Jonah 2:5

KJV

The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

KJV (with Strong's)

The waters {H4325} compassed me about {H661}, even to the soul {H5315}: the depth {H8415} closed me round about {H5437}, the weeds {H5488} were wrapped about {H2280} my head {H7218}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The water surrounded me, threatened my life; the deep closed over me, seaweed twined around my head.

Berean Standard Bible

The waters engulfed me to take my life; the watery depths closed around me; the seaweed wrapped around my head.

American Standard Version

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jonah 2:5 vividly portrays the prophet's harrowing experience within the great fish, expressing profound physical and spiritual despair. This verse, part of Jonah's desperate prayer of repentance and plea for deliverance, captures his perception of being utterly consumed by the overwhelming waters and the encroaching grasp of death, highlighting his complete helplessness and the terrifying reality of his predicament.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated at the heart of Jonah's remarkable prayer, recorded in [Jonah chapter 2](/jonah/2 "Jonah's Prayer from the Belly of the Fish"). Following his deliberate disobedience to God's command to preach in Nineveh ([Jonah 1:2](/jonah/1-2 "God's Command to Nineveh")), Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish ([Jonah 1:3](/jonah/1-3 "Jonah Flees to Tarshish")). A divinely sent storm threatened the ship, leading the sailors to cast Jonah overboard after he confessed his culpability. Miraculously, God "prepared a great fish" ([Jonah 1:17](/jonah/1-17 "God Prepares a Great Fish")) to swallow Jonah, saving him from drowning but placing him in a unique, terrifying confinement. From this dark, watery abyss, Jonah cries out to the Lord, and this verse details the immediate, overwhelming sensations of his near-death experience before he articulates his hope in God's salvation.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** While the book of Jonah is a prophetic narrative, its setting evokes the ancient Near Eastern understanding of the sea as a place of chaos, danger, and often, the realm of death. For ancient mariners, being cast into the open ocean was a certain death sentence, and the "depth" (Hebrew: *tehom*) often carried connotations of the primordial abyss, a place of no return, akin to Sheol or the grave. The imagery of being "wrapped about" by weeds further emphasizes a complete and inescapable entanglement, a common fear for those drowning. Jonah's experience, therefore, taps into universal human fears of drowning, suffocation, and being consumed by forces beyond one's control, amplified by the cultural understanding of the sea as a hostile, life-ending environment.
* **Key Themes:** Jonah 2:5 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Jonah and broader biblical theology. It underscores the theme of **Divine Discipline and Sovereignty**, demonstrating that even in Jonah's flight and subsequent peril, God remains in control, using extraordinary means to bring His prophet to repentance. The verse also highlights **Profound Despair and Human Helplessness**, as Jonah's vivid description of being "compassed... to the soul" and "closed... round about" portrays a complete physical and existential engulfment, where he is utterly at the mercy of his circumstances. Yet, paradoxically, this extreme despair serves as a catalyst for **Desperate Prayer and Trust**, leading Jonah to turn to the Lord from the "belly of Sheol" ([Jonah 2:2](/jonah/2-2 "Jonah Cries from the Belly of Sheol")), implicitly acknowledging God's power to deliver even from such impossible depths.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Waters (Hebrew, _mayim'_):** H4325. This term, typically referring to water, is used here to denote the overwhelming, life-threatening mass of the ocean. In the context of Jonah's prayer, *mayim* represents not just a physical liquid but a force of chaos and death, engulfing him completely and threatening his very existence.
* **Soul (Hebrew, _nephesh'_):** H5315. More than just the spiritual part of a person, *nephesh* in Hebrew thought often refers to the whole person, their life, vitality, or inner being. When the waters compassed Jonah "to the soul," it signifies that his entire being – his life force, his consciousness, his very breath – was on the brink of extinction, overwhelmed by the terror and despair of his situation.
* **Depth (Hebrew, _tᵉhôwm'_):** H8415. This word signifies an abyss, a surging mass of water, or the deep sea. It often carries connotations of the primordial chaos (as in [Genesis 1:2](/genesis/1-2 "Genesis 1:2 - The Spirit Hovered Over the Deep")), the grave, or the underworld. For Jonah, *tᵉhôwm* is not merely deep water but a symbolic representation of Sheol, the realm of the dead, from which he cries out, reinforcing the sense of being in a place of no return.
* **Wrapped about (Hebrew, _châbash'_):** H2280. This primitive root means "to wrap firmly," "to bind up," or "to gird about." In this context, it vividly describes the weeds ensnaring Jonah's head, suggesting an inescapable, suffocating embrace. It emphasizes the physical entrapment and the feeling of being utterly bound and helpless, unable to break free from the grasp of death.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul:"** Jonah begins by describing the overwhelming physical sensation of the waters surrounding him. The phrase "compassed me about" (Hebrew: *ʼâphaph*, H661, and *çâbab*, H5437) conveys a complete encirclement, an inescapable embrace. The addition of "even to the soul" (Hebrew: *nephesh*, H5315) elevates this physical peril to an existential threat. It means the waters had not merely reached him physically, but had penetrated to the core of his being, threatening his very life, breath, and inner vitality. He felt utterly consumed, his life ebbing away.
* **"the depth closed me round about,"** This clause intensifies the previous image, moving from being surrounded by "waters" to being enclosed by "the depth" (Hebrew: *tᵉhôwm*, H8415). The "depth" here is more than just deep water; it evokes the primordial abyss, a place of chaos and death. The verb "closed me round about" (Hebrew: *çâbab*, H5437) reinforces the idea of being sealed within, with no escape. This suggests a sense of suffocation and being entombed, as if the very abyss had become his prison, cutting him off from the world of the living.
* **"the weeds were wrapped about my head."** This final phrase adds a chilling, specific detail to Jonah's ordeal. The "weeds" (Hebrew: *çûwph*, H5488, often referring to reeds or seaweed) are not just floating but "wrapped about" (Hebrew: *châbash*, H2280) his head. This imagery paints a vivid picture of entanglement and suffocation, highlighting his helplessness. It suggests that he was not merely floating but sinking, becoming ensnared by the vegetation of the deep, a final, suffocating embrace of death that would prevent him from surfacing or breathing.

#### Literary Devices
Jonah 2:5 is rich with vivid **Imagery**, painting a terrifying scene of Jonah's near-death experience. The description of "waters compassed me about," "depth closed me round about," and "weeds were wrapped about my head" appeals directly to the senses, allowing the reader to viscerally feel Jonah's suffocation and entrapment. The use of **Hyperbole** is evident in the intensity of his language, as he describes being engulfed "to the soul" and the "depth" closing around him, emphasizing the extremity of his despair and the perceived certainty of his demise. Furthermore, there is an element of **Personification** as the "waters" and "depth" are depicted as active agents, "compassing" and "closing" around him, almost as if they are living entities seeking to consume him. This contributes to the overwhelming sense of being attacked and swallowed by the forces of chaos and death, making his predicament feel even more menacing and inescapable.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jonah 2:5 powerfully articulates the depths of human despair and the overwhelming nature of divine discipline, yet it simultaneously lays the groundwork for a profound theological truth: God's sovereignty extends even to the most dire circumstances, and His ear is open to the cries of the repentant, even from what appears to be the very gates of death. Jonah's experience serves as a stark reminder that while the consequences of disobedience can be severe, they are ultimately intended to lead to a turning back to God. His prayer from the abyss demonstrates that no situation is too deep or too dark for God's presence and power to reach. This verse underscores the biblical theme that God can use even the most terrifying and seemingly hopeless situations to humble His servants, refine their faith, and prepare them for renewed obedience and service. It is a testament to the God who hears and saves, even when all human hope is lost.

* [Psalm 69:1-2](/psalms/69-1-2 "Psalm 69:1-2 - Drowning in Deep Waters")
* [Psalm 18:4-5](/psalms/18-4-5 "Psalm 18:4-5 - The Cords of Death Entangled Me")
* [Psalm 130:1](/psalms/130-1 "Psalm 130:1 - Crying from the Depths")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jonah's raw and visceral description in Jonah 2:5 offers a profound point of connection for anyone who has felt utterly overwhelmed by life's circumstances, whether by the consequences of their own choices, the weight of despair, or seemingly insurmountable challenges. When we feel as though the "waters" of anxiety, grief, or failure have "compassed us about, even to the soul," and the "depth" of our problems has "closed us round about," Jonah's prayer reminds us that we are not alone in such feelings. His experience teaches us that even in our lowest, most suffocating moments, when we feel entangled by the "weeds" of hopelessness, God is still present and accessible. This verse invites us to acknowledge the full extent of our despair without reservation, yet also to recognize that such a rock-bottom experience can be the very catalyst that compels us to cry out to God with unreserved dependence. It is a powerful call to turn from self-reliance to divine reliance, trusting that the God who prepared the fish can also prepare a way out of our own seemingly inescapable predicaments, leading us from the brink of despair to the shores of deliverance.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life do you feel "compassed about" or overwhelmed, even "to the soul"?**
* **How does Jonah's experience of hitting rock bottom encourage you to turn to God in your own moments of deep despair?**
* **What "weeds" (e.g., fears, anxieties, past mistakes) might be "wrapped about your head," preventing you from seeing God's pathway to deliverance?**

### FAQ
**What does "to the soul" mean in this context?**

Answer: When Jonah says the waters compassed him "even to the soul," it signifies more than just a physical threat. The Hebrew word for "soul" (*nephesh*) refers to the entire person, including their life force, breath, inner being, and vitality. Therefore, "to the soul" means that the overwhelming waters were threatening his very existence, his consciousness, and his ability to live. It conveys a sense of complete engulfment, not just physically but existentially, indicating that he felt his life ebbing away and his inner being consumed by the terror and despair of his situation. It highlights the profound depth of his peril and his feeling of being on the absolute brink of death.

**Is Jonah's description in this verse meant to be taken literally or is it poetic language?**

Answer: Jonah's description in [Jonah 2:5](/jonah/2-5 "Jonah 2:5 - Jonah's Prayer from the Deep") employs vivid, highly poetic, and metaphorical language, even though it describes a literal event. While Jonah was literally in the water and then in the fish, the phrases like "waters compassed me about, even to the soul" and "the depth closed me round about" use imagery common in biblical laments and psalms (e.g., [Psalm 42:7](/psalms/42-7 "Psalm 42:7 - Deep Calls to Deep")), which often describe overwhelming distress and proximity to death in terms of drowning or being swallowed by the deep. The "weeds wrapped about my head" could be a literal description of seaweed entanglement, but it also serves as powerful imagery for suffocation and inescapable entrapment. So, it's a blend: a literal experience described with rich, evocative poetic language that amplifies the sense of despair and the miraculous nature of his survival.

**How does Jonah's experience in this verse relate to God's discipline?**

Answer: Jonah 2:5 directly relates to God's discipline as it describes the dire consequences of Jonah's disobedience. God "prepared a great fish" ([Jonah 1:17](/jonah/1-17 "God Prepares a Great Fish")) to swallow Jonah after he fled from God's command to go to Nineveh. The overwhelming waters, the suffocating depth, and the entangling weeds are the immediate, terrifying realities of God's severe but redemptive discipline. This intense suffering was designed not to destroy Jonah, but to bring him to a point of repentance and complete reliance on God. It was through this experience of profound despair and near-death that Jonah was humbled and compelled to cry out to the Lord, ultimately leading to his deliverance and renewed obedience to God's mission in [Jonah chapter 3](/jonah/3 "Jonah Chapter 3 - Jonah Preaches to Nineveh").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jonah's harrowing experience in [Jonah 2:5](/jonah/2-5 "Jonah 2:5 - Jonah's Prayer from the Deep"), particularly his descent into the overwhelming "depth" and his three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, serves as a profound Old Testament type pointing directly to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as Jonah was swallowed by the fish and emerged alive, so too did Jesus descend into the "depths" of death and the grave, only to triumphantly rise again on the third day. Jesus Himself explicitly drew this parallel, stating, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will 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")). While Jonah's experience was a consequence of his disobedience, Christ's descent was a voluntary act of perfect obedience, a journey into the "depths" of human sin and death to secure our salvation. The "waters" and "depth" that threatened to consume Jonah foreshadow the spiritual and physical agony Christ endured, bearing the full weight of God's wrath against sin. Yet, unlike Jonah who was merely delivered, Jesus conquered death, emerging from the grave not just to be set free, but to offer eternal life to all who believe, demonstrating His ultimate victory over the powers of darkness and the grave ([Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Triumph Over Principalities")). Thus, Jonah's cry from the abyss finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in the resurrected Christ, who truly descended into the depths so that we might be raised to new life ([Ephesians 4:9-10](/ephesians/4-9-10 "Ephesians 4:9-10 - Christ's Descent and Ascent")).

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 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.

Lamentations 3:54

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

Psalms 40:2

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.