by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, we walked through the verses of the first chapter of the Book of Jonah. I had seen the connection the entire prophetic book during our Wednesday, Mid-Week Prayer Gathering when we all prayed for Israel after the attacks against it by Hamas terrorists from Gaza. But we also prayed for the civilians in Gaza who now suffer in the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I write this, amid the flurry of diplomatic visits and unpublicized back-channel efforts, Israel prepares for what looks like to be a massive air, sea and land assault on northern Gaza. The plight of the very many hostages (~200) of many different nationalities taken by Hamas now comes into sharper focus. May the Lord Jesus Christ look after these hostages and keep them safe. May the Lord grant a just end to this war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Jonah 1:9, the reluctant, disobedient prophet of the LORD had made his first great confession about his powerful God, \u201cthe God of Heaven\u2026 who made the sea and dry land\u201d who was causing the storm. Jonah knew he was getting punished for disobeying the LORD. And he felt mercy towards the noble sailors in contrast to his hatred for Nineveh. We finished chapter 1 of Jonah where he was swallowed up by a great \u03ba<\/em>\u1fc6<\/em>\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/em> (Greek \u201cketos\u201d meaning sea monster\/creature) appointed by the LORD, and he stayed 3 days and 3 nights in its belly (verse 17).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah 2 is like a psalm\/hymn\/song of thanksgiving. Scholars point out that there are many parallels between its verses and the other existing 150 psalms in the Bible\u2019s Book of Psalms (and also other Old Testament [OT] Books). There seems to be an introduction in verse 1 and a conclusion in verse 10 which actually looks more like it can directly follow verse 1. But as it is, Jonah 2:1 and 2:10 serve as the narrative prose book-ends of the psalm-like poetry found in verses 2 – 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verse 1 is straightforward and can be translated as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Jonah prayed to the LORD, his God from the belly of the sea monster<\/mark><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As previously stated, the Hebrew of Jonah 2:1 uses \u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d2\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4 (\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d2\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cdagah\u201d) while the LXX uses \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> (from \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/em> \u201ck\u00e9tos\u201d). While I am translating from the Hebrew, I will continue to use the Greek version for sea monster (\u201ck\u00e9tos\u201d). This verse is supposed to be a prayer for deliverance by Jonah but as we shall see, the contents show it is more like a psalm of thanksgiving after<\/em><\/strong> (or at least, anticipating) his deliverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verse 10 is also straightforward and can be translated as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the LORD spoke to the sea monster<\/mark> and it vomited Jonah unto dry land.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hebrew of Jonah 2:10 uses \u05dc\u05b7\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05a3\u05d2 (\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d2 \u201cdag\u201d) while the LXX uses \u03ba\u03ae\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9<\/mark><\/em> (also from \u03ba\u1fc6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/em> \u201ck\u00e9tos\u201d). Furthermore, the LXX also has a slight variation in that the Greek verse actually reads as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it was commanded to the sea monster and it vomited Jonah unto dry land.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us now walk through its poetic verses with my formal translation and see the parallels scholars say Jonah 2:2-9 shares with other Psalms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2<\/sup>And he said: I called out from my tribulation to the LORD and he answered me, from the belly of Sheol I cried; you heard my voice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTribulation\u201d above comes from the Hebrew MT \u05e6\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u201ctsarah\u201d and Greek LXX \u03b8\u03bb<\/em>\u1fd6<\/em>\u03c8\u03b9\u03c2<\/em> \u201cthlipsis\u201d meaning tribulation or distress. \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc \u201cSheol\u201d is the Hebrew word for the underworld (of the dead); also for the grave. The LXX uses the word \u201cHades\u201d here. Commentaries and Study Bibles say verse 2 parallels Psalms 3:4; 18:4-6; 118:5 and 120:1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3<\/sup>You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the rivers enclosed me; all your billows and your waves passed over me.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Commentaries and Study Bibles point out parallels between verse 3 above and Psalms 42:7; 69:1-2, 14-15 and 88:6-7. It is also pointed out that the use of \u201cyour billows\u201d and \u201cyour waves\u201d with the possessive pronouns highlight Jonah\u2019s belief that these elements were under the full control of the LORD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4<\/sup>And I said: I am driven away from your eyes; yet I will again look toward your holy temple.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Psalms 5:7 and 31:22 are paralleled by verse 4 above. Jonah keeps his faith in the LORD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5<\/sup>Water encompassed me even to (my) soul; the deep enclosed me; reeds bound my head.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Psalms 18:4-5 and 69:1-2 are parallels for verse 5. The realization of impending doom is so palpable to Jonah; water as the agent of death was surrounding his very soul\/life. The LXX has a variant in the last clause. Instead of the Hebrew \u201creeds bound my head\u201d the Greek has \u201cmy head sank into the crevices of the mountains\u201d according to the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6<\/sup>To the base of the mountains I descended; the earth\u2019s bars forever behind me; but you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah 2:6 above has thematic parallels with Psalms 18:5; 88:3-4; and 116:3 regarding death as a descent, and Psalms 16:10 and 30:3 regarding deliverance from Sheol or the \u201cpit.\u201d The Hebrew word for \u201cpit\u201d used in this verse is \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea (\u201cshachath\u201d also meaning destruction; used in parallel with Sheol). The last clause seems to indicate that the LORD had already saved Jonah from death (in context, after 3 days and nights?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7<\/sup>When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD; and my prayer came to you, unto your holy temple.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Verse 7 above has parallels in Psalms 18:6; 142:1-3; and 143:4. The idea and the Hebrew words of the phrase \u201cmy soul fainted within me\u201d are even the same ones used in Psalms 142:3 and 143:4 (other than \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u201cruach\u201d for \u201cspirit\u201d used in these Psalms instead of \u05e0\u05b6\u05e4\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1 \u201cnephesh\u201d for \u201csoul\u201d in Jonah 2:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8<\/sup>They who keep worthless vanities forsake their faithfulness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Jewish Study Bible uses the phrase \u201ccling to empty folly.\u201d Both the ESV and NASB Bibles use \u201cregard vain idols.\u201d The Hebrew can certainly mean vain or worthless idols as how it is translated in the NIV and other Bibles. Psalm 31:6 is a parallel. It uses the same Hebrew words underlying \u201cworthless vanities\u201d or \u201cempty folly\u201d or \u201cvain idols\u201d or \u201cworthless idols.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9<\/sup>But I with a voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; that which I vowed I will make good; salvation (is) of the LORD.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The theme of thanksgiving with corresponding sacrifice in the first clause resonates with Psalm 50:14. The last clause identifying the LORD with salvation is paralleled by Psalms 3:8; 42:5; and 50:23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here was Jonah\u2019s second great confession: Salvation (is) of the LORD! And \u201csalvation\u201d is the Hebrew \u05d9\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cyeshuah\u201d from where we get the actual name of our Lord Jesus: \u201cYeshua.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last week, we walked through the verses of the first chapter of the Book of Jonah. I had seen the connection the entire prophetic book during our Wednesday, Mid-Week Prayer Gathering when we all prayed for Israel after the attacks against it by Hamas terrorists from Gaza. But we also…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":348,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347\/revisions\/348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}