Bible Commentaries

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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