Table of Contents
Jonah 2
Jonah 2
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,
2 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.
3 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.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 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.
7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Notes
Cross Reference
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 1
<html><b>a huge fish</b>—It was a male, and he stood there with room, so that he did not think to pray. The Holy One, blessed he He, hinted to the fish, and it spewed him out into the mouth of a female, which was full of embryos, and it was crowded there, and he prayed there, as it is said: (verse 2) “from the belly of the fish (הַדָּגָה).” [from <i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i> ch. 10, according to <i>Yalkut Shimoni</i> ; <i>Midrash Yonah</i>, second version, <i>Otzar Medrashim</i> p.219] <b>[And the Lord appointed</b>—Those sixteen days that Israel was missing the manna, since they did not eat it for a complete forty years - God took this manna and sustained the fish so that Jonah would not be digested in its intestines, and Jonah, too, ate within it from this manna. Therefore, it is stated וַיְמַן, the letters מָן י“ו sixteen [days of] manna. Similarly, וַיְמַן קיקָיוֹן, and He appointed a kikayon, for he ate four omers; therefore, it says four times וַיְמַן (4:6 ff.). And in Greek, manna is called “kika.” For that reason, it is stated: קִיק יָוָן ; i.e, manna in Greek. -[<i>Sod Mesharim</i>]</html>
Verse 2
<html><b>[the Lord his God</b>—He combined the Divine standard of justice with the Divine standard of mercy, the merit of Abraham and Isaac. <b>from the belly of the fish</b>—This is Jacob. [<i>Sod Mesharim</i>]</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>from the belly of the grave</b>—From the belly of the fish, which is to me as the grave.</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>all Your breakers and Your waves</b>—All the breakers of the sea, since it breaks and parts the sea. [from <i>Jonathan</i>]</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>And I said</b>—when they cast me into the sea, “Behold I am dead, and I have been driven away from before Your eyes.” <b>Instead</b>—I saw that You have kept me alive all these days. I know that I will continue to gaze upon Your Holy Temple.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>the Red Sea hangs over my head</b> Lit., reeds are bound to my head. [<i>Jonathan</i> renders:] The Red Sea hangs over my head. For the Holy One, blessed he He, showed him the Red [lit., Reed] Sea and how Israel crossed in its midst, for the fish’s two eyes were like two windows, and he would look and see everything in the sea. [from <i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i> ch. 10]</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>To the bottoms of the mountains I descended</b>—To the end of the measure of the mountains fixed to the deep, I descended. And I said… <b>the earth - its bars are closed on me</b> Heb. בַּעֲדִי, against me, over me it is closed, and I will never go out. <b>closed on me</b> Heb. בַּעֲדִי. cf. (II Kings 4:4) “And you shall close the door about yourself (בַּעֲדֵךְ).” And so is every instance of בְּעַד in Scriptures, e.g. (Job:24) “Skin against (בְּעַד) skin,” a limb against a limb. <b>forever</b> This refers to what he said above, “And I said, ‘I have been driven away,’” and I said, “The earth - its bars are closed on me forever.” <b>but You brought up my life from Gehinnom</b>—But I saw Gehinnom here, and from there You brought me up, and, behold, I stand under the Temple in Jerusalem, similar to what is stated: “Indeed, I will continue to gaze upon Your Holy Temple,” “And my prayer came to You, to Your Holy Temple.” [from <i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i> ch. 10]</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>When my soul grew faint</b> Heb. בְּהִתְעַטֵּף. [<i>Jonathan</i> renders:] When it grew faint. Cf. (Lam. 2: 11) “For the infants swoon (בֵּעָטֵף),” (verse 12) “When they swoon (בְּהִתְעַטְּפָם) like wounded men.”</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>Those who keep worthless futilities</b>—The nations of the world, who worship idols. <b>abandon their kindness</b>—The fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, from Whom all their kindness and benefit emanate, they abandon; but I am not so, but “with a voice of thanks will I sacrifice to You.” In this manner did <i>Jonathan</i> render it. But in <i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i> (ch. 10), they expounded this as an allusion to the sailors who abandoned their kindness that they were bestowing upon the idols and proselytized.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>for the salvation of the Lord</b>—Vows of peace-offerings and thanksgiving offerings I will pay, for the salvation of the Lord. <b>for the salvation</b> Heb. יְשׁוּעָתָה, like לִישׁוּעָה, for the salvation. Cf. (Ps. 44: 27) “Rise for our aid (עֶזְרָתָה),” equivalent to לְעֶזְרָה</html>