Jonah 2:3

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

For thou hadst cast {H7993} me into the deep {H4688}, in the midst {H3824} of the seas {H3220}; and the floods {H5104} compassed {H5437} me about: all thy billows {H4867} and thy waves {H1530} passed over {H5674} me.

Complete Jewish Bible

For you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas; and the flood enveloped me; all your surging waves passed over me.

Berean Standard Bible

For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me; all Your breakers and waves swept over me.

American Standard Version

For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jonah 2:3 is a poignant confession from the prophet Jonah, spoken from the depths of the great fish, acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty over his dire circumstances. This verse vividly portrays the overwhelming despair and physical peril Jonah experienced after being cast into the tumultuous sea, recognizing that his suffering was not accidental but a direct, disciplinary act of God. It highlights his profound sense of being submerged and encompassed by forces that were ultimately instruments of divine will, leading him to a desperate yet hopeful cry for deliverance.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jonah 2:3 is part of Jonah's prayer of thanksgiving and lament, recorded in [Jonah 2](/jonah/2 "Jonah's Prayer from the Fish's Belly"). This prayer follows the dramatic events of [Jonah 1](/jonah/1 "Jonah's Disobedience and the Storm"), where Jonah disobeys God's command to go to Nineveh and instead flees to Tarshish. God responds by sending a great storm, leading the mariners to cast Jonah overboard at his own insistence to save the ship. Immediately, a great fish swallows Jonah, where he remains for three days and three nights. His prayer, beginning in [Jonah 2:2](/jonah/2-2 "Jonah 2:2 - Cry from the Depths"), reflects on his near-death experience and expresses his conviction that God heard his cry from the "belly of hell." Verse 3 specifically details the physical sensations of being overwhelmed by the sea, directly attributing these overwhelming forces to God's action, setting the stage for his subsequent vows and expressions of trust.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The ancient Near East, particularly maritime cultures, held a deep respect and fear for the sea, often viewing it as a chaotic, unpredictable, and even monstrous realm, sometimes associated with forces of evil or divine judgment. The "deep" (Hebrew: *mᵉtsôwlâh*) would evoke primordial chaos, a place of no return. The act of being cast into the sea was often a form of divine judgment or sacrifice to appease angry deities, as seen with the mariners' actions in [Jonah 1:12](/jonah/1-12 "Jonah 1:12 - Jonah Cast Overboard"). Jonah's experience, therefore, taps into a primal fear of the unknown and the overwhelming power of nature, yet subverts it by showing God's absolute control even over these chaotic elements. His survival within the fish, a miraculous intervention, further underscores God's unique power, contrasting with pagan deities who might demand such sacrifices.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Jonah. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Sovereignty**, as Jonah explicitly acknowledges that God "hadst cast me into the deep" and that "all thy billows and thy waves passed over me." This highlights God's absolute control over creation, even using natural elements as instruments of His will, a truth echoed in [Psalm 107:25](/psalms/107-25 "Psalm 107:25 - God Commands the Storm"). Secondly, the verse underscores the **Consequences of Disobedience**. Jonah's profound distress and near-death experience are direct results of his rebellion against God's clear command to go to Nineveh, illustrating that attempting to flee God's presence or purpose leads to severe and overwhelming circumstances, as seen throughout [Jonah 1](/jonah/1 "Jonah's Flight from God"). Finally, the imagery of being "in the midst of the seas" and "the floods compassed me about" powerfully conveys **Despair and Overwhelm**, yet within this extreme distress, Jonah's prayer begins, setting the stage for his eventual repentance and turning back to God, demonstrating that even in the deepest pits of despair, God's presence and power are undeniable, as he cries out from the "belly of hell" in [Jonah 2:2](/jonah/2-2 "Jonah 2:2 - Jonah's Cry from Sheol").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **cast (Hebrew, _shâlak'_):** This primitive root (H7993) means "to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively)." Jonah's use of "thou hadst cast me" is crucial. It's not merely that he was thrown by the mariners, but that God, in His sovereign will, was the ultimate agent behind his being hurled into the abyss. This verb emphasizes divine initiative and control over his predicament.
* **deep (Hebrew, _mᵉtsôwlâh'_):** This word (H4688) refers to "a deep place (of water or mud); bottom, deep, depth." It signifies the lowest, most profound parts of the sea, emphasizing the overwhelming and inescapable nature of Jonah's situation. It evokes a sense of being utterly submerged and beyond human rescue, a place of potential death or Sheol.
* **billows (Hebrew, _mishbâr'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to break," this term (H4867) specifically denotes "a breaker (of the sea); billow, wave." The word vividly describes the crashing, destructive force of large waves. The possessive "thy" before "billows" and "waves" (H1530, *gal*) is highly significant, indicating that these powerful, destructive forces were not random natural occurrences but instruments directly under God's command, executing His purpose.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For thou hadst cast me into the deep":** This opening clause is a direct confession and acknowledgment of God's sovereign hand in Jonah's suffering. Jonah understands that his being thrown into the sea and descending to its depths was not merely the act of the sailors, but God's direct intervention and judgment for his disobedience. The "deep" signifies a place of profound danger and isolation, bordering on death.
* **"in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about":** These phrases further intensify the imagery of being overwhelmed and submerged. "In the midst of the seas" conveys a sense of being utterly surrounded, with no solid ground or escape. The "floods" (Hebrew: *nâhâr*, referring to a stream or river, but here used metaphorically for overwhelming waters) "compassed me about," indicating a complete engulfment by the powerful, swirling currents, leaving Jonah helpless and vulnerable.
* **"all thy billows and thy waves passed over me":** This final clause powerfully reiterates God's direct involvement. The "billows" (*mishbâr*) and "waves" (*gal*) are explicitly identified as "thy" (God's), emphasizing that every terrifying surge and crash of water was under divine command. This imagery evokes a sense of being utterly overwhelmed by God's disciplinary hand, yet also implies that these forces, though destructive, were controlled and served a divine purpose.

#### Literary Devices
Jonah 2:3 is rich in **Imagery**, painting a vivid picture of Jonah's desperate plight. Words like "deep," "seas," "floods," "billows," and "waves" create a powerful sensory experience of being submerged and overwhelmed. The repeated use of "thy" (thy billows, thy waves) is a striking example of **Personification** and **Theological Attribution**, as Jonah attributes the natural forces of the sea directly to God's agency, transforming them from mere elements into instruments of divine will. This also functions as a form of **Hyperbole**, exaggerating the extent of his suffering to convey the profound sense of despair and near-death experience. Furthermore, the verse employs **Metaphor**, where the overwhelming waters serve as a powerful symbol of God's judgment and the severe consequences of disobedience, echoing similar metaphors for distress found elsewhere in scripture.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jonah 2:3 serves as a profound theological statement on God's absolute sovereignty, even over the chaotic elements of creation and the rebellious choices of humanity. Jonah's acknowledgment that God "cast" him and that "all thy billows and thy waves passed over me" reveals a deep understanding that his suffering was not random, but divinely ordained discipline. This perspective allows him to move from despair to a posture of prayer and eventual repentance, recognizing God's ultimate control and purpose even in the midst of extreme adversity. It underscores the biblical truth that God uses all circumstances, including the most terrifying, to bring about His will and to draw His people back to Himself.

* [Psalm 42:7](/psalms/42-7 "Psalm 42:7 - All Thy Waves and Thy Billows are Gone Over Me")
* [Psalm 69:1-2](/psalms/69-1-2 "Psalm 69:1-2 - Save Me, O God; For the Waters are Come in Unto My Soul")
* [Lamentations 3:54](/lamentations/3-54 "Lamentations 3:54 - Waters Flowed Over My Head")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jonah 2:3 offers a powerful lens through which to view our own moments of overwhelming distress. When life's "floods" and "billows" threaten to engulf us, this verse calls us to recognize God's sovereign hand, even in the midst of our suffering. It challenges us to move beyond a victim mentality and to acknowledge that God can use difficult circumstances—whether self-inflicted through disobedience or permitted for our growth—as instruments of His divine purpose. Like Jonah, we are invited to confess His authority, even when His discipline feels severe. This recognition is the first step toward true repentance and a renewed trust in His unfailing power to deliver. Our deepest trials can become the very places where we encounter God most profoundly, learning to lean on His strength when our own fails, and finding hope in His control over all things.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life have you felt "cast into the deep" or "compassed about" by overwhelming circumstances?**
* **How does recognizing God's sovereignty over these difficult situations change your perspective or response?**
* **What might God be trying to teach you through the "billows and waves" that have passed over you?**
* **How can Jonah's prayer from the depths inspire you to turn to God in your own moments of despair or disobedience?**

### FAQ
**Was Jonah's suffering in the sea a punishment from God?**

Answer: While the Bible does not explicitly use the word "punishment," Jonah's experience in the sea was undoubtedly a direct consequence of his disobedience to God's command to go to Nineveh ([Jonah 1:1-3](/jonah/1-1-3 "Jonah 1:1-3 - Jonah Flees from God")). Jonah himself acknowledges God's active role, stating, "For thou hadst cast me into the deep" ([Jonah 2:3](/jonah/2-3 "Jonah 2:3 - God's Hand in Jonah's Ordeal")). This can be understood as divine discipline, a severe but ultimately redemptive act designed to bring Jonah to repentance and back into alignment with God's will. It was not merely punitive, but purposed for his spiritual correction and the fulfillment of God's mission.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jonah's experience in the belly of the great fish, particularly his descent into the "deep" and being "compassed about" by overwhelming waters, serves as a powerful Old Testament foreshadowing of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Jonah was "cast into the deep" and spent three days and three nights in the fish, Jesus himself declared that "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" ([Matthew 12:40](/matthew/12-40 "Matthew 12:40 - The Sign of Jonah")). The "floods" and "billows" that passed over Jonah metaphorically represent the overwhelming judgment and wrath of God for sin. In Christ, however, the ultimate "casting into the deep" occurred when He bore the full weight of humanity's sin on the cross, experiencing separation from God and the depths of suffering on our behalf ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). His resurrection from the "heart of the earth" after three days is the ultimate deliverance from the "deep," signifying His triumph over sin and death, offering true salvation and restoration to all who believe, fulfilling the sign of Jonah not merely as a miraculous escape, but as the cosmic victory over the ultimate "deep" of sin and death ([Romans 6:4](/romans/6-4 "Romans 6:4 - Buried with Christ Through Baptism")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 42:7

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Lamentations 3:54

Waters flowed over mine head; [then] I said, I am cut off.

Psalms 69:1

¶ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

Psalms 69:2

I sink in deep mire, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

Psalms 88:5

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

Psalms 88:8

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: [I am] shut up, and I cannot come forth.

Psalms 69:14

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.