CHAP. II. V. 1, 2. Jonah was brought into such a situation, as no other man ever was in
guilt and terror: yet he still hoped in the mercy of God, and ventured to call upon him. ( Marg . and Marg . Ref . a-c.- Notes , 2 Chr . 33:11-13. Ps. 130:1,2. Lam . 2:52-57.) His close confinement, his heavy load of guilt, and the state of his mind, rendered his situation "as the belly of hell," or the state of the dead, where there is no hope, and whence there is no escape: yet even thence he cried unto the Lord, and was heard and delivered. ( Marg . Ref . d, e.- Notes , 2 Sam . 22:5-16. Ps . 40:1-5.86:12,13. 88:1-17. 116:3,4. Heb . 5:7—
ungodly, when they cannot but see their crim- ||10, v . 7.)-Then Jonah spent that time in his
inality, and are suffering in consequence of it: and it is proper to do all we can to save the lives, even of those who have greatly offended; for the natural conscience has a horror at the thoughts of wilful murder. When necessity constrains men to take away life, it should be done with extreme reluctance, and only in order to preservation from death, or for other important ends. And it ought not to be done, if it can be avoided by any tolerable loss or hardship: for the persons concerned should be able humbly to appeal to God, that they could not avoid the painful expedient, and be confi
'earnest prayers to God, and in his humble 'and hearty confessions of his sin: ... and af'ter, when he was by the power of God deliv'ered, ... he ... penned this song of thanksgiving 'for so wonderful a mercy.' Bp . Hall . Those 'devout thoughts, which he had at that time, 'he afterwards digested into the following 'prayer; and added a thanksgiving for his de'liverance at the end of it. So several of Da'vid's Psalms were probably composed after 'his trouble was over: but in a manner suita'ble to the thoughts he had at the time of his 'affliction, and with a grateful sense of God's
'mercies for his deliverance out of it. ( Ps . 54: '120:)' Lowth. (Notes, Ps. 142: title . Is . 38:9 -13, v. 9.)-Being now swallowed up of death, 'and seeing no remedy to escape; his faith 'burst out unto the Lord; knowing that from 'the very hell he was able to deliver them.'
V.3, 4. The Lord had not only permitted and directed, but he had even constrained the mariners to cast Jonah into the sea: so that he recognised the hand of God, and submitted to his justice in that dispensation. ( Notes , 1:11 -16. 2 Sam . 16:5-14 , vv . 10-12. Ps . 39:9,10. 51:14.) He was compassed about with floods of waters in the great deep; whilst all the waves and billows passed over him. ( Marg . and Marg. Ref. f, g. -Notes, Ps . 42:6-8, 3. 7. 69:14,15.) He had attempted to flee from the presence of the Lord; and now he feared that he "was cast out of his sight." ( Marg .
Ref . h, i.) Yet he would not quite despair; but would still look to God for help, with a believing regard to his "holy temple," the sacrifices there offered, and the mercy-seat from which he communed with his people: he would still pray for forgiveness, and hope to be permitted again to go up to the temple; or at least to be admitted into the sanctuary above, if he died in his present situation. (Marg. Ref . k.- Notes , 1 Kings 8:28-30. Dan . 6:10,11.)
V.5-7. When Jonah was cast into the sea, the waters surrounded him, "even to the soul," or life, or so as to reduce him to the condition of a dying man: the sea-weeds were wrapped about his head, either before the fish swallowed him, or being sucked in with the water into its stomach. And thus he was carried to the bottom of the sea, and to the deep-rooted bases of those mountains that formed the shore; and he seemed as effectually precluded from all hope of deliverance, as if he had been buried in the centre of the earth, and her perpetual rocks and hills had been the barriers of his tomb.
Yet from this pit of corruption the Lord brought him forth alive, and at that time he "saw not corruption," as without a miracle he must have done!-Thus the Lord Jesus, having endured the wrath of the Father due to our sins, was laid in a new sepulchre hewn out of a rock, closed with a large stone, sealed, and guarded by Roman soldiers: yet from that pit of corruption, he was brought forth alive
p P3. 22:14. 27:13. 119:81-83. Heb. 12:3.
q 1 Sam. 30:6. Ps. 20:7. 42:5, 11. 43:5. 77:10,11. 143:5. Is. 50:10. Lam. 3:21-26. 2 Cor. 1:9,10.
r 2 Chr. 30:27. Ps. 18:6.
s 4. Ps. 11:4. 65:4. Mic. 1:2. Hab. 2:20,
t 2 Kings 17:15. Ps. 31:6. Jer. 2:13. 10:8,14,15. 16:19. Hab. 2:18-20.
a Gen. 35:3. Ps. 50:14,23. 66. 13-15. 107:22. 116:17,18. Jer. 33:11. Hos. 14:2. Heb. 13:15. x Deut. 23:18. 2 Sam. 15:7. Job 22:27. Ec. 5:4,5.
y Ps. 3:8. 37:39,40. 68:20. Is. 45:17. John 4:22. Acts 4:12. Rev. 7:10.
z 1:17. Gen. 1:3,7,9,11,14. Ps. 33:9. 105:31,34. Matt. 8:8,9, 26,27.
by the power of God, without having seen corruption. ( Marg . Ref . 1-0. -Notes , Ps . 16:811.69:1-3. Is. 38:17-20, v. 17. Lam. 3:5257, v. 54. Acts 2:25-32.)-When Jonah's heart fainted through terror and distress, he remembered the Lord, and his power, mercy, and truth; his prayer was heard in heaven and accepted; and thus he was delivered. ( Marg . Ref . p-s.- Notes , 1 Sam . 30:6. Ps . 27:13. 77:5-12. Lam . 3:21-23. 2 Cor . 1:8-11.)
V. 8, 9. Jonah had been severely corrected: yet he was fully sensible how much better it was to worship God, than to regard the idols of the heathen; or any of the superstitions which prevailed in Israel. These were all deceitful vanities; in forsaking God and his instituted worship to observe them, men forsook their own mercies and privileges: and they were equally deluded, who sought safety and peace by disobeying God, as Jonah had done.
He was now convinced of his guilt and folly: and was determined, if he should be delivered, that he would present his sacrifice of praise, with thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies, and pay the vows that he had made in his distress: for salvation, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, was from the Lord, and the glory of it should be ascribed to him alone. ( Marg . Ref . -Notes , Gen. 35:1. 1 Chr . 10:13,14. Ps . 31:6. 56:12,13. 66:13,14. 107:31,32. 116:17-19. 118: 17,18.
Rev. 7:9-12.)-This may be considered as his language after his deliverance: and some think that he vowed, when in the fish's belly, that, in case he were spared, he would readily go to Nineveh according as he had been commanded.
V. 10. God so over-ruled this monster of the deep, that it was led to get near the shore, and disgorge its prey alive upon the dry land; probably not far from the place where Jonah had embarked. Thus death and the grave were commanded to restore the body of the crucified Redeemer. ( Marg . Ref . )
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. We cannot be in any place or circumstances, in which we are excluded from the mercy-seat of God: and sharp afflictions are often sent to excite those to earnest cries for mercy, who were negligent in prosperity, and under the rebukes of his word. Even believers may be
reduced by sin, temptation, affliction, terror, and a sense of divine wrath, to a situation which bears some resemblance to "the depths of hell:" but their discouragements will differ from despair, in that they will never totally cease to seek help from God; and faith and
h Jer. 31.34. 42:1,8. Acts 8:10.
k Ps. 2:10-12. Jam. 1:9,10. 4: 6-10.
1 Esth. 4:1-4. Job 2:8. 42:6. Jer. 6:28. Lam. 3:29. Dan. 9:3. Mic. 1:10. Matt. 11:21. Luke 10:13.
m 5. 2 Chr. 20:3. Ezra 8:21. † Heb. said.
if God will turn and
Heb.great men.
n Joel 1:18. Rom. 8:20-22. o 1:6,14. Ps. 130:1,2. p Is. 1:16-19. 55:6,7. Ez. 18: 21-24,27,28,30-32. 33:11. Dan. 4:27. Matt. 3:8. Acts 3:19. 26:20.
q 1:6. 2 Sam. 12:22. Ps. 106: 45. Joel 2:13,14. Am. 5:15. Luke 15:18-20.
assaulted him, death seemed to prevail against him, the grave was opened to receive his body, and his soul departed into the place of separate spirits: but he was again brought alive out of "the pit of corruption;" that through him the salvation of the Lord might be communi
hope will still struggle against the gloomy sug-cated to all believers. Let us then humbly
gestions of unbelief.
The hand of God should be acknowledged in all our troubles: a proper estimate should be formed of the greatness of our difficulties, and the urgency of our distresses; in order that our faith may be fixed more simply upon the almighty power of the Lord for deliverance, and that afterwards we may be duly sensible of our obligations: and we should endeavor to attain to a proper sense of the greatness of our guilt, that we may more value his rich mercy and free salvation.When we have been rescued from pressing difficulties, we should call to remembrance our fears and sorrows, and the weakness and wavering of our faith and hope: that we may be the more affected with the loving-kindness of the Lord, in hearing our supplications; and that we may "offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and pay our vows," with greater alacrity and zeal.
Our case can never be desperate, while we are out of hell: but as far as a believer is overcome by temptation, to copy those "that observe lying vanities," he "forsakes his own mercy," and changes the consolations which he would enjoy, for distress and dismay, It is our happiness, that we may worship and hope in God, who is able and willing to save all that call upon him, from sin and its eternal consequences; and from its temporal painful effects, as far as it is good for them: yea, "he is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think." - Amidst all our varying experiences, and the changing scenes of life, we should keep the eye eye of faith fixed upon our once suffering and dying, but now risen and ascended Redeemer.
"All the waves and billows" of the wrath of the Father, due to our sins, went over him; "the floods of ungodly men" compassed him, the powers of darkness
confess our sins; consider his resurrection as the first-fruits of our own; and thankfully receive every temporal and spiritual deliverance, as the beginning and pledge of our eternal redemption.
NOTES.