Jonah 2:4
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Original Language Analysis
נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי
I am cast out
H1644
נִגְרַ֖שְׁתִּי
I am cast out
Strong's:
H1644
Word #:
3 of 11
to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce
מִנֶּ֣גֶד
H5048
מִנֶּ֣גֶד
Strong's:
H5048
Word #:
4 of 11
a front, i.e., part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before
עֵינֶ֑יךָ
of thy sight
H5869
עֵינֶ֑יךָ
of thy sight
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
5 of 11
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
אַ֚ךְ
H389
אוֹסִ֣יף
again
H3254
אוֹסִ֣יף
again
Strong's:
H3254
Word #:
7 of 11
to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
לְהַבִּ֔יט
yet I will look
H5027
לְהַבִּ֔יט
yet I will look
Strong's:
H5027
Word #:
8 of 11
to scan, i.e., look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care
Cross References
Psalms 31:22For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.Psalms 5:7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.2 Chronicles 6:38If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:Isaiah 38:17Behold, 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.Jeremiah 7:15And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.Daniel 6:10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Historical Context
The Jerusalem temple, completed by Solomon around 960 BC, served as the central place of worship for Israel. Though God doesn't literally dwell in buildings (1 Kings 8:27, Acts 7:48-49), He graciously associated His presence with the temple. Faithful Israelites prayed facing Jerusalem and the temple (1 Kings 8:48, Daniel 6:10), recognizing it as the place where God had put His name. Jonah's reference shows he hadn't abandoned covenant faith even in rebellion—he still identified with Israel's worship and God's presence.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jonah's wrestling between despair ("cast out") and hope ("yet I will look") reflect authentic Christian experience?
- What role does the temple play in Old Testament theology, and how does Christ fulfill and supersede it?
- How do we maintain hope in God's presence when circumstances suggest He has abandoned us?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. Jonah's emotional state oscillates between despair and hope. "I am cast out of thy sight" (nigrashti minneged eyneka, נִגְרַשְׁתִּי מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ) uses garash (גָּרַשׁ), meaning to drive out, expel, or banish—the same verb used for Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden (Genesis 3:24) and Israel's threatened exile for covenant unfaithfulness (Leviticus 26:33). Jonah feels utterly rejected, cut off from God's presence and favor.
Yet immediately faith asserts itself: "yet I will look again toward thy holy temple" (akh osif lehabit el-hekhal qodsheka, אַךְ אוֹסִיף לְהַבִּיט אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ). The adversative particle akh (אַךְ—"yet, nevertheless, surely") signals turning from despair to hope. The verb osif (אוֹסִיף) means "I will again, I will continue"—expressing determination to keep looking toward God despite feeling abandoned. "Thy holy temple" (hekhal qodsheka, הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ) refers to Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, the earthly dwelling place of God's name and presence.
This mirrors the theology of 1 Kings 8:28-30, 38-39, where Solomon dedicates the temple and asks God to hear prayers directed toward it, even from distant lands or desperate circumstances. Daniel later prayed toward Jerusalem while in Babylonian exile (Daniel 6:10). Jonah, drowning in the Mediterranean, turns his heart toward God's dwelling place. This anticipates Christ's teaching that true worship isn't limited to geographical location (John 4:21-24), though God graciously condescends to meet His people where He has placed His name.
The verse captures authentic faith's struggle—feeling cast out yet clinging to hope, experiencing rejection yet reaching toward God. This is the cry of every believer in dark nights of the soul, when circumstances scream abandonment but faith whispers that God remains faithful.