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Grow With Me

Jonah 2:1–2

Jonah prays from inside the fish, and God hears him

1Then Jonah prayed to YHWH his Elohim from the inner parts of the fish,

2and he said, “I called out of my distress to YHWH, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried for help, and you heard my voice.

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…

3You cast me into the depths, into the heart of the seas, and the current surrounded me; all your breakers and your waves passed over me.

4And I said, ‘I have been driven away from before your eyes; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’

Read all of Jonah 2

Its words in the original

  • יִּתְפַּלֵּלyitpalel· pray

    Pray, intercede: speak with God, often asking on behalf of another; also judge.

  • יוֹנָהyona· Jonah

    Jonah. A personal name meaning "dove." Prophet, son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher, in the time of Jeroboam son of Joash (2 Kings 14:25); the same as in the book of Jonah.

  • יְהוָהyehva· YHWH

    The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

  • אֱלֹהָיelohay· Elohim, God, gods

    The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.

  • מְּעֵיmee· inward parts, womb

    Inward parts, belly. "One who comes from your inward parts" is one's own child. Figuratively, the seat of feeling.

  • דָּגָהdaga· fish

    Fish; everything that lives in the water (a collective word).

  • יֹּאמֶרyomer· say

    Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

  • קָרָאתִיkarati· call, proclaim

    Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.

  • צָּרָהtsara· distress

    Distress, trouble, anguish; also a rival wife.

  • יַּעֲנֵyaane· answer

    Answer, reply; also speak up, testify, or sing in response.

  • בֶּטֶןbeten· womb, belly

    Belly; the mother's womb; the inner part of a person.

  • שְׁאוֹלsheol· Sheol

    Sheol: in the Old Testament, the place of the dead, the grave, where all go down at death.

  • שִׁוַּעְתִּיshivati· cry for help

    To cry out for help, to call aloud to be rescued.

  • שָׁמַעְתָּshamata· hear, listen, obey

    Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.

  • קוֹלִkoli· voice, sound

    Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).

Prayer