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We left Jonah in the belly of the fish, and had reason to think we should hear no more of him, that if he were not destroyed by the waters of the sea he would be consumed in the bowels of that leviathan, "out of whose mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire, and whose breath kindles coals," Job 41:19,21. But God brings his people through fire, and through water (Ps 66:12); and by his power, behold, Jonah the prophet is yet alive, and is heard of again. In this chapter God hears from him, for we find him praying; in the next Nineveh hears from him, for we find him preaching. In his prayer we have, I. The great distress and danger he was in, Jon 2:2,3,5,6. II. The despair he was thereby almost reduced to, Jon 2:4. III. The encouragement he took to himself, in this deplorable condition, Jon 2:4,7. IV. The assurance he had of God's favour to him, Jon 2:6,7. V. The warning and instruction he gives to others, Jon 2:8. VI. The praise and glory of all given to God, Jon 2:9. In the Jon 2:10 we have Jonah's deliverance out of the belly of the fish, and his coming safe and sound upon dry land again.
1-9
Jonah's Prayer; The Prophet in the Fish's Belly (840 BC)
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約拿的禱告；先知在魚腹中（主前840年）
¹ 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的神，
² 說：我遭遇患難求告耶和華，你就應允我；從陰間的深處呼求，你就俯聽我的聲音。
³ 你將我投下深海，在大水的深處；大水環繞我，你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。
⁴ 我說：我從你眼前雖被驅逐，我仍要仰望你的聖殿。
⁵ 諸水環繞我，幾乎淹沒我；深淵圍住我；海草纏繞我的頭。
⁶ 我下到山根，地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華我的神啊，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。
⁷ 我心在我裏面發昏的時候，我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿，達到你的面前。
⁸ 那信奉虛無之神的人，離棄憐愛他們的主；
⁹ 但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭與你。我所許的願，我必償還。救恩出於耶和華。
神和他的僕人約拿曾在怒氣中分離，而這爭執是由約拿這邊發起的；他逃離本國，為要躲避他的職事；但我們盼望看見他們二人再次和好，而這和好是由神那邊開始的。在前章末了，我們看見神以憐憫的方式轉向約拿，搭救他免得下坑，已經找到了贖價；在本章，我們看見約拿以盡本分的方式轉向神；在前章他蒙召向他的神禱告，但我們沒有被告知他是否這樣行了；然而，如今他終於被帶到這地步。如今請觀察以下各點，
I. 他何時禱告（Jon 2:1）：那時約拿禱告；那時就是當他身處患難之中，在罪的感悟之下，並在神因罪向他不悅的記號之下，那時他才禱告。注意，我們在患難中必須禱告；那時我們才有理由禱告，那時我們在施恩寶座前才有當辦的事務；那時，若還有任何時候，我們才會有禱告的意願，因為心已被降卑、柔軟、變得莊重；那時神也期望我們如此行（他們在患難的時候必切切地尋求我，誠懇地尋求我）；並且，縱然我們的患難是因自己的罪而招致，只要我們以謙卑和敬虔的誠實禱告，就必如約拿一樣在施恩寶座前蒙悅納。那時，就是當他處於有望得拯救的路上，因神蹟般地保全了性命，這清楚表明他是為進一步的憐憫而存留，那時他才禱告。領悟神對我們的善意——儘管我們得罪了他——就賜我們坦然無懼地親近他的膽量，並使那因罪咎感和對震怒的恐懼而閉塞的嘴唇在禱告中開啟。
II. 他在何處禱告——在魚腹中。沒有任何地方不適宜禱告。我願男人隨處禱告。無論神將我們安置何處，只要不是我們自己的過失，我們都能找到一條通向天上的路。從地上任何一處到天上的路程都是一樣的。那以信心使基督居住在心中的人，無論往何處去，都帶著祭壇同行，這祭壇使禮物成聖，他自己就是一座活殿。約拿在此被囚禁；魚腹就是他的監牢，對他而言是一座密閉黑暗的土牢；然而他在那裏卻得以自由地親近神，並在與他的相交中自由而行。人可以將我們從與人的相交中隔絕，卻不能將我們從與神的相交中隔絕。約拿如今在海的深處，卻從深處向神呼求；正如保羅和西拉在監獄裏、在木狗中禱告。
III. 他向誰禱告——向耶和華他的神。他素來逃避神，如今卻看見其中的愚妄，便歸向他；藉著禱告，他親近那他一度偏離的神，並使他的心貼近他。在禱告中，他不但定睛於他為耶和華，更定睛於他為他的神，與他立約的神；因為，感謝神，聖約中的每一次過犯並不會將我們排出聖約之外。這鼓勵了退後的兒女也歸回。耶3:22，看哪，我們歸向你，因為你耶和華是我們的神。
IV. 他的禱告是甚麼。他事後回想其中的要旨，並記錄下來。他回想自己在患難危險之中向神所存的心意，以及那時在他心中信心與感官、盼望與恐懼之間的爭戰。
1. 他回想自己禱告的懇切，以及神樂意垂聽應允（Jon 2:2）：他說，我遭遇患難求告耶和華。注意，許多在興盛時不禱告、或只是輕聲默禱的人，在患難中被帶領去禱告，不，是被帶領去呼求，因為遭遇患難；患難之臨到正是為此目的，若這目的未達成，患難便是徒然。那些當神捆綁他們時不呼求的人，是為自己積蓄忿怒，伯36:13。「我從陰間和墳墓的深處呼求。」這魚大可被稱為墳墓，並且，作為約拿因違命而被定罪、在其中承受神忿怒的監牢，它大可被稱為陰間的深處。這個敬虔的人被投到那裏，卻從那裏向神呼求，而且並不徒然；神聽了他，聽見了他患難的聲音，他懇求的聲音。在來世有一個陰間，從其中向神呼求是毫無蒙垂聽之望的；但無論我們今生可能身處何種陰間的深處，我們都可以從那裏向神呼求。當基督如約拿一般三日三夜躺在墳墓裏時，他雖沒有像約拿那樣禱告，但他躺在那裏這一事本身，就為可憐的罪人向神呼求，而這呼求已蒙了垂聽。
2. 他回想自己在陰間深處時所處那極其可悲的境況，這境況當他躺在那裏時，他深有體會並加以細察。注意，我們若要從患難中得益，就必須留意我們的患難，以及其中神的手。約拿在此注意到，（1）他被拋得何等之低（Jon 2:3）：你將我投下深海。水手們將他拋在那裏；但他透視他們之上，看見是神的手將他拋在那裏。無論我們被拋入何種深淵，都是神將我們拋入其中的，而那位殺了之後有權柄丟在地獄裏的，正是他。他被拋入大水的深處——海的中心（原文如此），基督也借用這個希伯來文片語，將它應用於自己如此長久地躺在地心之中。因為一個死去躺在墳墓裏的人，即使墳墓極淺，也照樣與活人之地隔絕，如同他被葬在地心一般。（2）他被何等可怕地圍困：大水環繞我。海水的通道和泉源從四面八方包圍他；對他來說總是漲潮的時候。神所親愛的聖徒和僕人有時被患難的洪濤所環繞，那些勢頭極其猛烈、沖毀一切的患難，如同河水一般源源不絕地臨到他們，一個患難接著一個患難，正如約伯報兇信的使者一般；他們四面被圍困，正如教會所訴苦的，哀3:7，他用籬笆圍住我，使我不能脫離，也看不見可以向何方逃命求安。你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。請注意，他稱它們為神的波浪和神的洪濤，不僅因為海是他造的（海屬他，是他造的），也因為他治理它們（因為連風和海也聽從他），更因為他如今已經派定它們來對付約拿，限制它們，吩咐它們來折磨驚嚇他，卻不毀滅他。這些話顯然是約拿引用詩42:7的，在那裏，雖然譯本略有差異，但在原文中大衛的抱怨與約拿此處所說的逐字——一字不差——地相同：你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。大衛所說的是比喻和隱喻的話，約拿卻將它應用在自己身上，視為字面應驗。為要使我自己與我們的患難和好，查考先例是好的，好叫我們發現我們所遇見的試探，無非是人所能受的。若曾有人的情形是獨特的、無可比擬的，那當然是約拿的，然而，令他大得滿足的是，他發現連合神心意的大衛，也對神的波浪洪濤漫過他身發出同樣的抱怨，正如他如今所要發出的一樣。當神為我們成就所命定的事時，我們必發現這樣的事他有許多，甚至我們的患難之路也並非無人走過，神對待我們的方式，也不過是對待那些愛他名的人一向所行的。因此，為幫助我們在患難中親近神，善用在我們以先的聖徒在同樣情形下所用的抱怨與禱告，是大有益處的。請看熟悉聖經是何等有益；約拿無法使用他的聖經時，卻藉著記憶力從聖經中為自己的處境找到了極其貼切的描繪：你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。同樣的意思，Jon 2:5，諸水環繞我，幾乎淹沒我；它們威脅他的性命，使他命懸一線；或者它們在他的心靈上留下印象；他看出它們是神不悅的記號，在其中全能者的驚嚇擺陣攻擊他；這直透他的靈魂，使它陷入混亂。這也是借用大衛的抱怨，詩69:1，眾水要淹沒我的靈魂。當外有爭戰時，內有懼怕也就不足為奇了。約拿在魚腹中，發現深淵四面圍住他，以致他若要逃出他的監牢，也必無可避免地溺斃在水中。他感到海草（魚隨水吸入的）纏繞他的頭，使他無路自救，也不指望有人能救他。神的百姓有時就是這樣困惑糾纏，好叫他們學會不倚靠自己，只倚靠那叫死人復活的神，林後1:8,9。（3）他被何等牢固地拘禁（Jon 2:6）：他下到山根，下到海中的礁石，海邊的丘陵和海角似乎就是奠基在其上；他臥在其中，不，他臥在其下；地的門將他永遠關住，如此緊密地將他關閉，看來要將他永遠關在其中。大地如此向他關閉、上鎖、閂住、落閂，使他完全斷絕了歸回的指望。約拿的處境就是這樣無助、這樣無望。凡神與之爭辯的人，全受造之物都與他交戰。
3. 他回想自己當時幾乎要作出的極其幽暗悲觀的結論，以及他在此中所得到的解救，Jon 2:4,7。（1）他開始陷入絕望，從各種意義和目的上放棄自己，認定自己完了。當諸水環繞他，幾乎淹沒他時，難怪他的心在他裏面發昏，昏厥過去，以致他沒有任何舒暢的享受或盼望；他的精神完全崩潰，他看自己如同死人。我說，我從你眼前雖被驅逐，而這意念正是使他的心在他裏面發昏的緣由。他以為神已經完全離棄了他，再也不會以憐憫轉向他，再也不會向他顯出任何恩待的憑據。在他以前沒有任何人從魚腹中活著出來的先例；他若想到在糞堆上的約伯、坑裏的約瑟、洞中的大衛，這些都不能與他的情形相比。也沒有任何可見的逃生之路為他敞開，除非靠神蹟；而他有甚麼理由指望一個與他這樣的人——如今已成為公義之鑑戒的——行施憐憫的神蹟呢？他自己的良心告訴他，他曾邪惡地躲避耶和華的面，因此神公義地將他從自己面前趕出，並以此為記，收回他的聖靈，不再眷顧他。他還能對因自己的道和自己所行的而招致的患難存甚麼得救的指望呢？請注意，當約拿要說自己處境最壞的話時，他如此說：我從你眼前雖被驅逐；那些，也只有那些，才是真正可憐的人，就是被神從他眼前趕出的人，是他不再願意承認和施恩的人。除了被逐出神的面之外，地獄裏被定罪之人的痛苦還是甚麼呢？因為天堂的福樂除了看見和享受神之外，還是甚麼呢？有時神百姓在今世的處境可能如此，以致他們以為自己完全被排除於神的同在之外，再也看不見他，也不再被他看顧。雅各和以色列曾說，我的道路向耶和華隱藏，我的冤屈神並不查問，賽40:27。錫安曾說，耶和華離棄了我，主忘記了我，賽49:14。但這只不過是不信的猜疑，因為神並沒有棄絕他所揀選的百姓。（2）然而，他以對拯救的一些令人安慰的展望，使自己從陷入絕望中恢復過來。信心糾正並約束了恐懼與不信的猜疑。這裏是感官與信心之間激烈的爭戰，但信心說了最後的話，並成了得勝者。在試煉的時候，只要我們的信心不失落，結局至終必定是好的；因此基督向彼得保證的，正是信心在活力中的持續。我已經為你祈求，叫你不至於失了信心，路22:32。大衛若不信，就必喪膽，詩27:13。約拿的信心說，我仍要仰望你的聖殿。這樣，他雖然四面受壓，卻不至絕望；在深海之中他心中仍存這盼望，如同靈魂的錨，又牢固又可靠。他用來支持自己的盼望，就是他仍要仰望神的聖殿。[1.] 他仍要活著；他仍要舉目望天，仍要再看見日頭的光，雖然如今他似乎被拋入全然黑暗之中。這樣，他在無可指望的時候，因信仍有指望。[2.] 他要活著，並讚美神；一個敬虔的人不願為任何別的目的而活，詩119:175。他要重新在聖潔的典章中享受與神的相交，要仰望並上到聖殿，在那裏求問，在那裏瞻仰耶和華的榮美。當希西家想要確知他的康復時，他問：我上耶和華殿去的憑據是甚麼？（賽38:22），好像那是他唯一願望恢復健康的目的；照樣約拿在此盼望他仍要仰望聖殿；他曾多次懷著喜樂向那方向觀望，每逢人請他去上耶和華的殿便歡喜；這些回想成了他的安慰，就是當他有機會時，他對聖殿並不陌生。但如今他連望向那裏也不能；在魚腹之中他不知道聖殿在何方，但他盼望他仍能再次望向它、注視它、進入其中。請注意，約拿是何等謙卑地表達自己；作為一個自覺有罪和不配的人，他不敢像大衛那樣說要住在神的殿中，他深知自己不配稱為兒子，但他盼望可以被允許望向它。他稱之為聖殿，因為聖殿的聖潔在他眼中就是它的美，就是他愛慕和仰望它的緣由。聖殿是天上事物的預表；他指望自己雖然如今身為被擄的流亡者，似乎永不得釋放，將要死在坑中，卻仍要仰望天上的聖殿，並被安然帶到那裏。雖然他死在魚腹之中，在海底之下，他卻盼望他的靈魂從那裏被天使帶到亞伯拉罕的懷裏。或者這些話可以理解為約拿在患難中所許的願，而他在Jon 2:9談到償還所許的願；他所許的願就是：若神拯救他，他要在錫安女子的門口讚美他，詩9:13,14。他因之而被神追討的罪，是躲避耶和華的面，如今他已深信其中的愚妄，並應許不僅再不望向他施，還要重新望向聖殿，並要力上加力，直到他得以在神面前顯現。這樣我們就看見信心和盼望如何在他沮喪的處境中成為他的解救。在這些之外，他還加上向神禱告（Jon 2:7）：我心在我裏面發昏的時候，我就想念耶和華，我便投靠這帖強心劑。他記念神是怎樣的神，記念他對那些似乎被患難拋得最遠的人何等親近，記念他對那些似乎因罪而將自己遠遠拋離的人何等慈悲。他記念神為他所行的、為別人所行的、他能行的、他所應許要行的；這使他免於昏厥。記念神，他便親近他：我的禱告進入你的聖殿，達到你面前；我已獻上，並期待著領受應允。注意，我們的患難應當使我們記念神，從而促使我們向他禱告。當我們的靈魂發昏時，我們必須記念神；當我們記念神時，我們必須向他獻上禱告，至少獻上敬虔的呼求；當我們記念他的名時，我們應當求告他的名。
4. 他回想當他在患難中這樣尋求神並倚靠他時，神向他所施的恩。（1）神恩典地悅納了他的禱告，賜它進入和蒙垂聽的機會（Jon 2:7）：我的禱告既獻上給他，就進入你的聖殿，甚至進入你的聖殿；這禱告在至高的天上蒙了垂聽，雖然它是從最深的深處獻上的。（2）神奇妙地為他成就了拯救，當他處於苦難最深之時，賜他憑據和保證（Jon 2:6）：耶和華我的神啊，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來！有人認為他是在被吐在旱地上時說這話的；那時這是感恩的言語，他將它與自己處境的極大艱難相對照，好叫神的大能在他的拯救中更加顯大：地的門將我永遠關住，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來，從坑的門閂中救出來。或者更恰當地說，我們可以設想這話是他仍在魚腹中時所說的，那時這是他信心的言語：「你在此坑中保全了我的性命，因此你能、你也必將我的性命從坑中救出來」；他滿有確據地論及此事，如同它已經成就了一般：你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。他雖然沒有明確的拯救應許，卻有它的憑據，他便以此為倚靠：他仍有性命，因此相信他的性命必從坑中被救出來；他帶著這確據向神說：耶和華我的神啊，這是你所行的！你是耶和華，因此能為我成全此事；你是我的神，因此必為我成全。注意，耶和華若作我們的神，他必作我們的復活與生命，必救贖我們的性命脫離死亡，脫離墳墓的權勢。
5. 他警告他人，教導他們緊緊跟隨神（Jon 2:8）：那信奉虛無之神的人，離棄憐愛他們的主，意思是，（1）那些敬拜別神的人，如同外邦水手所行的，並求告它們、指望從它們得著解救和安慰，便是離棄憐愛他們的主；他們擋自己的道；他們背棄自己的幸福，完全偏離一切善路。注意，偶像是虛無之神，那些將唯獨神配得的敬拜歸給偶像的人，行事與自己的利益和本分背道而馳。或者，（2）那些隨從自己發明的人，正如約拿自己躲避耶和華的面往他施去時所行的，便是離棄憐愛他們的主，那他們本可在神裏面尋見的憐憫，並且他們本可有如此的聖約權利和特權，以致能稱之為自己的，只要他們肯緊緊跟隨神和他們的本分。那些以為可以往任何地方躲避神眼目的人，如約拿所行——以為離棄神的服事可以叫自己得益處，如約拿所行——以及那些嫉妒神對任何可憐罪人所施的憐憫，並自以為比他更精明，去判斷誰配蒙差遣先知、誰不配，如約拿所行——他們就是信奉虛無之神，被愚妄無根的幻想所引誘，並且像他一樣，離棄憐愛他們的主，從中得不著任何益處。注意，那些離棄自己本分的人，便是離棄自己的憐憫；那些逃離自己所在之處和當日之工的人，便是逃離其中的安慰。
6. 他鄭重地以一個誓言約束自己的靈魂：若神為他成就拯救，那施憐憫的神必作他讚美的神，Jon 2:9。他與神立約，（1）他要在自己的敬拜中，以感謝祭榮耀神；神曾說過，為鼓勵那些如此行的人，凡以感謝獻上為祭的，便是榮耀我。他要照摩西的律法獻上感謝祭，並要照本性的律法，以感謝的聲音獻上。心中對神的愛和感恩是這本分的生命與靈魂；沒有了這些，無論是感謝祭還是感謝的聲音都毫無功效。但在當時，感恩是藉著祭物來表達的，這是出於神的吩咐——獻祭者將所宰殺的牲畜獻給神，不是代替自己，而是作為自己的象徵；如今感恩當以感謝的聲音來表達，以我們嘴唇的祭（何14:2），以我們嘴唇的果子（來13:15），述說並唱出對我們神極高的讚美。這是約拿在此所應許的：他要以感謝祭傳揚耶和華的慈愛，歸榮耀給他，並造就他人。（2）他要在自己的行事為人中，以切實履行在魚腹中所許的願來榮耀神。有人認為他所許的是某項慈善的工，或是如雅各所許的那樣：*凡你所賜給我的，我必將十分之一獻給你。*更可能的是，他所許的願是：若神拯救他，他甘心樂意往神所喜悅差遣他去的任何地方，即便是尼尼微。當我們因離棄本分而受苦時，正是應許要持守本分、多多盡本分的時候。或者，也許感謝祭就是他所許的，那就是他要償還的，正如大衛，詩116:17-19。
7. 他以承認神是他百姓的拯救者作結：救恩出於耶和華；拯救屬乎耶和華，詩3:8。他是拯救我們的神，詩68:19,20。唯有他能施行拯救，無論危險和困難多大，他都能做到；他已將救恩應許給那信靠他的百姓。他的教會整體的拯救，以及個別聖徒的拯救，都是他所成就的；他是萬人的救主，更是信徒的救主，提前4:10。救恩如今仍出於他，一如歷來如此；唯有從他那裏才能期望，也唯有倚靠他才能得著。約拿的經歷要鼓勵歷世歷代的人，信靠神作他們的拯救之神；凡讀這記載的人，都必滿有把握地、滿懷驚嘆地說，救恩出於耶和華，並且必定臨到一切屬他的人。
英文原文
Jonah's Prayer; The Prophet in the Fish's Belly (840 BC)
¹ Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
² And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
³ For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
⁴ Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
⁵ The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
⁶ I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
⁷ When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
⁸ They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
⁹ But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
God and his servant Jonah had parted in anger, and the quarrel began on Jonah's side; he fled from his country that he might outrun his work; but we hope to see them both together again, and the reconciliation begins on God's side. In the close of the foregoing chapter we found God returning to Jonah in a way of mercy, delivering him from going down to the pit, having found a ransom; in this chapter we find Jonah returning to God in a way of duty; he was called up in the former chapter to pray to his God, but we are not told that he did so; however, now at length he is brought to it. Now observe here,
I. When he prayed (Jon 2:1): Then Jonah prayed; then when he was in trouble, under the sense of sin and the tokens of God's displeasure against him for sin, then he prayed. Note, When we are in affliction we must pray; then we have occasion to pray, then we have errands at the throne of grace and business there; then, if ever, we shall have a disposition to pray, when the heart is humbled, and softened, and made serious; then God expects it (in their affliction they will seek me early, seek me earnestly); and, though we bring our afflictions upon ourselves by our sins, yet, if we pray in humility and godly sincerity, we shall be welcome to the throne of grace, as Jonah was. Then when he was in a hopeful way of deliverance, being preserved alive by miracle, a plain indication that he was reserved for further mercy, then he prayed. An apprehension of God's good-will to us, notwithstanding our offences, gives us boldness of access to him, and opens the lips in prayer which were closed with the sense of guilt and dread of wrath.
II. Where he prayed—in the fish's belly. No place is amiss for prayer. I will that men pray every where. Wherever God casts us we may find a way open to heaven-ward, if it be not our own fault. Undique ad cœlos tantundem est viæ—The heavens are equally accessible from every part of the earth. He that has Christ dwelling in his heart by faith, wherever he goes carries the altar along with him, that sanctifies the gift, and is himself a living temple. Jonah was here in confinement; the belly of the fish was his prison, was a close and dark dungeon to him; yet there he had freedom of access to God, and walked at liberty in communion with him. Men may shut us out from communion with one another, but not from communion with God. Jonah was now in the bottom of the sea, yet out of the depths he cries to God; as Paul and Silas prayed in the prison, in the stocks.
III. To whom he prayed—to the Lord his God. He had been fleeing from God, but now he sees the folly of it, and returns to him; by prayer he draws near to that God whom he had gone aside from, and engages his heart to approach him. In prayer he has an eye to him, not only as the Lord, but as his God, a God in covenant with him; for, thanks be to God, every transgression in the covenant does not throw us out of covenant. This encourages even backsliding children to return. Jer 3:22, Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
IV. What his prayer was. He afterwards recollected the substance of it, and left it upon record. He reflects upon the workings of his heart towards God when he was in his distress and danger, and the conflict that was then in his breast between faith and sense, between hope and fear.
1. He reflects upon the earnestness of his prayer, and God's readiness to hear and answer (Jon 2:2): He said, I cried, by reason of my affliction, unto the Lord. Note, Many that prayed not at all, or did but whisper prayer, when they were in prosperity, are brought to pray, nay, are brought to cry, by reason of their affliction; and it is for this end that afflictions are sent, and they are in vain if this end be not answered. Those heap up wrath who cry not when God binds them, Job 36:13. "Out of the belly of hell and the grave cried I." The fish might well be called a grave, and, as it was a prison to which Jonah was condemned for his disobedience and in which he lay under the wrath of God, it might well be called the belly of hell. Thither this good man was cast, and yet thence he cried to God, and it was not in vain; God heard him, heard the voice of his affliction, the voice of his supplication. There is a hell in the other world, out of which there is no crying to God with any hope of being heard; but, whatever hell we may be in the belly of in this world, we may thence cry to God. When Christ lay, as Jonah, three days and three nights in the grave, though he prayed not, as Jonah did, yet his very lying there cried to God for poor sinners, and the cry was heard.
2. He reflects upon the very deplorable condition that he was in when he was in the belly of hell, which, when he lay there, he was very sensible of and made particular remarks upon. Note, If we would get good by our troubles, we must take notice of our troubles, and of the hand of God in them. Jonah observes here, (1.) How low he was thrown (Jon 2:3): Thou hadst cast me into the deep. The mariners cast him there; but he looked above them, and saw the hand of God casting him there. Whatever deeps we are cast into, it is God that casts us into them, and he it is who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. He was cast into the midst of the seas—the heart of the seas (so the word is), and thence Christ borrows that Hebrew phrase, when he applies it to his own lying so long in the heart of the earth. For he that is laid dead in the grave, though it be ever so shallow, is cut off as effectually from the land of the living as if he were laid in the heart of the earth. (2.) How terribly he was beset: The floods compassed me about. The channels and springs of the waters of the sea surrounded him on every side; it was always high-water with him. God's dear saints and servants are sometimes encompassed with the floods of affliction, with troubles that are very forcible and violent, that bear down on all before them, and that run constantly upon them, as the waters of a river in a continual succession, one trouble upon the neck of another, as Job's messengers of evil tidings; they are enclosed by them on all sides, as the church complains, La 3:7. He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out, nor see which way I may flee for safety. All thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Observe, He calls them God's billows and his waves, not only because he made them (the sea is his, and he made it), and because he rules them (for even the winds and the seas obey him), but because he had now commissioned them against Jonah, and limited them, and ordered them to afflict and terrify him, but not to destroy him. These words are plainly quoted by Jonah from Ps 42:7, where, though the translations differ a little, in the original David's complaint is the same verbatim—word for word, with this of Jonah's: All thy billows and thy waves passed over me. What David spoke figuratively and metaphorically Jonah applied to himself as literally fulfilled. For the reconciling of ourselves to our afflictions, it is good to search precedents, that we may find there has no temptation taken us but such as is common to men. If ever any man's case was singular, and not to be paralleled, surely Jonah's was, and yet, to his great satisfaction, he finds even the man after God's own heart making the same complaint of God's waves and billows going over him that he has now occasion to make. When God performs the thing that is appointed for us we shall find that many such things are with him, that even our path of trouble is no untrodden path, and that God deals with us no otherwise than as he uses to deal with those that love his name. And therefore for our assistance in our addresses to God, when we are in trouble, it is good to make use of the complaints and prayers which the saints that have been before us made use of in the like case. See how good it is to be ready in the scriptures; Jonah, when he could make no use of his Bible, by the help of his memory furnished himself from the scripture with a very proper representation of his case: All thy billows and thy waves passed over me. To the same purport, Jon 2:5, The waters compassed me about even to the soul; they threatened his life, which was hereby brought into imminent danger; or they made an impression upon his spirit; he saw them to be tokens of God's displeasure, and in them the terrors of the Almighty set themselves in array against him; this reached to his soul, and put that into confusion. And this also is borrowed from David's complaint, Ps 69:1. The waters have come in unto my soul. When without are fightings it is no marvel that within are fears. Jonah, in the fish's belly, finds the depths enclosing him round about, so that if he would get out of his prison, yet he must unavoidably perish in the waters. He feels the sea-weed (which the fish sucked in with the water) wrapped about his head, so that he has no way left him to help himself, nor hope that any one else can help him. Thus are the people of God sometimes perplexed and entangled, that they may learn not to trust in themselves, but in God that raises the dead, 2Co 1:8,9. (3.) How fast he was held (Jon 2:6): He went down to the bottom of the mountains, to the rocks in the sea, upon which the hills and promontories by the seaside seem to be bottomed; he lay among them, nay, he lay under them; the earth with her bars was about him, so close about him that it was likely to be about him for ever. The earth was so shut and locked, so barred and bolted, against him, that he was quite cut off from any hope of ever returning to it. Thus helpless, thus hopeless, did Jonah's case seem to be. Those whom God contends with the whole creation is at war with.
3. He reflects upon the very black and melancholy conclusion he was then ready to make concerning himself, and the relief he obtained against it, Jon 2:4,7. (1.) He began to sink into despair, and to give up himself for gone and undone to all intents and purposes. When the waters compassed him about even to the soul no marvel that his soul fainted within him, fainted away, so that he had not any comfortable enjoyments or expectations; his spirits quite failed, and he looked upon himself as a dead man. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, and the apprehension of that was the thing that made his spirit faint within him. He thought God had quite forsaken him, would never return in mercy to him, nor show him any token for good again. He had no example before him of any that were brought alive out of a fish's belly; if he thought of Job upon the dunghill, Joseph in the pit, David in the cave, yet these did not come up to his case. Nor was there any visible way of escape open for him but by miracle; and what reason had he to expect that a miracle of mercy should be wrought for him who was now made a monument of justice? His own conscience told him that he had wickedly fled from the presence of the Lord, and therefore he might justly cast him away from his presence, and, in token of that, take away his Holy Spirit from him, never to visit him more. What hopes could he have of deliverance out of a trouble which his own ways and doings had procured to himself? Observe, When Jonah would say the worst he could of his case he says this, I am cast out of thy sight; those, and those only, are miserable, whom God has cast out of his sight, whom he will no longer own and favour. What is the misery of the damned in hell but this, that they are cast out of God's sight? For what is the happiness of heaven but the vision and fruition of God? Sometimes the condition of God's people may be such in this world that they may think themselves quite excluded from God's presence, so as no more to see him, or to be regarded by him. Jacob and Israel said, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God, Isa 40:27. Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, my God has forgotten me, Isa 49:14. But it is only the surmise of unbelief, for God has not cast away his people whom he has chosen. (2.) Yet he recovered himself from sinking into despair, with some comfortable prospects of deliverance. Faith corrected and controlled the surmises of fear and distrust. Here was a fierce struggle between sense and faith, but faith had the last word and came off a conqueror. In trying times, the issue will be good at last, providing our faith do not fail; it was therefore the continuance of that in its vigour that Christ secured to Peter. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, Lu 22:32. David would have fainted if he had not believed, Ps 27:13. Jonah's faith said, Yet I will look again towards thy holy temple. Thus, though he was perplexed, yet not in despair; in the depth of the sea he had this hope in him, as an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast. That which he supports himself with the hope of is that he shall yet look again towards God's holy temple. [1.] That he shall live; he shall look again heaven-ward, shall again see the light of the sun, though now he seems to be cast into utter darkness. Thus against hope he believed in hope. [2.] That he shall live, and praise God; and a good man does not desire to live for any other purpose, Ps 119:175. That he shall enjoy communion with God again in holy ordinances, shall look towards, and go up to, the holy temple, there to enquire, there to behold the beauty of the Lord. When Hezekiah desired that he might be assured of his recovery, he asked, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? (Isa 38:22), as if that were the only thing for the sake of which he wished for health; so Jonah here hopes he shall look again towards the temple; that way he had looked many a time with pleasure, rejoicing when he was called to go up to the house of the Lord; and the remembrance of it was his comfort, that, when he had opportunity, he was no stranger to the holy temple. But now he could not so much as look towards it; in the fish's belly he could not tell which way it lay, but he hopes he shall be again able to look towards it, to look on it, to look into it. Observe, How modestly Jonah expresses himself; as one conscious to himself of guilt and unworthiness, he dares not speak of dwelling in God's house, as David, knowing that he is no more worthy to be called a son, but he hopes that he may be admitted to look towards it. He calls it the holy temple, for the holiness of it was, in his eye, the beauty of it, and that for the sake of which he loved and looked towards it. The temple was a type of heaven; and he promises himself that though being now a captive exile, he should never be loosed, but die in the pit, yet he should look towards the heavenly temple, and be brought safely thither. Though he die in the fish's belly, in the bottom of the sea, yet thence he hopes his soul shall be carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. Or these words may be taken as Jonah's vow when he was in distress, and he speaks (Jon 2:9) of paying what he vowed; his vow is that if God deliver him he will praise him in the gates of the daughter of Zion, Ps 9:13,14. His sin for which God pursued him was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, the folly of which he is now convinced of, and promises not only that he will never again look towards Tarshish, but that he will again look towards the temple, and will go from strength to strength till he appear before God there. And thus we see how faith and hope were his relief in his desponding condition. To these he added prayer to God (Jon 2:7): "When my soul fainted within me, then I remembered the Lord, I betook myself to that cordial." He remembered what he is, how nigh to those that seem to be thrown at the greatest distance by trouble, how merciful to those that seem to have thrown themselves at a distance from him by sin. He remembered what he had done for him, what he had done for others, what he could do, what he had promised to do; and this kept him from fainting. Remembering God, he made his addresses to him: "My prayer came in unto thee; I sent it in, and expected to receive an answer to it." Note, Our afflictions should put us in mind of God, and thereby put us upon prayer to him. When our souls faint we must remember God; and, when we remember God, we must send up a prayer to him, a pious ejaculation at least; when we think on his name we should call on his name.
4. He reflects upon the favour of God to him when thus in his distress he sought to God and trusted him. (1.) He graciously accepted his prayer, and gave admission and audience to it (Jon 2:7): My prayer, being sent to him, came in unto him, even into his holy temple; it was heard in the highest heavens, though it was prayed in the lowest deeps. (2.) He wonderfully wrought deliverance for him, and, when he was in the depth of his misery, gave him the earnest and assurance of it (Jon 2:6): Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God! Some think he said this when he was vomited up on dry ground; and then it is the language of thankfulness, and he sets it over-against the great difficulty of his case, that the power of God might be the more magnified in his deliverance: The earth with her bars was about me for ever, and yet thou hast brought up my life from the pit, from the bars of the pit. Or, rather, we may suppose it spoken while he was yet in the fish's belly, and then it is the language of his faith: "Thou hast kept me alive here, in the pit, and therefore thou canst, thou wilt, bring up my life from the pit;" and he speaks of it with as much assurance as if it were done already: Thou has brought up my life. Though he has not an express promise of deliverance, he has an earnest of it, and on that he depends: he has life, and therefore believes his life shall be brought up from corruption; and this assurance he addresses to God: Thou has done it, O Lord my God! Thou art the Lord, and therefore canst do it for me, my God, and therefore wilt do it. Note, If the Lord be our God, he will be to us the resurrection and the life, will redeem our lives from destruction, from the power of the grave.
5. He gives warning to others, and instructs them to keep close to God (Jon 2:8): Those that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy, that is, (1.) Those that worship other gods, as the heathen mariners did, and call upon them, and expect relief and comfort from them, forsake their own mercy; they stand in their own light; they turn their back upon their own happiness, and go quite out of the way of all good. Note, Idols are lying vanities, and those that pay that homage to them which is due to God only act as contrarily to their interests as to their duty. Or, (2.) Those that follow their own inventions, as Jonah himself had done when he fled from the presence of the Lord to go to Tarshish, forsake their own mercy, that mercy which they might find in God, and might have such a covenant-right and title to it as to be able to call it their own, if they would but keep close to God and their duty. Those that think to go any where to be from under the eye of God, as Jonah did—that think to better themselves by deserting his service, as Jonah did—and that grudge his mercy to any poor sinners, and pretend to be wiser than he in judging who are fit to have prophets sent them and who are not, as Jonah did—they observe lying vanities, are led away by foolish groundless fancies, and, like him, they forsake their own mercy, and no good can come of it. Note, Those that forsake their own duty forsake their own mercy; those that run away from the work of their place and day run away from the comfort of it.
6. He solemnly binds his soul with a bond that, if God work deliverance for him, the God of his mercies shall be the God of his praises, Jon 2:9. He covenants with God, (1.) That he will honour him in his devotions with the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and God has said, for the encouragement of those that do so, that those that offer praise glorify him. He will, according to the law of Moses, bring a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will offer that according to the law of nature, with the voice of thanksgiving. The love and thankfulness of the heart to God are the life and soul of this duty; without these neither the sacrifice of thanksgiving nor the voice of thanksgiving will avail any thing. But gratitude was then, by a divine appointment, to be expressed by a sacrifice, in which the offerer presented the beast slain to God, not in lieu of himself, but in token of himself; and it is now to be expressed by the voice of thanksgiving, the calves of our lips (Ho 14:2), the fruit of our lips (Heb 13:15), speaking forth, singing forth, the high praises of our God. This Jonah here promises, that with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord, to his glory, and the encouragement of others. (2.) That he will honour him in his conversation by a punctual performance of his vows, which he made in the fish's belly. Some think it was some work of charity that he vowed, or such a vow as Jacob's was, Of all that thou hast given me I will give the tenth unto thee. More probably his vow was that if God would deliver him he would readily go wherever he should please to send him, though it were to Nineveh. When we smart for deserting our duty it is time to promise that we will adhere to it, and abound in it. Or, perhaps, the sacrifice of thanksgiving is the thing he vowed, and that is it which he will pay, as David, Ps 116:17-19.
7. He concludes with an acknowledgment of God as the Saviour of his people: Salvation is of the Lord; it belongs to the Lord, Ps 3:8. He is the God of salvation, Ps 68:19,20. He only can work salvation, and he can do it be the danger and distress ever so great; he has promised salvation to his people that trust in him. All the salvations of his church in general, and of particular saints, were wrought by him; he is the Saviour of those that believe, 1Ti 4:10. Salvation is still of him, as it has always been; from him alone it is to be expected, and on him we are to depend for it. Jonah's experience shall encourage others, in all ages, to trust in God as the God of their salvation; all that read this story shall say with assurance, say with admiration, that salvation is of the Lord, and is sure to all that belongs to him.
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Jonah's Deliverance (840 BC)
繁體中文
約拿的拯救（主前840年）
¹⁰ 耶和華吩咐魚，魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。
我們在此看見約拿從囚禁中獲釋，並從他在那裏所受的死亡威脅中得拯救——他的歸回，雖不是歸回生命（因他在魚腹中仍然活著），卻是歸回活人之地，因為他似乎已完全與之隔絕——他的復起，雖不是從死裏復活，卻是從墳墓中復起，因為從來沒有人如約拿在魚腹中那樣被活埋。他得釋放可以視為，1. 神對一切受造之物擁有大能的明證。神吩咐魚，命它交回約拿，正如他先前命它接收約拿。神對別的受造之物說話，事就成了；它們都是他聽命的僕人。但對人，他說一次、兩次，人卻不理會，不留心，反而塞耳不聽他所說的。注意，神統管一切受造之物，隨己意使用它們，並藉著它們成就自己的旨意。2. 神對可憐的悔改之人的憐憫——這人在患難中向他禱告。約拿犯了罪，作了愚昧事，極其愚昧；他自己的退後並沒有糾正他，而且從他以後的行事看來，他的愚昧並未因此番責打的杖而被驅除——不，連這管教也不能；然而，當他禱告、在神面前自卑之後，自然界中便為他的拯救行了一件神蹟，藉以暗示：神收納並款待歸回的罪人，是何等大的恩典奇蹟——白白的恩典。當神有他任憑己意對待之時，他卻向他施憐憫，並不永遠爭辯。3. 基督復活的預表和影像。他死了並被埋葬，如同約拿一樣，三日三夜躺在墳墓裏，作我們欠債的囚犯；但第三日他出來了，如同約拿一樣，藉著他的使者傳悔改和赦罪之道，甚至傳給外邦人。這樣又應驗了一處經文：過兩天他必使我們甦醒，第三天他必使我們興起，何6:2。地如負重般震動，正如那魚如負約拿之重一般。
英文原文
Jonah's Deliverance (840 BC)
¹⁰ And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
We have here Jonah's discharge from his imprisonment, and his deliverance from that death which there he was threatened with—his return, though not to life, for he lived in the fish's belly, yet to the land of the living, for from that he seemed to be quite cut off—his resurrection, though not from death, yet from the grave, for surely never man was so buried alive as Jonah was in the fish's belly. His enlargement may be considered, 1. As an instance of God's power over all the creatures. God spoke to the fish, gave him orders to return him, as before he had given him orders to receive him. God speaks to other creatures, and it is done; they are all his ready obedient servants. But to man he speaks once, yea, twice, and he perceives it not, regards it not, but turns a deaf ear to what he says. Note, God has all creatures at his command, makes what use he pleases of them, and serves his own purposes by them. 2. As an instance of God's mercy to a poor penitent, that in his distress prays to him. Jonah had sinned, and had done foolishly, very foolishly; his own backslidings did not correct him, and it appears by his after-conduct that his foolishness was not quite driven from him, no, not by the rod of this correction; and yet, upon his praying, and humbling himself before God, here is a miracle in nature wrought for his deliverance, to intimate what a miracle of grace, free grace, God's reception and entertainment of returning sinners are. When God had him at his mercy he showed him mercy, and did not contend for ever. 3. As a type and figure of Christ's resurrection. He died and was buried, to lay in the grave, as Jonah did, three days and three nights, a prisoner for our debt; but the third day he came forth, as Jonah did, by his messengers to preach repentance, and remission of sins, even to the Gentiles. And thus was another scripture fulfilled, After two days he will receive us, and the third day he will raise us up, Ho 6:2. The earth trembled as if full of her burden, as the fish was of Jonah.
我們離開約拿時，他正身處魚腹之中，本有理由認為不會再聽到他的消息，因為他即使不被海水所滅，也必被那利維坦的臟腑所消化——「從牠口中發出燒著的火把，和飛迸的火星，牠的氣息點著煤炭」，伯41:19,21。但神領他的百姓經過火、經過水（詩66:12）；靠著他的大能，看哪，先知約拿仍然活著，並且我們再次聽見他的消息。在本章，神聽見他的聲音，因為我們看見他在禱告；在下一章，尼尼微聽見他的聲音，因為我們看見他在傳道。在他的禱告中，我們看見：一、他所處極大的困苦與危險，Jon 2:2,3,5,6。二、他因此幾乎陷入的絕望，Jon 2:4。三、在這可悲的境況中他為自己所得的鼓勵，Jon 2:4,7。四、他確信神向他施恩，Jon 2:6,7。五、他對他人的警告與教導，Jon 2:8。六、將一切讚美與榮耀歸給神，Jon 2:9。在Jon 2:10，我們看見約拿從魚腹中得拯救，並安然無恙地回到旱地上。