Jonah 2 · Verse 6

Jonah 2:6

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.
Jonah 2:6, King James Version

Jonah 2:6 in other translations

BSBTo the roots of the mountains I descended; the earth beneath me barred me in forever! But You raised my life from the pit, O LORD my God!
WEBI went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever; yet you have brought my life up from the pit, LORD my God.
ASVI went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.
YLTTo the cuttings of mountains I have come down, The earth, her bars are behind me to the age. And Thou bringest up from the pit my life, O Jehovah my God.
DARBYI went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The bars of the earth closed upon me for ever: But thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.
BBEI went down to the bases of the mountains; as for the earth, her walls were about me for ever: but you have taken up my life from the underworld, O Lord my God.
WebsterI 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.

What does Jonah 2:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. bottoms of ... mountains--their extremities where they terminate in the hidden depths of the sea. Compare Psa 18:7, "the foundations of the hills" (Psa 18:15). earth with her bars was about me--Earth, the land of the living, is (not "was") shut against me. for ever--so far as any effort of mine can deliver me. yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption--rather, "Thou bringest ... from the pit" [Maurer]. As in the previous clauses he expresses the hopelessness of his state, so in this, his sure hope of deliverance through Jehovah's infinite resources. "Against hope he believes in hope," and speaks as if the deliverance were actually being accomplished. Hezekiah seems to have incorporated Jonah's very words in his prayer (Is 38:17), just as Jonah appropriated the language of the Psalms.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains - This also may be literally understood. The fish followed the slanting base of the mountains, till they terminated in a plain at the bottom of the great deep. The earth with her bars - He represents himself as a prisoner in a dungeon, closed in with bars which he could not remove, and which at first appeared to be for ever, i.e., the place where his life must terminate. Yet hast thou brought up my life - The substance of this poetic prayer was composed while in the fish's belly; but afterwards the prophet appears to have thrown it into its present poetic form, and to have added some circumstances, such as that before us; for he now speaks of his deliverance from this imminent danger of death. "Thou hast brought up my life from corruption."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 2:1-9

Observe when Jonah prayed. When he was in trouble, under the tokens of God's displeasure against him for sin: when we are in affliction we must pray. Being kept alive by miracle, he prayed. A sense of God's good-will to us, notwithstanding our offences, opens the lips in prayer, which were closed with the dread of wrath. Also, where he prayed; in the belly of the fish. No place is amiss for prayer. Men may shut us…

Read the full comment on Jonah 2:1-9 →

Jonah 2:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לְקִצְבֵ֤יle.kitz.Veito extremities ofH7095
הָרִים֙ha.RimmountainsH2022
יָרַ֔דְתִּיya.Rad.tiI went downH3381
הָאָ֛רֶץha.'A.retzthe earthH776
בְּרִחֶ֥יהָbe.ri.Chei.habars itsH1280
בַעֲדִ֖יva.'a.Di[were] behind meH1157
לְעוֹלָ֑םle.'o.Lamfor everH5769
וַתַּ֧עַלva.Ta.'aland you brought upH5927
מִשַּׁ֛חַתmi.Sha.chatfrom [the] pitH7845
חַיַּ֖יchai.Yailife myH2416
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehO YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהָֽי\׃'e.lo.HaiGod myH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jonah 2:6

  • Psalms 30:3

    O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

  • Psalms 16:10

    For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

  • Isaiah 38:17

    Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

  • Deuteronomy 32:22

    For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

  • Psalms 143:7

    Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

  • Proverbs 8:25-29

    Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: …

  • Psalms 104:8

    They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

  • Habakkuk 3:10

    The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.

  • Psalms 55:23

    But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

  • Psalms 104:6

    Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

  • Job 33:28

    He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

  • Job 33:24

    Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
bottoms. Heb. cuttings off. mountains.
De 32:22; Ps 65:6; 104:6,8; Isa 40:12; Hab 3:6,10
the earth.
Job 38:4-11; Pr 8:25-29
yet.
Ps 16:10; Isa 38:17; Ac 13:33-37
corruption. or, the pit.
Job 33:24,28; Ps 30:3,9; 55:23; 143:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jonah 2:5

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

  • Jonah 2:6

    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.

  • Jonah 2:7

    When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Read all of Jonah 2

Jonah 2:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Las aguas me rodearon hasta el alma, rodeóme el abismo; la ova se enredó á mi cabeza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les eaux m’ont environné jusqu’à l’âme, l’abîme m’a entouré, les algues ont enveloppé ma tête.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Wasser umfingen mich bis an die Seele, die Tiefe umschloß mich, das Meergras schlang sich um mein Haupt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Circumdederunt me aquæ usque ad animam: abyssus vallavit me, pelagus operuit caput meum.