Jonah · Chapter 2

Verse 1. Then Jonah prayed—out of the fish’s belly] This verse makes the first of the second chapter in the Hebrew text.

It may be asked, “How could Jonah either pray or breathe in the stomach of the fish?” Very easily, if God so willed it. And let the reader keep this constantly in view; the whole is a miracle, from Jonah’s being swallowed by the fish till he was cast ashore by the same animal. It was God that had prepared the great fish. It was the Lord that spake to the fish, and caused it to vomit Jonah upon the dry land. ALL is miracle.

Verses 1, 2. Then Jonah prayed — Those devout thoughts and feelings which he had at that time, he afterward digested into the following prayer, and added a thanksgiving for his deliverance at the end of it. So several of David’s Psalms were probably composed after his trouble was over; but in a manner suitable 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: see Psalm 54. and 120. And he heard me — He thanks God that, in consequence of his prayer, his life is wonderfully preserved. Out of the belly of hell cried I — The word lwav signifies the state of the dead. So it may most properly be rendered the grave here, as the margin reads: the belly of the fish was to Jonah instead of a grave.

Verse 1 is the introduction, indicating the circumstances under which the prayer was offered. The prayer itself opens with an acknowledgment that Jehovah heard the petition offered in distress and wrought the petitioner’s deliverance (2). After repeated figurative descriptions of the danger and distress into which he had been plunged, he glorifies Jehovah for the salvation wrought (3-6). The supplicant closes with the assurance that he will not forget the divine mercy but will forever praise Jehovah, the author of all deliverance (7-9). The prayer consists for the most part of reminiscences from the Psalms (see Introduction, p. 335).

1. Prayed — The verb is used here in the wider sense of any turning of the heart toward God, whether in supplication or praise (1 Samuel 2:1). At what period of his imprisonment Jonah is thought to have offered the prayer is not stated; Jonah 2:10, would seem to imply, however, that it was toward the close. His God — Before (Jonah 1:3), he tried to escape from Jehovah’s presence; now, in danger of his life, he is driven to appeal to him as his God.

V. 2. Affliction-Straits with which he was encompassed, his body and mind being both shut up, the one by the monstrous dungeon of the fish’s belly, and the other by the terrors of the Almighty. Heardest my voice-Of which undoubtedly God gave him an assurance in his own soul.

Verse 2. Out of the belly of hell] Among the Hebrews lwav sheol means the grave, any deep pit, the place of separate spirits, &c. Here the prophet represents himself as in the bottom of the sea; for so sheol must be understood in this place.

Verses 1, 2. Then Jonah prayed — Those devout thoughts and feelings which he had at that time, he afterward digested into the following prayer, and added a thanksgiving for his deliverance at the end of it. So several of David’s Psalms were probably composed after his trouble was over; but in a manner suitable 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: see Psalm 54. and 120. And he heard me — He thanks God that, in consequence of his prayer, his life is wonderfully preserved. Out of the belly of hell cried I — The word lwav signifies the state of the dead. So it may most properly be rendered the grave here, as the margin reads: the belly of the fish was to Jonah instead of a grave.

2. I cried… he heard — R.V., “I called… he answered.” The tenses indicate that both the petition and the reply are experiences of the past (verse 6). By reason of mine affliction — Better, R.V. margin, “out of mine affliction”; which is further described in 3ff. Belly of hell — R.V., “Sheol.” On the latter see on Hosea 13:14. It is frequently pictured as a ravenous beast, with a greedy appetite (Proverbs 30:16; Habakkuk 2:5), with a wide-open mouth (Isaiah 5:14). Here a belly is given to it, which may have been suggested by the belly of the fish. As in Psalm 18:5; 30:3, Sheol is a poetic picture for the dangers of death, from which there seems no escape. With 2a compare Psalm 120:1, or 18:6; with 2b compare Psalm 18:5.

Verse 3. All thy billows and thy waves passed over me.] This may be understood literally; while the fish, in whose belly he was, sought its pleasure or sustenance in the paths of the deep, the waves and billows of the sea were rolling above. This line seems borrowed from Psalm 42:7.

Verse 3 describes the affliction from which came deliverance. For thou hadst cast — Literally, And thou didst cast. This can hardly be interpreted as giving the reason for the thanksgiving. Better, Yea, thou didst cast. This is a perfectly possible translation. It certainly is not necessary to suppose that a clause has dropped out. In the case of Jonah, Jehovah was the real author of the calamity (Jonah 1:14; compare also 1:4, and the references there). Deep,… midst of the seas;… floods… billows… waves — Taken in connection with the experiences of Jonah these terms might all be interpreted literally. On the other hand, in the psalm literature, these or similar terms are used figuratively of the depths of trouble and distress. The “midst (R.V., “heart”) of the seas” (for plural compare G.-K., 124a), which defines “deep,” is the bottom of the sea (Exodus 15:5; Micah 7:19). Floods — Literally, river; the currents of the sea (Psalm 24:2). Thy — Jehovah made them (Jonah 1:9) and controls them (Psalm 18:4, 5). For the last clause compare especially Psalm 42:7.

V. 4. I said-With myself, I thought in the midst of my fears and sufferings. Cast out-Cut off from all hope of life, and as it were forgotten of God. I will look-Toward heaven.

Verse 4. I am cast out of thy sight] See Psalm 31:22. Thy holy temple.] Then Jerusalem was not yet destroyed, for the temple was standing.

Verses 4-7. Then I said, I am cast out, &c. — “My first apprehensions were, that as I had justly forfeited thy favour by my disobedience, so thou wouldest cast me out of thy protection; yet, upon recollecting myself, I thought it my duty not to despair of thy mercy, but direct my prayer toward thy heavenly habitation.” — Lowth. The waters compassed me even to the soul — Or life; that is, to the extreme hazard of my life; and I thought of nothing more than losing my life among the waves. I went, &c. — I went down to the bottom of the sea, where the foundations of the mountains lie. Or, the fish carried me down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me — I found myself enclosed on every side, without any way for escape; and should have been enclosed for ever, had not thy power interposed. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption — But, notwithstanding it was involved in all these terrible circumstances, which seemed to preclude all possibility of its being preserved, yet thou, O my God, by thy power didst save my life from destruction. When my soul fainted within me — When I seemed just expiring, and lost all hopes of being preserved; I remembered the Lord — I thought of thy almighty power and boundless mercy, O Jehovah, who causest to be whatsoever thou willest; and my prayer came in unto thee — And therefore I addressed my prayer to thee, as being persuaded that thou couldest still preserve me, even in the most extreme dangers; and my faith was not disappointed; for I found, by the event, that thou couldest deliver me, as I believed thou wast able to do.

Verse 4. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight. After what we have heard of the misguided and offending conduct of Jonah, we need not wonder to find him sinking into deep dejection and distress. He is now in the stomach of the fish, at the bottom of the mountains, crying to the Lord, while his reflections upon his past conduct are filling him with the bitterest anguish. He was an Israelite, but now cast away, and fearing it will be his lot to die among the heathen, where no eye will pity him. He was a prophet, an ambassador of the Lord of hosts, but is now cast off and rejected, and God will employ him no more. He had enjoyed communion with heaven, and cherished the hope of eternal life; yet he now finds himself “in the belly of hell.” Poor Jonah—what a situation, and to what a length did his fears lead him. All this he said: but happily for him it was not so. It was the language of his fears, which had brought him to this extremity. The Lord had not cast him off, though he was cast into the sea, and would in due time send him deliverance.

Good men in all ages are as much distinguished by their fears as by their hopes, by what they deprecate as by what they possess and enjoy. The unhappy prophet is distressed by the thought of banishment from God. I said, I am cast out of thy sight. I must see his face no more. He was in effect cast out of the world, and out of the sight of men. This however did not so much affect him: but oh, I am cast out of thy sight! This to a pious mind is the greatest of all conceivable ills, the very essence of misery itself, and can nohow be estimated but by the love of God having been shed abroad in the heart.

Yet will I look again toward thy holy temple. Perilous as was his situation, and great as had been his misconduct, he would still indulge a little hope, and once more look towards the temple, the altar, and the mercy seat sprinkled with atoning blood. Praying towards the temple, when in distant lands and in deep distress, had the promise of acceptance; thither therefore would he direct his groans and his sighs. 1 Kings 8:38, 39. This was not the first time that Jonah had looked for mercy from the bleeding altar, and he was therefore now encouraged to look again, hoping it might not be in vain. He who has once tried this means of relief will try it again: and oh how good it is, not to be a stranger to prayer, but to know where to look and what to do in a time of trouble. Jesus is now to us all that the temple and the altar were to the Hebrews; he is the true propitiatory, able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.

4. Two emotions struggled within the supplicant. At first despair seized him. Cast out — He thought Jehovah had no further interest in him or care for him (Psalm 31:22). But the despondency was only temporary. He determined, even in his apparently hopeless condition, to appeal to Jehovah (verse 7). Look again toward thy holy temple — The position of prayer (1 Kings 8:38; Psalm 5:7). On holy see on Joel 2:1; Zechariah 14:20. The temple in Jerusalem is the earthly dwelling place of Jehovah. The words do not necessarily express the expectation that the supplicant will be delivered and that after the deliverance he will “look toward the temple.” Even now, from the midst of the danger, in spite of the apparent hopelessness of the situation, he will again, as in times past, lift up his heart in prayer. There is no reason for changing 4b so as to read, “How can I again look toward thy holy temple?”

V. 5. The weeds-It seems to mean, my case was as hopeless as that of a man wrapt about with weeds in the depth of the sea.

Verse 5. The waters compassed me about even to the soul] So as to seem to deprive me of life. I had no hope left.

The weeds were wrapped about my head.] This may be understood literally also. He found himself in the fish’s stomach, together with sea weeds, and such like marine substances, which the fish had taken for its aliment.

Verses 4-7. Then I said, I am cast out, &c. — “My first apprehensions were, that as I had justly forfeited thy favour by my disobedience, so thou wouldest cast me out of thy protection; yet, upon recollecting myself, I thought it my duty not to despair of thy mercy, but direct my prayer toward thy heavenly habitation.” — Lowth. The waters compassed me even to the soul — Or life; that is, to the extreme hazard of my life; and I thought of nothing more than losing my life among the waves. I went, &c. — I went down to the bottom of the sea, where the foundations of the mountains lie. Or, the fish carried me down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me — I found myself enclosed on every side, without any way for escape; and should have been enclosed for ever, had not thy power interposed. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption — But, notwithstanding it was involved in all these terrible circumstances, which seemed to preclude all possibility of its being preserved, yet thou, O my God, by thy power didst save my life from destruction. When my soul fainted within me — When I seemed just expiring, and lost all hopes of being preserved; I remembered the Lord — I thought of thy almighty power and boundless mercy, O Jehovah, who causest to be whatsoever thou willest; and my prayer came in unto thee — And therefore I addressed my prayer to thee, as being persuaded that thou couldest still preserve me, even in the most extreme dangers; and my faith was not disappointed; for I found, by the event, that thou couldest deliver me, as I believed thou wast able to do.

Ver. 5. The weeds were wrapped about my head. The prophet was some time in the seas before his deliverance came.

Verse 5 continues the description of the deadly peril. Even to the soul — The most vital part; it seems all over with him (Psalm 18:4, 5; 69:1; for the second line compare Psalm 69:2). The weeds were wrapped about my head — The sea grass grows at the bottom. Another indication, therefore, of the depth of trouble to which the petitioner has sunk (verse 3). Wellhausen calls attention to the fact that sea grass does not grow in the belly of a fish.

V. 6. I went down-The fish carried him down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. With her bars-I seemed to be imprisoned where the bars that secured were as durable as the rocks, which they were made of. Yet-By what was first my danger, thou hast wonderfully secured me. From corruption-Or the pit, a description of the state of the dead. O Lord-In the assurance of faith, he speaks of the thing as already done.

Verse 6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains] This also may be literally understood. The fish followed the slanting base of the mountains, till they terminated in a plain at the bottom of the great deep. The earth with her bars] He represents himself as a prisoner in a dungeon, closed in with bars which he could not remove, and which at first appeared to be for ever, i.e., the place where his life must terminate. Yet hast thou brought up my life] The substance of this poetic prayer was composed while in the fish’s belly; but afterwards the prophet appears to have thrown it into its present poetic form, and to have added some circumstances, such as that before us; for he now speaks of his deliverance from this imminent danger of death. “Thou hast brought up my life from corruption.”

Verses 4-7. Then I said, I am cast out, &c. — “My first apprehensions were, that as I had justly forfeited thy favour by my disobedience, so thou wouldest cast me out of thy protection; yet, upon recollecting myself, I thought it my duty not to despair of thy mercy, but direct my prayer toward thy heavenly habitation.” — Lowth. The waters compassed me even to the soul — Or life; that is, to the extreme hazard of my life; and I thought of nothing more than losing my life among the waves. I went, &c. — I went down to the bottom of the sea, where the foundations of the mountains lie. Or, the fish carried me down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me — I found myself enclosed on every side, without any way for escape; and should have been enclosed for ever, had not thy power interposed. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption — But, notwithstanding it was involved in all these terrible circumstances, which seemed to preclude all possibility of its being preserved, yet thou, O my God, by thy power didst save my life from destruction. When my soul fainted within me — When I seemed just expiring, and lost all hopes of being preserved; I remembered the Lord — I thought of thy almighty power and boundless mercy, O Jehovah, who causest to be whatsoever thou willest; and my prayer came in unto thee — And therefore I addressed my prayer to thee, as being persuaded that thou couldest still preserve me, even in the most extreme dangers; and my faith was not disappointed; for I found, by the event, that thou couldest deliver me, as I believed thou wast able to do.

6. The bottoms of the mountains — Literally, the cuttings off; the extreme ends. The mountains are thought of as extending their roots to the bottom of the sea (Psalm 18:5). The earth with her bars was about me — Literally, as to the earth, her bars were behind me. He thinks himself cast out from the earth; the earth has put down the bars so as to make return to the dry land impossible forever. The comparison is with a city whose gates are barred so that no one can enter. Marti reads 6a, “I went down to the nether parts of the earth, to the people of old time”; that is, the people who died in ancient times (Ezekiel 26:20; 32:18, 24); in other words, to Sheol.

The depth of affliction and the deadly character of the peril make the deliverance the more wonderful. To this deliverance the singer now turns. Yet hast thou brought up my life — Thou hast brought me up alive, in spite of the apparent hopelessness. From corruption — R.V., “from the pit.” The former is the meaning given to the word by the ancient versions, but R.V. is to be preferred. The word is practically synonymous with Sheol (verse 2; Psalm 30:3, 9). Jehovah my God — See on verse 1.

V. 7. Thine holy temple-Heaven, the temple of his glory, whence God gives the command for his delivery.

Verse 7. When my soul fainted] When I had given up all hope of life. My prayer came in unto thee] Here prayer is personified, and is represented as a messenger going from the distressed, and entering into the temple of God, and standing before him. This is a very fine and delicate image. This clause is one of those which I suppose the prophet to have added when he penned this prayer.

Verses 4-7. Then I said, I am cast out, &c. — “My first apprehensions were, that as I had justly forfeited thy favour by my disobedience, so thou wouldest cast me out of thy protection; yet, upon recollecting myself, I thought it my duty not to despair of thy mercy, but direct my prayer toward thy heavenly habitation.” — Lowth. The waters compassed me even to the soul — Or life; that is, to the extreme hazard of my life; and I thought of nothing more than losing my life among the waves. I went, &c. — I went down to the bottom of the sea, where the foundations of the mountains lie. Or, the fish carried me down as deep in the sea as are the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me — I found myself enclosed on every side, without any way for escape; and should have been enclosed for ever, had not thy power interposed. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption — But, notwithstanding it was involved in all these terrible circumstances, which seemed to preclude all possibility of its being preserved, yet thou, O my God, by thy power didst save my life from destruction. When my soul fainted within me — When I seemed just expiring, and lost all hopes of being preserved; I remembered the Lord — I thought of thy almighty power and boundless mercy, O Jehovah, who causest to be whatsoever thou willest; and my prayer came in unto thee — And therefore I addressed my prayer to thee, as being persuaded that thou couldest still preserve me, even in the most extreme dangers; and my faith was not disappointed; for I found, by the event, that thou couldest deliver me, as I believed thou wast able to do.

Verse 7 goes back to verse 4, calling attention once more to the conflicting emotions while in the midst of danger. My soul fainted — Literally, was overwhelmed; became exhausted (Psalm 142:3; 143:4). I remembered — When about ready to give up the struggle he thought of Jehovah, and decided to appeal to him (4), and his prayer was heard (Psalm 18:6; 5:7).

V. 8. They-Whoever they are that depend upon idols. Mercy-The Lord, who is to all that depend upon him, the fountain of living waters; who is an eternal fountain of mercy, and flows freely to all that wait for him.

Verse 8. They that observe lying vanities] They that trust in idols, follow vain predictions, permit themselves to be influenced with foolish fears, so as to induce them to leave the path of obvious duty, forsake their own mercy. In leaving that God who is the Fountain of mercy, they abandon that measure of mercy which he had treasured up for them.

Verses 8, 9. They that observe lying vanities, &c. — They that seek to, or trust in, idols, (often called by the names of vanity and lies,) forsake their own mercy — Forsake him who alone is able to show mercy to them, and preserve them in time of danger: who, to all that depend upon him, is an eternal fountain of mercy, even a fountain of living waters which flow freely to all that seek unto him for them. But I will sacrifice unto thee, &c. — I will offer to thee those thanks which I solemnly promised to pay in the time of my trouble, and which will be as acceptable to thee as the sacrifices of slain beasts.

8, 9. The wonderful deliverance has taught the singer a lesson. Whatever others may do, he will remain loyal to Jehovah, the God of his deliverance. The main thought is expressed in verse 9; verse 8 serves to emphasize the determination of the speaker. They that observe [“regard”] lying vanities — All who pay homage to idols and put their trust in them

(Deuteronomy 32:21; Psalm 31:6; compare Hosea 10:10). The idols are called “lying vanities” because they are ever disappointing those putting their trust in them. Forsake their own mercy — Forsake Him who is their mercy, or who alone can show them mercy. The same word is translated in Psalm 144:2, “loving-kindness” (see on Hosea 2:19). From Jehovah and from manifestations of his mercy they foolishly cut themselves off. Not so the psalmist; he will seek to retain the divine favor by meeting all his obligations to Jehovah. This determination is based upon his past experience of the power and mercy of his God. Marti thinks that before verse 9 two lines have fallen out, and he supplies, “But I trust in thee, Jehovah, my saviour” (Psalm 31:6). Sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving — He will offer his sacrifices with expressions of praise and thanksgiving (Psalm 42:4). Pay that that I have vowed — While in distress (Psalm 50:14, 23). Nothing is said in the rest of the prayer or in the narrative of a vow made by Jonah (compare the vow of the sailors, 1:16). Salvation is of Jehovah — “The sum and substance of the whole hymn” (Psalm 3:8). Jehovah alone can deliver; therefore in him he will trust forever. On verse 10 see after comments on Jonah 1:17.

V. 9. Vowed-Which probably was to go to Nineveh, and preach what God commanded him. The Lord-He only can save.

Verse 9. But I will sacrifice unto thee] I will make a sincere vow, which, as soon as my circumstances will permit, I will faithfully execute; and therefore he adds, “I will pay that which I have vowed.” Salvation is of the Lord.] All deliverance from danger, preservation of life, recovery from sickness, and redemption of the soul from the power, guilt, and pollution of sin, is from Jehovah. He alone is the Saviour, he alone is the Deliverer; for all salvation is from the Lord.

Verses 8, 9. They that observe lying vanities, &c. — They that seek to, or trust in, idols, (often called by the names of vanity and lies,) forsake their own mercy — Forsake him who alone is able to show mercy to them, and preserve them in time of danger: who, to all that depend upon him, is an eternal fountain of mercy, even a fountain of living waters which flow freely to all that seek unto him for them. But I will sacrifice unto thee, &c. — I will offer to thee those thanks which I solemnly promised to pay in the time of my trouble, and which will be as acceptable to thee as the sacrifices of slain beasts.

Ver. 9. I will pay that which I have vowed; a sacrifice in Jerusalem with thanksgiving; for he knew when he composed this eloquent song that God would save him.

8, 9. The wonderful deliverance has taught the singer a lesson. Whatever others may do, he will remain loyal to Jehovah, the God of his deliverance. The main thought is expressed in verse 9; verse 8 serves to emphasize the determination of the speaker. They that observe [“regard”] lying vanities — All who pay homage to idols and put their trust in them

(Deuteronomy 32:21; Psalm 31:6; compare Hosea 10:10). The idols are called “lying vanities” because they are ever disappointing those putting their trust in them. Forsake their own mercy — Forsake Him who is their mercy, or who alone can show them mercy. The same word is translated in Psalm 144:2, “loving-kindness” (see on Hosea 2:19). From Jehovah and from manifestations of his mercy they foolishly cut themselves off. Not so the psalmist; he will seek to retain the divine favor by meeting all his obligations to Jehovah. This determination is based upon his past experience of the power and mercy of his God. Marti thinks that before verse 9 two lines have fallen out, and he supplies, “But I trust in thee, Jehovah, my saviour” (Psalm 31:6). Sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving — He will offer his sacrifices with expressions of praise and thanksgiving (Psalm 42:4). Pay that that I have vowed — While in distress (Psalm 50:14, 23). Nothing is said in the rest of the prayer or in the narrative of a vow made by Jonah (compare the vow of the sailors, 1:16). Salvation is of Jehovah — “The sum and substance of the whole hymn” (Psalm 3:8). Jehovah alone can deliver; therefore in him he will trust forever. On verse 10 see after comments on Jonah 1:17.

V. 10. Spake-Though fishes understand not as man, yet they have ears to hear their Creator.

Verse 10. And the Lord spake unto the fish] That is, by his influence the fish swam to shore, and cast Jonah on the dry land. So the whole was a miracle from the beginning to the end; and we need not perplex ourselves to find out literal interpretations; such as, “When Jonah was thrown overboard he swam for his life, earnestly praying God to preserve him from drowning; and by his providence he was thrown into a place of fish—a fishing cove, where he was for a time entangled among the weeds, and hardly escaped with his life; and when safe, he composed this poetic prayer, in metaphorical language, which some have wrongly interpreted, by supposing that he was swallowed by a fish; when gd dag should have been understood, as a place of fish, or fishing creek,” &c. Now I say the original has no such meaning in the Bible: and this gloss is plainly contrary to the letter of the text; to all sober and rational modes of interpretation; and to the express purpose for which God appears to have wrought this miracle, and to which Jesus Christ himself applies it. For as Jonah was intended for a sign to the Jews of the resurrection of Christ, they were to have the proof of this semiosis, in his lying as long in the heart of the earth as the prophet was in the belly of the fish; and all interpretations of this kind go to deny both the sign and the thing signified. Some men, because they cannot work a miracle themselves, can hardly be persuaded that GOD can do it.

The text, and the use made of it by Christ, most plainly teach us that the prophet was literally swallowed by a fish, by the order of God; and that by the Divine power he was preserved alive, for what is called three days and three nights, in the stomach of the fish; and at the conclusion of the above time that same fish was led by the unseen power of God to the shore, and there compelled to eject the prey that he could neither kill nor digest. And how easy is all this to the almighty power of the Author and Sustainer of life, who has a sovereign, omnipresent, and energetic sway in the heavens and in the earth. But foolish man will affect to be wise; though, in such cases, he appears as the recently born, stupid offspring of the wild ass. It is bad to follow fancy, where there is so much at stake. Both ancients and moderns have grievously trifled with this prophet’s narrative; merely because they could not rationally account for the thing, and were unwilling (and why?) to allow any miraculous interference.

JONAH

Verse 10. And the Lord — This should rather have been rendered, For the Lord; because what follows was not done after the preceding thanksgiving, but before it; and it is mentioned here only to show the cause or subject of the thanksgiving. The Lord spake unto the fish, &c. — God’s almighty power is represented in Scripture as bringing things to pass by his bare will and command: see Genesis 1:3. He willed that the fish should cast Jonah up on the dry land, and the fish did so. Various are the traditions of the Orientals respecting the place where Jonah was disembogued; but, as Calmet well observes, amidst such doubt and obscurity, the best part is absolute silence, and the sincere declaration that the matter is entirely unknown. “The fame of Jonah’s deliverance appears to have spread among the heathen nations; and the Greeks, who were accustomed to adore the memory of their heroes by every remarkable event and embellishment which they could appropriate, added to the fictitious adventures of Hercules, that of his having continued three days, without injury, in the belly of a dog, sent against him by Neptune.” — Gray’s Key. Huetius (Demonst. Evang., Prop. 4) supposes that Jonah’s deliverance from the whale’s belly gave occasion to the Greek story of Arion, who, after he was cast into the sea, was conveyed by a dolphin to the port of Corinth.