Jonah 2:7
When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
Original Language Analysis
בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף
fainted
H5848
בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֤ף
fainted
Strong's:
H5848
Word #:
1 of 12
to shroud, i.e., clothe (whether transitive or reflexive); hence (from the idea of darkness) to languish
עָלַי֙
H5921
עָלַי֙
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 12
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
נַפְשִׁ֔י
When my soul
H5315
נַפְשִׁ֔י
When my soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
3 of 12
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
4 of 12
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
יְהוָ֖ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
5 of 12
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
זָכָ֑רְתִּי
within me I remembered
H2142
זָכָ֑רְתִּי
within me I remembered
Strong's:
H2142
Word #:
6 of 12
properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e., to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male
תְּפִלָּתִ֔י
and my prayer
H8605
תְּפִלָּתִ֔י
and my prayer
Strong's:
H8605
Word #:
9 of 12
intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymn
Cross References
Psalms 18:6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.2 Chronicles 30:27Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.Psalms 11:4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.1 Samuel 30:6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.Psalms 143:5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.Psalms 27:13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.Psalms 65:4Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
Historical Context
The connection between prayer and the temple reflects Solomon's dedication prayer (1 Kings 8), where he asked God to hear prayers directed toward the temple from any location—land, sea, captivity, or distress. Faithful Israelites like Daniel continued this practice (Daniel 6:10). Jonah's prayer from the fish's belly demonstrates this theology in action—even from impossible distance and desperate circumstances, prayer directed toward God's dwelling reaches Him.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean to "remember the LORD" in the biblical sense, and how does this differ from mere mental acknowledgment?
- How does Jonah's prayer reaching God's temple from the ocean depths encourage us when we feel distant from God?
- In what ways has Christ's work eliminated the need for a physical temple while fulfilling the temple's purpose?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. At the point of death, Jonah finally turns to God in genuine prayer. "When my soul fainted within me" (behit'atef alay nafshi, בְּהִתְעַטֵּף עָלַי נַפְשִׁי) uses ataf (עָטַף), meaning to grow faint, feeble, or weak. The reflexive form indicates self-induced weakness—as Jonah's life ebbed away, consciousness fading, at that extremity he "remembered the LORD" (et-YHWH zakarti, אֶת־יְהוָה זָכָרְתִּי).
"Remembered" (zakar, זָכַר) in Hebrew means more than mental recollection—it implies calling to mind with intention to act. When God "remembers" Noah (Genesis 8:1), Rachel (Genesis 30:22), or His covenant (Exodus 2:24), He acts to deliver. When humans "remember" God, they return to covenant faithfulness. Jonah's remembering involves turning back to the Lord he'd been fleeing, acknowledging His authority, and crying out for mercy.
"And my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple" (vatavo eleka tefillati el-hekhal qodsheka, וַתָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ תְפִלָּתִי אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ) recalls verse 4's determination to look toward the temple. Now Jonah reports that his prayer actually reached God's dwelling place. The verb bo (בּוֹא—"came in") suggests entrance, arrival, or being received. Despite praying from the fish's belly at the ocean bottom, Jonah's prayer penetrated to heaven's throne room. This demonstrates that God hears prayers from any location, any depth, any darkness. No distance, barrier, or circumstance can prevent prayers from reaching God's ears.
This verse's theology anticipates New Testament teaching: God hears wherever we cry out in faith (Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 5:14-15). Christ's high priestly intercession ensures our prayers reach the Father (Hebrews 7:25). The temple no longer matters because Christ Himself is the meeting place between God and humanity (John 2:19-21, Hebrews 10:19-22).