשׁוּעָתָה לַיהוָה ס | 2.10 | so I in a voice of thanksgiving will offer you what I have vowed to recompense salvation ה to יְהוָה belongs ס |
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לַדָּג וַיָּקֵא אֶת יוֹנָה אֶל הַיַּבָּשָׁה פ | 2.11 | and יְהוָה spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land פ |
Other notes: Verse 2:4b is exactly psalm 42:8b. Verse 2:9 does not appear to participate in the recurrence pattern. It seems on my meagre inspection that there is a more dense recurrence pattern in prose than in poetry. The middle of verse 6 is what the keyword structure surrounds: abyss surrounding me, reed wrapped round my head. I used reed because it reminded me of the Exodus. Maybe that's too great a stretch.
[kindness - I had originally: covenant-merciful-kindness - too long]
Keywords for chapter 2 in relative order
| Word | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | Stem | Vs | ||||||||||||||||||||
דג a fish | ░ | דג | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | יונה | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | יונה | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
במעי was in the innards of | ░ | מעה | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
הדג the fish | ░ | דג | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
שׁלשׁה three | ░ | שׁלושׁ | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ושׁלשׁה and three | ░ | שׁלושׁ | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ויתפלל and prayed | ░ | פלל | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | יונה | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ממעי from the innards of | ░ | מעה | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
הדגה the fish | ░ | דג | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and he said | ░ | אמר | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
קולי my voice | קול | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יסבבני surrounded me | ░ | סבב | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ואני and I | ░ | אני | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
אמרתי I said | ░ | אמר | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
היכל temple | ░ | היכל | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
קדשׁך your holy | ░ | קדשׁ | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
נפשׁ self | ░ | נפשׁ | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יסבבני surrounding me | ░ | סבב | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
נפשׁי I | ░ | נפשׁ | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
תפלתי my prayer | ░ | פלל | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
היכל temple | ░ | היכל | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
קדשׁך your holy | ░ | קדשׁ | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ואני so I | ░ | אני | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
בקול in a voice of | קול | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ויאמר and spoke | ░ | אמר | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
לדג to the fish | ░ | דג | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
יונה Jonah | ░ | יונה | 11 |
