To the roots of the mountains I descended;This phrase captures Jonah's experience of being swallowed by the great fish and descending into the depths of the sea. The "roots of the mountains" metaphorically describe the ocean floor, emphasizing the depth and isolation Jonah felt. In ancient Near Eastern cosmology, the mountains were considered the pillars of the earth, and their roots were thought to extend into the underworld. This imagery highlights Jonah's dire situation, akin to being in Sheol, the realm of the dead. The descent can also be seen as a type of Christ's death and burial, as Jesus referenced Jonah's experience in
Matthew 12:40, drawing a parallel to His own time in the tomb.
the earth beneath me barred me in forever!
Jonah's feeling of being trapped is expressed through the imagery of the earth barring him in. This suggests a sense of finality and hopelessness, as if he were imprisoned with no escape. The use of "forever" underscores the severity of his plight, though it was not literally eternal. This reflects the ancient belief in Sheol as a place of no return. Theologically, it illustrates the consequences of disobedience and the separation from God that sin brings. However, it also sets the stage for divine intervention, as God often delivers His people from seemingly impossible situations, as seen in the Exodus narrative.
But You raised my life from the pit,
This turning point in Jonah's prayer signifies divine deliverance. The "pit" is another term for Sheol, symbolizing death and despair. God's intervention in raising Jonah parallels the resurrection theme found throughout Scripture, where God brings life from death. This act of salvation prefigures Christ's resurrection, where God raised Jesus from the dead, conquering sin and death. It also echoes the psalms, such asPsalm 40:2, where God lifts the psalmist from the "miry clay" and sets him on solid ground, demonstrating God's power to save and restore.
O LORD my God!
Jonah's acknowledgment of God as "LORD" (Yahweh) and "my God" reflects a personal relationship and recognition of God's sovereignty and faithfulness. This declaration is significant, as it shows Jonah's return to faith and trust in God despite his earlier rebellion. The use of "LORD" connects to the covenant name of God, reminding readers of His promises and steadfast love. This personal address is a common feature in the Psalms, where the psalmists often cry out to God in times of distress, reaffirming their trust in His deliverance and mercy.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JonahA prophet of God who initially fled from God's command to go to Nineveh, resulting in his being swallowed by a great fish.
2.
The Roots of the MountainsSymbolic language used by Jonah to describe the depths of the sea, emphasizing the severity of his situation.
3.
The PitRepresents Sheol or the grave, a place of despair and separation from life, illustrating Jonah's dire circumstances.
4.
The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, highlighting His personal relationship with Jonah and His power to save.
5.
The Great FishThe creature appointed by God to swallow Jonah, serving as both a means of judgment and salvation.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in SalvationJonah's deliverance from the depths illustrates God's power to save, even in seemingly hopeless situations.
Repentance and RestorationJonah's prayer from the belly of the fish demonstrates the importance of turning back to God in times of distress.
The Depths of DespairLike Jonah, believers may find themselves in deep trials, but God's presence and power can lift them from the "pit."
Symbolism of ResurrectionJonah's experience prefigures the resurrection, offering hope of new life through God's intervention.
God's FaithfulnessDespite Jonah's initial disobedience, God remains faithful to His purposes and His people, offering redemption and a second chance.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Jonah 2:6?
2.How does Jonah 2:6 illustrate God's power to deliver from dire situations?
3.What does "brought my life up from the pit" teach about God's redemption?
4.How can Jonah's experience in 2:6 deepen our trust in God's faithfulness?
5.Connect Jonah 2:6 with another Bible story of deliverance and redemption.
6.How can Jonah 2:6 inspire us to pray during our own struggles?
7.How does Jonah 2:6 illustrate God's power over life and death?
8.What historical evidence supports Jonah's experience in the fish?
9.How does Jonah 2:6 relate to themes of redemption and salvation?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Jonah 2?
11.What are the earth's depths?
12.(2 Chronicles 7:16) How do we reconcile God’s statement that His Name would dwell in the temple “forever” with the destruction of that temple in subsequent history?
13.If Jonah sank into the depths, how was he not crushed by water pressure or drowned? (Jonah 2:3–6)
14.How could Jonah physically survive inside a fish for three days without being digested or suffocating? (Jonah 2:1)What Does Jonah 2:6 Mean
To the roots of the mountains I descended- Jonah is speaking literally about being carried by the great fish to the deepest parts of the sea. Scripture presents the event as historical (Jonah 1:17;Matthew 12:40).
- “Roots of the mountains” pictures the very base of the land masses, where they meet the sea-bed. Similar language shows God’s dominion even there (Psalm 95:4-5).
- The prophet’s words echo other cries from extreme depths:
•Psalm 69:1-2 — “the deep waters” over David’s head
•Psalm 130:1 — “Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD”
- By acknowledging how far down he has gone, Jonah concedes that no human effort can reach him; only God can.
the earth beneath me barred me in forever- The imagery of “bars” suggests the locked gates of Sheol (Job 17:16;Isaiah 38:10). He feels death is permanent and inescapable.
- Notice the word “forever.” From a human viewpoint his situation is final, matchingPsalm 88:4-8 where the psalmist is “shut in” and cannot escape.
- God sometimes lets His servants feel the full weight of consequences (Psalm 107:10-12). Jonah’s confinement under the sea reminds us that sin can imprison, but it also sets the stage for grace.
But You raised my life from the pit- The turning point begins with “But.” Divine intervention overrides what seemed “forever.”
- “The pit” regularly refers to the realm of the dead (Psalm 30:3;Psalm 103:4). God’s rescue is, in effect, a resurrection preview, foreshadowing Christ’s victory (Acts 2:24-27).
- Practical takeaways:
• No place is too remote for God’s hand (Psalm 139:7-10).
• God delights to reverse hopeless verdicts (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).
• Deliverance follows repentance; Jonah’s heart turned toward the LORD inside the fish (Jonah 2:1-2).
O LORD my God!- The covenant name “LORD” (Yahweh) and the personal pronoun “my” stress relationship. Jonah re-asserts belonging to the God he had tried to flee (Jonah 1:3).
- Similar affirmations appear inPsalm 31:14 andHabakkuk 3:18, where trust rises even in distress.
- The phrase shows worship springing from experience: the deeper the pit, the higher the praise (Psalm 40:1-3).
summaryJonah 2:6 moves from hopeless depth to triumphant deliverance. He literally descended to the ocean floor, felt death’s bars lock shut, yet the LORD shattered those bars and lifted him out. The verse teaches that God’s reach extends beneath mountains, beyond graves, and into any prison sin or circumstance builds. When believers repent and call on “the LORD my God,” He still raises lives from the pit.
(6)
Bottoms of the mountains.--Literally,
ends or
cuttings off, as, in margin. So the Vulg.
extrema montium. Mountains were in the Hebrew conception the pillars of the world (see
Job 9:6;
Job 26:11), having their foundations firmly planted in the sea. These "hidden bases of the hills" were therefore the verge of the earth itself, and one lost among them would be close on the under-world of death.
The earth with her bars . . .--Literally,the earth her bars behind me for ever; i.e., the earth's gates were closed upon me for ever, there was no possibility of return. The metaphor of a gateway tosheol is common (Isaiah 38:10, &c.), but the earth is nowhere else said to be so guarded. Ewald therefore proposes to readsheol here. But it is quite as natural to imagine a guarded passage out of the land of the living as into the land of the dead.
Corruption.--Rather,pit. (See Note,Psalm 16:10.)
Verse 6. -
The bottoms of the mountains; literally,
the cuttings off, where the mountains seem to be cut off by the ocean floor; the roots of the mountains.
Αἰς σχισμὰςὀρέων, "the clefts of the mountains" (Sop-tuagint);
Psalm 18:15.
The earth with her bars; as
for the earth, her bars were about me; return to it was shut out for me; the gate by which I might return was locked behind me. He adds, forever, as it was to all appearance, because he had no power in himself of returning to earth and life.
Yet; in spite of all, I am preserved.
From corruption (
shachath); as
Job 17:14;
de corruptione (Vulgate); so the Chaldee and Syriac; Septuagint,
Ἀναβήτω ἐκ φθορᾶς ἡ ζωή μου (Alex.),
Ἀναβήτω φθορὰ ζωῆς μου (Vatican), "Let my life arise from destruction;" or, "Let the destruction of my life [
i.e. my destroyed life] arise." Jerome refers the word to the digestive process in the fish's stomach; it is probably merely a synonym for "death." The marginal rendering, "the pit,"
i.e. Sheol, is also etymologically correct (comp.
Psalm 30:3).
My God. He thankfully acknowledges that Jehovah has proved himself a beneficent God to him.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
To the rootsלְקִצְבֵ֤י(lə·qiṣ·ḇê)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7095:A cut, shape, extremityof the mountainsהָרִים֙(hā·rîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022:Mountain, hill, hill countryI descended;יָרַ֔דְתִּי(yā·raḏ·tî)Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3381:To come or go down, descendthe earthהָאָ֛רֶץ(hā·’ā·reṣ)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, landbeneath meבַעֲדִ֖י(ḇa·‘ă·ḏî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 1157:In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, forbarred me inבְּרִחֶ֥יהָ(bə·ri·ḥe·hā)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1280:A boltforever!לְעוֹלָ֑ם(lə·‘ō·w·lām)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, alwaysBut You raisedוַתַּ֧עַל(wat·ta·‘al)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5927:To ascend, in, activelymy lifeחַיַּ֖י(ḥay·yay)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2416:Alive, raw, fresh, strong, lifefrom the pit,מִשַּׁ֛חַת(miš·ša·ḥaṯ)Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7845:A pit, destructionO LORDיְהוָ֥ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelmy God!אֱלֹהָֽי׃(’ĕ·lō·hāy)Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative
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OT Prophets: Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms (Jon. Jh) 
