Revisiting Jonah, The Fish, 2:1-11

Chapter 2 is a psalm. It is good to read the psalms. The word rendered brought up is the same word used in chapter 1 for the ascending of the evil of Nineveh. I am sure this is not an accident. This word is also used for whole burnt offerings. The ascension is the visible manifestation of the completion of the offering. In this case יְהוָה is the agent who effects the completion of the offering. It occurs once in each of chapters 1 and 2 but we will see it again in this story (4:6-7).

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 fish1
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 grave2 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 me3
וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְרַשְׁתִּי מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ אַךְ אוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיט אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ	2.5	and I, I said I am driven out from before your eyes4 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 head5
לְקִצְבֵי הָרִים יָרַדְתִּי הָאָרֶץ בְּרִחֶיהָ בַעֲדִי לְעוֹלָם וַתַּעַל מִשַּׁחַת חַיַּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי	2.7	to 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 kindness6
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

1Fish is both masculine and here feminine

2Jonah has died

3Psalm 42:8b

4As 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.

5the keyword structure surrounds the middle of this verse

6No participation in the recurrence pattern of this psalm

Selected recurring words in relative order (1 to 11)

Word and gloss * first usage

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1

2

3

4

Vs

Root

יהוה יהוה

░

1

יהוה

דג a fish

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1

דג

יונה Jonah

░

1

יונה

יונה Jonah

░

1

יונה

במעי was in the innards of

░

1

מעה

הדג the fish

░

1

דג

שׁלשׁה three

░

1

שׁלושׁ

ושׁלשׁה and three

░

1

שׁלושׁ

ויתפלל and prayed

░

2

פלל

יונה Jonah

░

2

יונה

יהוה יהוה

░

2

יהוה

אלהיו his God

░

2

אלוה

ממעי from the innards of

░

2

מעה

הדגה the fish

░

2

דג

ויאמר and he said

░

3

אמר

יהוה יהוה

░

3

יהוה

קולי my voice

░

3

קול

יסבבני surrounded me

░

4

סבב

ואני and I

░

5

אני

אמרתי I said

░

5

אמר

היכל temple

░

5

היכל

קדשׁך your holy

░

5

קדשׁ

נפשׁ self

░

6

נפשׁ

יסבבני surrounding me

░

6

סבב

יהוה יהוה

░

7

יהוה

אלהי my God

░

7

אלוה

נפשׁי I

░

8

נפשׁ

יהוה יהוה

░

8

יהוה

תפלתי my prayer

░

8

פלל

היכל temple

░

8

היכל

קדשׁך your holy

░

8

קדשׁ

ואני so I

░

10

אני

בקול in a voice of

░

10

קול

ליהוה to יהוה belongs

░

10

יהוה

ויאמר and spoke

░

11

אמר

יהוה יהוה

░

11

יהוה

לדג to the fish

░

11

דג

יונה Jonah

░

11

יונה

The focus of the chapter is on Jonah's whole self, his nephesh. The frame for the section is threefold as can be seen in the table. One verse (see which is missing from the table) has words that do not recur. In fact four of the five words in the verse are unique in the whole book of Jonah. The fifth recurs in chapter 4, showing this story to be like Psalm 86, yet another meditation on Exodus 34:8.