1
Καὶ προσέταξεν κύριος κήτει μεγάλῳ καταπιεῖν τὸν Ἰωνᾶν· καὶ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.
And the LORD commanded a great sea-monster to swallow Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster three days and three nights.
Sequence (narrative continuation)ΚαίOpens the chapter with a bare narrative report: divine command and its result. The καί links directly to the sailors' prayer and Jonah's casting overboard (1:15–16). The three-days motif (cited by Jesus at Matt 12:40) is established here with the LXX word κήτος — sea-monster — not the vaguer Hebrew דָּג.
Καὶandcoordinating conjunction (narrative sequence)
προσέταξενcommandedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · προστάσσωmain verb→ constative aorist (single decisive divine command)προστάσσω: 'command, order'; God's sovereign authority over creation. Recurs at 2:11 and 4:6, 7, 8, forming a motif of divine 'appointments.' LXX preferred over ἐκέλευσεν.
κύριοςthe LORDNominativesubject nominativeκύριος: translating the divine name YHWH; 'Lord' throughout LXX Jonah.
κήτειsea-monsterDativedative of indirect object (recipient of command)κῆτος: standard Greek for a great sea-beast or whale; Aristotle uses it of large marine animals. Here it translates דָּג גָּדוֹל ('great fish'). Cited verbatim by Matt 12:40 (κοιλία τοῦ κήτους).
μεγάλῳgreatDativeattributive adjective (modifying κήτει)
καταπιεῖνto swallowAor Act Inf · καταπίνωcomplementary infinitive (content of command)→ constative aorist infinitiveκαταπίνω: 'swallow whole'; a vivid compound (κατά + πίνω). Used of the sea swallowing things (Exod 15:12 LXX); here the creature as instrument of divine judgment and preservation.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
ἸωνᾶνJonahAccusativeaccusative direct objectἸωνᾶς: Greek rendering of יוֹנָה ('dove'); declines as a first-declension noun.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (clause conjunction)
ἦνwasImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (durative state)→ descriptive imperfect (extended condition over three days)εἰμί: copula; the imperfect vividly portrays Jonah's continued existence inside the fish.
ἸωνᾶςJonahNominativesubject nominative
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative)
τῇtheDativearticle
κοιλίᾳbellyDativedative of location (governed by ἐν)κοιλία: 'belly, womb, interior cavity'; in 2:3 it becomes κοιλία ᾅδου ('belly of Hades'), a famous Psalter phrase (cf. Ps 17:6 LXX). Matt 12:40 cites κοιλία τοῦ κήτους directly.
τοῦof theGenitivearticle
κήτουςsea-monsterGenitivegenitive of the whole (within whose belly)κῆτος: see note on κήτει above.
τρεῖςthreeAccusativeaccusative of time extentτρεῖς: numeral; three days and three nights is a Semitic idiom for a complete period (cf. Esth 4:16 LXX). Cited by Matt 12:40 for the Son of Man's burial.
ἡμέραςdaysAccusativeaccusative of time (extent of duration)ἡμέρα: 'day.' The idiom τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας = three full day-night cycles.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
τρεῖςthreeAccusativeaccusative of time extent
νύκταςnightsAccusativeaccusative of time (extent of duration)νύξ: 'night'; paired with ἡμέρα for completeness, a merism for a full period.
2
Καὶ προσηύξατο Ἰωνᾶς πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους
And Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the sea-monster,
Narrative setting (introduces the psalm)ΚαίA transitional narrative hinge: the aorist προσηύξατο frames everything in 2:3–10 as a single prayer-event. The phrase 'from the belly of the sea-monster' ties the psalm firmly to the fish-episode; the prayer itself then speaks in past tenses, recalling the drowning and rescue as already experienced — a thanksgiviving psalm structure.
Καὶandcoordinating conjunction (narrative sequence)
προσηύξατοprayedAor Mid Indic 3 Sg · προσεύχομαιmain verb→ constative aorist (the entire psalm as one prayer-act)προσεύχομαι: the standard LXX/NT word for formal prayer addressed to God; the deponent mid. has no passive force.
ἸωνᾶςJonahNominativesubject nominative
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (direction of address)
κύριονthe LORDAccusativeaccusative object of πρός (addressee)κύριος: YHWH; Jonah prays 'to the LORD his God,' a personal confessional formula.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
θεὸνGodAccusativeapposition to κύριονθεός: in apposition, 'the LORD, his God' — a confessional title stressing personal relationship.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (modifying θεόν)
ἐκfrompreposition + genitive (place of origin)
τῆςtheGenitivearticle
κοιλίαςbellyGenitivegenitive of place from which (governed by ἐκ)κοιλία: 'belly'; see 2:1 note. Here it grounds the prayer spatially inside the fish.
τοῦof theGenitivearticle
κήτουςsea-monsterGenitivegenitive of the wholeκῆτος: see 2:1. The two narrative frame verses (2:2, 2:11) both use this term, binding the psalm.
3
καὶ εἶπεν· Ἐβόησα ἐν θλίψει μου πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεόν μου, καὶ εἰσήκουσέν μου· ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου κραυγῆς μου ἤκουσας τὴν φωνήν μου.
and said: 'I cried out in my affliction to the LORD my God, and he heard me; from the belly of Hades you heard my cry, you heard my voice.'
Direct speech (introduces the psalm proper)καὶ εἶπενThe psalm opens with the classic lament-praise incipit: a past cry that was heard. The shift from third person (εἰσήκουσέν μου) to second person (ἤκουσας) within the verse is a Psalter feature — address to God picks up mid-verse. The phrase κοιλία ᾅδου is a famous LXX rendering of שְׁאוֹל (Sheol), the underworld; parallel to Ps 17:6 LXX (ὠδῖνες ᾅδου). Here Jonah equates the fish's belly with Sheol itself — a theological depth-claim.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (continues narrative frame of v.2)
εἶπενsaidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωverb of speech (introduces direct discourse)→ constative aoristλέγω: 'say'; the standard verb introducing direct speech. Everything in 2:3–10 is embedded under this verb.
ἘβόησαI cried outAor Act Indic 1 Sg · βοάωmain verb (psalm incipit)→ constative aorist (single intense cry in extremity)βοάω: 'cry aloud, shout'; a strong verb of distress-prayer in the Psalter (Ps 3:5; 21:6; 87:14 LXX). The aorist recalls the cry from within the fish as an accomplished past event.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (circumstantial: sphere of affliction)
θλίψειmy afflictionDativedative of sphere (in/during affliction)θλίψις: 'pressure, affliction, distress'; a key Psalter word (e.g. Ps 4:2; 9:10 LXX), picking up the vocabulary of the lament tradition. NT: Rom 5:3; 2 Cor 1:4 etc.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (modifying θλίψει)
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (direction of address)
κύριονthe LORDAccusativeaccusative object of πρός (addressee)κύριος: YHWH.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
θεόνGodAccusativeapposition to κύριον
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (modifying θεόν)
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (result)
εἰσήκουσένhe heardAor Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰσακούωmain verb (divine response)→ constative aorist (effective hearing — God answered)εἰσακούω: 'hear and respond, heed'; a compound with εἰς emphasizing effective, answered prayer, not mere perception. Common in LXX Psalter (Ps 3:5; 4:2; 6:10). Stronger than the simple ἀκούω.
μουmeGenitivegenitive object of εἰσακούω (the one heard)
ἐκfrompreposition + genitive (place of origin of cry)
κοιλίαςbellyGenitivegenitive of place from whichκοιλία: see 2:1–2. Here κοιλία ᾅδου ('belly of Hades') renders שְׁאוֹל — Sheol, the realm of the dead. Jonah identifies the fish with the underworld. Parallel to Ps 17:6 LXX (ὠδῖνες ᾅδου, 'birth-pangs of Hades'). A famous LXX theological interpretive choice.
ᾅδουof HadesGenitivegenitive of the whole (belly belonging to Hades)ᾅδης: 'Hades, the underworld'; LXX standard rendering of שְׁאוֹל. The phrase κοιλία ᾅδου became a fixed LXX theological image for death's domain. Acts 2:27, 31 quotes the related Ps 15:10 LXX.
κραυγῆςof my cryGenitivegenitive of source (the cry that prompted divine hearing)κραυγή: 'outcry, urgent shout'; a strong word for prayer in extremis. Heb 5:7 uses κραυγή for Jesus' prayers in Gethsemane.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (modifying κραυγῆς)
ἤκουσαςyou heardAor Act Indic 2 Sg · ἀκούωmain verb (direct address to God)→ constative aoristἀκούω: 'hear'; the shift here to second-person address (ἤκουσας, 'you heard') is the typical Psalter transition from report about God to direct address — it enacts intimacy and praise.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle
φωνήνvoiceAccusativeaccusative direct objectφωνή: 'voice, sound'; here the cry of prayer. 'You heard my voice' (φωνήν μου) closes the verse, amplifying 'my cry' (κραυγή) above, in typical Psalter parallelism.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (modifying φωνήν)
4
Ἀπέρριψάς με εἰς βάθη καρδίας θαλάσσης, καὶ ποταμοί με περιεκύκλωσαν· πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ διῆλθαν.
You cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and rivers surrounded me; all your surging waves and your billows passed over me.
Elaboration (deepening of the lament)asyndetonAsyndeton continues the psalm; Jonah shifts to addressing God directly. The three-part accumulation (depths of the sea, surrounding rivers, waves passing over) enacts the experience of drowning rhetorically. The phrase πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου echoes Ps 41:8 LXX (πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου ... ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ), a direct Psalter quotation that signals Jonah's psalm as consciously psalmic composition.
Ἀπέρριψάςyou castAor Act Indic 2 Sg · ἀπορρίπτωmain verb (direct address, divine action recalled)→ constative aorist (single decisive act of casting)ἀπορρίπτω: 'throw away, cast off'; a strong verb with a sense of violent ejection. The sailors cast Jonah into the sea (1:15), but here Jonah interprets that act as God's own action — theological re-reading of providence.
μεmeAccusativeaccusative direct object
εἰςintopreposition + accusative (direction/goal)
βάθηthe depthsAccusativeaccusative object of εἰς (destination)βάθος: 'depth'; plural βάθη intensifies the profundity. Also in Ps 68:3, 15 LXX (εἰς βάθη ὕδατος). Paul uses βάθος of God's riches (Rom 11:33) and of the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10).
καρδίαςof the heartGenitivegenitive of description (innermost part of the sea)καρδία: 'heart, center'; used spatially here for the very middle of the sea — a Hebraism (לֵב הַיָּם, Exod 15:8; Ps 46:3 LXX: ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης). Unusual spatial use flagging a Hebraism.
θαλάσσηςof the seaGenitivegenitive of the whole (the sea whose heart this is)θάλασσα: 'sea'; the great chaotic deep, imagery inherited from ANE creation mythology.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ποταμοίriversNominativesubject nominativeποταμός: 'river'; in a sea context 'currents' or 'floods.' A Hebraism for the surge of waters (נְהָרוֹת, cf. Ps 23:2; Jon 2:4 MT נָהָר). The imagery of encircling floods is a Psalter lament-type.
μεmeAccusativeaccusative direct object
περιεκύκλωσανsurroundedAor Act Indic 3 Pl · περικυκλόωmain verb→ constative aorist (floods encircled at one moment)περικυκλόω: 'encircle, surround'; a compound of κύκλος ('circle'). The completeness of entrapment — no escape on any side — is the rhetorical point.
πάντεςallNominativeattributive adjective (modifying μετεωρισμοί)
οἱtheNominativearticle
μετεωρισμοίsurging wavesNominativesubject nominativeμετεωρισμός: 'wave-swell, billow'; from μετεωρίζω ('lift up, raise high'). Rare word, found in Ps 41:8 LXX (πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου), which is directly echoed here — a deliberate allusion to the Psalter.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (waves belonging to God)The possessive 'your' (σου) is significant: the waves are God's — the sea belongs to him, and its violence against Jonah is divine in origin.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
τὰtheNominativearticle
κύματάbillowsNominativesubject nominative (paired with μετεωρισμοί)κῦμα: 'wave'; a standard sea-term. The doublet μετεωρισμοί/κύματα parallels MT שְׁבָרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ ('your breakers and your waves') — poetic synonyms in the Psalter.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession
ἐπ᾽overpreposition + accusative (motion over/upon)
ἐμὲmeAccusativeaccusative object of ἐπί (the one overwhelmed)
διῆλθανpassed overAor Act Indic 3 Pl · διέρχομαιmain verb→ constative aorist (waves swept over in one overwhelming moment)διέρχομαι: 'pass through/over'; the compound with διά adds the sense of thoroughness — the waves passed completely over and through him. Cf. Ps 41:8 LXX.
5
Κἀγὼ εἶπα· Ἀπῶσμαι ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου· ἆρά γε προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπιβλέψαι πρὸς ναὸν τὸν ἅγιόν σου;
And I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; surely I shall yet look again toward your holy temple.'
Interiority (Jonah's inner speech recalled)ΚἀγώΚἀγώ (crasis of καὶ ἐγώ) marks a shift to Jonah's own thoughts during the crisis. The perfect ἀπῶσμαι expresses a concluded state: 'I have been thrust away and am away.' The hopeful second clause — a future pointed toward the temple — is the psalm's rhetorical pivot, preserving hope even at the nadir. ἆρά γε + future is a Hebraistic idiom for a strong affirmative question ('surely...?') equivalent to an assertion.
Κἀγὼand Icrasis (καὶ ἐγώ); subject pronoun with connectiveCrasis of καί + ἐγώ; the emphatic pronoun foregrounds Jonah's own response to the drowning.
εἶπαsaidAor Act Indic 1 Sg · λέγωmain verb (introduces interior monologue)→ constative aoristλέγω: introduces the inner speech — a Psalter feature in which the psalmist quotes his own desperate thoughts.
ἈπῶσμαιI am driven awayPerf Pass Indic 1 Sg · ἀπωθέωmain verb (state of exclusion)→ intensive perfect (permanent state: 'I stand cast away')ἀπωθέω: 'thrust away, repel'; the perfect passive conveys Jonah's experienced state of being utterly excluded from God's presence. The same root is used in Ps 87:15 LXX (ἀπωσάμενος ψυχήν μου, 'you have rejected my soul').
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation from)
ὀφθαλμῶνthe sight / eyesGenitivegenitive of separation (the eyes from which Jonah is removed)ὀφθαλμός: 'eye'; ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου = 'from before your eyes' = outside divine notice. A Hebraism: מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ (MT Jonah 2:5). Exclusion from God's sight was tantamount to death.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (God's eyes)
ἆράsurelyinterrogative particle (expecting positive answer; rhetorical affirmation)ἆρά γε: an interrogative-affirmative idiom in LXX, often rendering אַךְ or הֲ + affirmation. Here: 'shall I not look again?' = 'I will surely look again.' A Hebraism signaling hope.
γεyet / indeedemphatic particle (intensifies ἆρά)γε: an enclitic focusing particle adding emphasis; with ἆρά it sharpens the affirmative force.
προσθήσωI shall add / shall yetFut Act Indic 1 Sg · προστίθημιmain verb (auxiliary idiomatic use: 'shall again')→ predictive futureπροστίθημι: 'add'; in a Hebraistic idiom προσθήσω + infinitive = 'I will do [something] again/additionally' (cf. Gen 4:2 LXX). A Hebraism: יָסַף + infinitive. Here: 'I will again look toward your temple.'
τοῦtoGenitivearticle (introducing articular infinitive of purpose/content)
ἐπιβλέψαιto lookAor Act Inf · ἐπιβλέπωarticular infinitive (content of προσθήσω)→ constative aorist infinitiveἐπιβλέπω: 'look toward, gaze upon'; a directional compound (ἐπί + βλέπω). The upward/forward gaze toward the temple (ναός) in prayer is the posture of the faithful in exile (cf. 1 Kgs 8:29–30; Dan 6:11).
πρὸςtowardpreposition + accusative (direction of gaze)
ναὸνtempleAccusativeaccusative object of πρός (destination of gaze)ναός: 'temple, inner sanctuary'; here the Jerusalem temple as the locus of divine presence. The exiled or endangered Israelite orients prayer toward the temple (cf. Ps 5:8; Dan 6:11). Jonah, from inside the fish, vows this orientation.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
ἅγιόνholyAccusativeattributive adjective (modifying ναόν)ἅγιος: 'holy'; the standard epithet of the temple and everything set apart for God. ναὸν τὸν ἅγιόν σου = 'your holy temple' — a Psalter formula (Ps 5:8; 137:2 LXX).
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (God's temple)
6
Περιεχύθη ὕδωρ μοι ἕως ψυχῆς, ἄβυσσος ἐκύκλωσέν με ἐσχάτη, ἔδυ ἡ κεφαλή μου εἰς σχισμὰς ὀρέων·
Water was poured around me up to the soul; the uttermost abyss encircled me; my head went down into the clefts of the mountains.
Continuation (descent imagery)asyndetonAsyndeton continues the psalm's descent: the engulfing waters 'up to the soul' (ἕως ψυχῆς, Hebraistic עַד־נֶפֶשׁ; cf. Ps 68:2 LXX), the encircling ἄβυσσος (the primeval deep of Gen 1:2 LXX), and the head sunk to the mountain-clefts — three images of drowning depth preparing the nadir of v.7.
Περιεχύθηwas poured aroundAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · περιχέωmain verb (asyndeton)→ constative aoristπεριχέω: 'pour around'; the passive paints the flood engulfing the speaker — rendering the Hebrew אֲפָפוּנִי ('they encompassed me'); cf. Ps 17:5 LXX.
ὕδωρwaterNominativesubject of Περιεχύθηὕδωρ: the chaos-waters of the deep; with ἄβυσσος below, the vocabulary of the primeval flood.
μοιaround meDativedative of disadvantage
ἕωςup toimproper preposition + genitiveἕως: Hebraistic for עַד; 'up to the soul' = to the point of life itself; verbatim in Ps 68:2 LXX (εἰσήλθοσαν ὕδατα ἕως ψυχῆς μου).
ψυχῆςthe soulGenitiveobject of ἕωςψυχή = נֶפֶשׁ 'life'; the waters reach the very life — drowning imagery, not psychology.
ἄβυσσοςabyssNominativesubject nominativeἄβυσσος: 'abyss, bottomless deep'; the primordial deep of Gen 1:2 LXX (ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου). In the Psalter it denotes both the cosmic sea-depths and the realm of the dead (Ps 35:7; 70:20; 106:26 LXX). NT: Rev 9:1–2 etc. A key LXX theological term.
ἐκύκλωσένsurroundedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · κυκλόωmain verb→ constative aorist (the abyss encircled in one moment)κυκλόω: 'surround, encircle'; picks up the root from περιεκύκλωσαν (v.4) — the encircling image intensifying.
μεmeAccusativeaccusative direct object
ἐσχάτηuttermostNominativepredicate adjective or attributive (the abyss that is uttermost)ἔσχατος: 'last, uttermost, extreme'; ἄβυσσος ἐσχάτη = 'the uttermost abyss,' the very deepest depth — superlative spatial image.
ἔδυwent downAor Act Indic 3 Sg · δύωmain verb→ constative aorist (point of sinking)δύω: 'sink, set, go under'; used of the sun setting. Here the vivid image of Jonah's head sinking to the mountain-bases on the sea floor — the ancient cosmological picture of mountains rooted at the bottom of the sea.
ἡtheNominativearticle
κεφαλήheadNominativesubject nominativeκεφαλή: 'head'; here spatial — the head going down to the clefts of the mountains. In some LXX manuscripts κεφαλή also means 'summit' (of the mountains), a play on the word: as his head descended, it reached the very summits/roots of the mountains at the sea-floor.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession
εἰςintopreposition + accusative (direction)
σχισμὰςthe cleftsAccusativeaccusative object of εἰς (destination)σχισμή: 'cleft, crack, fissure'; from σχίζω ('split'). The clefts of the mountains at the ocean floor — the ancient cosmological seabed.
ὀρέωνof mountainsGenitivegenitive of the whole (mountains whose clefts these are)ὄρος: 'mountain'; plural genitive. The mountains' roots reaching into the underworld are a fixed ANE and OT cosmological image (Deut 32:22; Job 38:6).
7
κατέβην εἰς γῆν, ἧς οἱ μοχλοὶ αὐτῆς κάτοχοι αἰώνιοι· καὶ ἀναβήτω φθορὰ ζωής μου, κύριε ὁ θεός μου.
I descended into the earth, whose bars are eternal holds; yet let my life ascend from destruction, O LORD my God.
Nadir and turning pointasyndetonThe structural nadir: descent to the underworld with its 'eternal bars' (= Sheol), then the petition turns the lament — ἀναβήτω, an aorist imperative of ascent. φθορά for 'pit/corruption' translates שַׁחַת, echoed in Acts 2:27 (Ps 15:10 LXX, ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν).
κατέβηνI descendedAor Act Indic 1 Sg · καταβαίνωmain verb (continuing descent narrative)→ constative aorist (the full descent to the underworld)καταβαίνω: 'go down, descend'; the standard word for descent into Sheol (cf. Ps 87:5 LXX, Num 16:33). The prefix κατά intensifies the downward direction.
εἰςintopreposition + accusative (destination)
γῆνthe earthAccusativeaccusative object of εἰςγῆ: 'earth'; here the underworld — 'the earth' as Sheol (cf. Ps 21:30 LXX, 62:10 LXX). A cosmic geography in which the underworld is underneath the earth.
ἧςwhoseGenitivegenitive relative pronoun (modifying γῆν)
οἱtheNominativearticle
μοχλοὶbarsNominativesubject nominative (in relative clause)μοχλός: 'bar, bolt (of a gate)'; the bars or bolts that lock the gates of Sheol — death as a prison from which there is no exit. Cf. Isa 38:10 LXX (πύλαι ᾅδου). NT echo: Matt 16:18 (πύλαι ᾅδου).
αὐτῆςits / herGenitivegenitive of possession (the earth's/Sheol's bars)
κάτοχοιholdsNominativepredicate nominativeκάτοχος: 'that which holds fast, a hold, prison'; from κατέχω ('hold down'). The bars are 'eternal holds' — permanent confinement. A rare word intensifying the hopelessness of the underworld.
αἰώνιοιeternalNominativepredicate adjective (modifying κάτοχοι)αἰώνιος: 'eternal, age-long'; the bars of Sheol are permanent — once shut, never opened without divine intervention. The contrast with Jonah's rescue heightens the miracle.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (adversative turn: 'yet')
ἀναβήτωlet ariseAor Act Impv 3 Sg · ἀναβαίνωmain verb (jussive petition: 'let ... arise')→ constative aorist imperative (single decisive rescue requested)ἀναβαίνω: 'go up, ascend, arise'; the opposite of κατέβην above — the psalm's structural turn from descent to rescue. The aorist imperative functions as an urgent petition.
φθορὰdestruction / the pitNominativesubject nominative (of ἀναβήτω — 'let arise from corruption')φθορά: 'destruction, corruption, the pit'; in LXX Psalter a common rendering of שַׁחַת (pit/Sheol). The phrase is φθορὰ ζωής μου = 'the destruction belonging to my life' = 'my life from the pit.' Ps 15:10 LXX (οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν) uses the cognate, cited in Acts 2:27, 13:35.
ζωήςof lifeGenitivegenitive of relationship (corruption pertaining to my life)ζωή: 'life'; the genitive here is best read as 'my life from corruption/the pit' — the destruction that was ending his life. A Hebraism: חַיַּי מִשַּׁחַת.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession
κύριεO LORDVocativevocative of addressκύριος: vocative κύριε = direct address to YHWH; the first direct divine address in the psalm after referring to God in the third person. Marks the petition's urgency.
ὁtheVocativearticle (with vocative noun)
θεόςGodVocativevocative of address (apposition to κύριε)θεός: 'God'; the double vocative κύριε ὁ θεός μου echoes numerous Psalm titles and addresses (e.g. Ps 7:2; 17:3 LXX).
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (God who is mine)
8
Ἐν τῷ ἐκλείπειν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ κυρίου ἐμνήσθην, καὶ ἔλθοι πρὸς σὲ ἡ προσευχή μου εἰς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου.
When my soul was fainting away from me, I remembered the LORD; and may my prayer come to you, into your holy temple.
Temporal circumstance + vow (the moment of rescue remembered)Ἐν τῷἘν τῷ + infinitive is a Hebraistic temporal construction (בְּ + infinitive construct) — 'when/as.' The articular infinitive ἐκλείπειν ('to faint/fail') gives the precise moment: at soul-fainting Jonah remembered God. The second clause (ἔλθοι, an aorist optative) is a prayer or wish: 'may my prayer come.' The optative after a past main clause expresses a vow (votum) made during the crisis — a classic thanksgiving-psalm move where the vow made in extremity is recalled.
Ἐνwhenpreposition + dative (temporal: ἐν τῷ + infinitive)ἐν τῷ + inf.: a Hebraistic temporal idiom (LXX calque of בְּ + infinitive construct): 'when/as my soul was fainting.' Common in LXX but rare in classical Greek.
τῷtheDativearticle (with articular infinitive)
ἐκλείπεινto faint / to failPres Act Inf · ἐκλείπωarticular infinitive (subject of temporal clause)→ descriptive present infinitive (ongoing process of fainting)ἐκλείπω: 'fail, faint, give out'; used of the sun eclipsing (Luke 23:45), of strength failing (Ps 37:11 LXX), of breath leaving. Here: the soul losing its grip on life.
ἀπ᾽frompreposition + genitive (separation)
ἐμοῦmeGenitivegenitive of separation (soul departing from Jonah)
τὴνtheAccusativearticle
ψυχήνsoulAccusativeaccusative subject of infinitive (ἐκλείπειν)ψυχή: 'soul, life-breath'; translating נֶפֶשׁ. Here ψυχή departs from Jonah like breath leaving the body — the near-death experience. The soul's 'fainting' (ἐκλείπειν) marks the threshold between life and death.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession
τοῦtheGenitivearticle
κυρίουof the LORDGenitivegenitive object of ἐμνήσθην (the one remembered)κύριος: YHWH; μιμνήσκομαι + genitive = 'remember (someone).' Recalling the LORD at the moment of soul-fainting is the turning point of the psalm — an act of faith at the nadir.
ἐμνήσθηνI rememberedAor Pass Indic 1 Sg · μιμνήσκομαιmain verb (the hinge of the psalm: crisis → memory → hope)→ constative aorist (single decisive act of remembrance)μιμνήσκομαι: 'remember, call to mind'; deponent passive. The act of remembering God in extremity is a lament-psalm theme (Ps 41:7; 76:4 LXX). Here it is the pivot from descent to rescue.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (consequence/wish)
ἔλθοιmay ... comeAor Act Opt 3 Sg · ἔρχομαιmain verb (optative of wish/vow)→ constative aorist optative (a single wished event: prayer arriving at the temple)ἔρχομαι: 'come'; the aorist optative ἔλθοι expresses a wish or vow: 'may my prayer come.' In a thanksgiving psalm, the vow made in crisis is recounted as evidence of faith maintained. The optative is a classical form surviving in LXX psalmic Greek.
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (direction toward God)
σὲyouAccusativeaccusative object of πρός (addressee: God)
ἡtheNominativearticle
προσευχήprayerNominativesubject nominativeπροσευχή: 'prayer'; from προσεύχομαι (v.2). The prayer made inside the fish is the very prayer now recorded in the psalm.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession
εἰςintopreposition + accusative (destination: temple)
ναὸνthe templeAccusativeaccusative object of εἰςναός: see v.5. The prayer goes 'into the holy temple' — the Jerusalem sanctuary as the channel of divine presence. Picks up the temple-orientation vowed in v.5.
ἅγιόνholyAccusativeattributive adjectiveἅγιος: see v.5. The phrase ναὸν ἅγιόν σου echoes v.5 (ναὸν τὸν ἅγιόν σου), forming a thematic bracket around the nadir of vv.5b–7a.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession
9
Φυλασσόμενοι μάταια καὶ ψευδῆ ἔλεος αὐτῶν ἐγκατέλιπον.
Those who guard empty vanities forsake the mercy that is theirs.
Contrast (foil to Jonah's devotion — a wisdom maxim)asyndetonAsyndeton introduces a gnomic contrast: those who cling to idols forfeit the covenant loyalty (ἔλεος = חֶסֶד, steadfast love/mercy) that belongs to them. The verse functions as an implicit self-identification: Jonah, by praying to the LORD, does not forsake his ἔλεος. The participial form Φυλασσόμενοι (those who guard/observe) echoes the idol-polemic of the Psalter (Ps 30:7 LXX; Isa 44:20). The contrast sets up the confessional vow of vv.9–10.
Φυλασσόμενοιthose who guard / observePres Mid/Pass Ptc Nom Pl Masc · φυλάσσωsubstantival participle (subject of ἐγκατέλιπον)→ customary/gnomic present (ongoing practice of idol-devotion)φυλάσσω: 'guard, observe, keep'; in a negative sense 'cling to, observe religiously.' The middle voice emphasizes self-interested clinging. LXX uses φυλάσσω both for keeping God's law and (negatively) for observing worthless rites.
μάταιαempty vanitiesAccusativeaccusative direct object (of participial verb φυλασσόμενοι)μάταιος: 'empty, futile, vain'; plural neuter = 'vanities.' In the LXX Psalter and Deuteronomy μάταια and μάτην regularly denote idols (Jer 2:5; Ps 30:7 LXX: ἐφύλαξα τὰ μάταια καὶ ψευδῆ — a near-verbatim parallel). A strong polemic against idol-worship.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ψευδῆlies / false thingsAccusativeaccusative direct object (paired with μάταια)ψευδής: 'false, lying'; plural = 'falsehoods, lying things.' The doublet μάταια καὶ ψευδῆ is a Psalter polemic against idols as 'empty lies' (cf. Ps 30:7 LXX). The two adjectives form a hendiadys: 'empty, lying vanities.'
ἔλεοςmercy / steadfast loveAccusativeaccusative direct object (of ἐγκατέλιπον)ἔλεος: the standard LXX rendering of חֶסֶד — 'steadfast love, covenant loyalty, mercy.' The neuter form (τὸ ἔλεος) or masculine (ὁ ἔλεος) varies in the LXX; here accusative. To 'forsake their mercy' = to abandon the covenant love that belongs to them as members of the covenant community. A profound theological claim: idol-worshipers throw away their own share in God's חֶסֶד.
αὐτῶνtheirGenitivegenitive of possession (the mercy that is theirs to have)
ἐγκατέλιπονforsookAor Act Indic 3 Pl · ἐγκαταλείπωmain verb→ gnomic aorist (stating a timeless truth in the form of a past act)ἐγκαταλείπω: 'abandon, forsake, leave behind'; a strong compound — to leave in the lurch. Used of God forsaking his servant (Ps 21:2 LXX) and of apostasy (Heb 13:5). Here those who abandon the LORD abandon their own covenant mercy.
10
Ἐγὼ δὲ μετὰ φωνῆς αἰνέσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως θύσω σοι· ὅσα ηὐξάμην ἀποδώσω σοι, σωτηρία τῷ κυρίῳ.
But I will sacrifice to you with a voice of praise and thanksgiving; whatever I have vowed I will repay to you — salvation belongs to the LORD.
Contrast + vow (Jonah's own commitment opposed to idol-worshipers)Ἐγὼ δέἘγὼ δέ is an emphatic contrast to the idol-guardians of v.8: 'but as for me.' The verse contains a double vow-formula: a vow of sacrifice (θύσω) and a vow of repayment (ἀποδώσω). The phrase ὅσα ηὐξάμην ἀποδώσω mirrors Ps 115:5, 8 LXX (τὰς εὐχάς μου τῷ κυρίῳ ἀποδώσω). The climactic utterance σωτηρία τῷ κυρίῳ echoes Ps 3:9 LXX exactly and functions as the psalm's theological summit.
ἘγὼIemphatic subject pronoun (contrastive: 'but as for me')ἐγώ: the emphatic pronoun, standing in sharp contrast to οἱ φυλασσόμενοι (v.8). The first-person emphasis marks the vow as personal and exclusive.
δὲbutpostpositive adversative particle (contrast with v.8)δέ: mild adversative, marking the contrast. Together with ἐγώ it forms the classical ἐγὼ δέ ('but as for me') contrast.
μετὰwithpreposition + genitive (manner/accompaniment)
φωνῆςa voiceGenitivegenitive of manner (the voice of praise with which Jonah will sacrifice)φωνή: 'voice'; μετὰ φωνῆς = 'with a voice,' a Psalter formula for audible praise (Ps 26:7; 42:4 LXX).
αἰνέσεωςof praiseGenitivegenitive of description (characterizing the voice)αἴνεσις: 'praise'; from αἰνέω. In the Psalter αἴνεσις is the technical word for the praise offered to God in the cult (Ps 21:26; 34:28 LXX). The φωνὴ αἰνέσεως ('voice of praise') is a cultic thanksgiving formula.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἐξομολογήσεωςof thanksgiving / confessionGenitivegenitive of description (paired with αἰνέσεως)ἐξομολόγησις: 'thanksgiving, confession, acknowledgment'; from ἐξομολογέω, which in LXX renders הוֹדָה ('give thanks') rather than 'confess sin.' In the Psalter ἐξομολογέομαι is the standard word for cultic thanksgiving (Ps 6:6; 29:5 LXX). Here the paired αἴνεσις καὶ ἐξομολόγησις = full celebratory praise and thanks.
θύσωI will sacrificeFut Act Indic 1 Sg · θύωmain verb (vow of sacrifice)→ predictive future (a definite vow about a future cultic act)θύω: 'sacrifice, offer'; the primary word for offering sacrifice in both classical Greek and LXX. The vow θύσω σοι ('I will sacrifice to you') is the classic todah ('thanksgiving offering') vow of the individual thanksgiving psalm.
σοιto youDativedative of indirect object (recipient of sacrifice)
ὅσαwhateverAccusativeaccusative relative pronoun (object of ἀποδώσω: 'whatever I vowed')ὅσος: 'as many as, whatever (things)'; introduces a relative clause of extent. The neuter plural is vague on purpose: all vows, whatever they were.
ηὐξάμηνI have vowedAor Mid Indic 1 Sg · εὔχομαιmain verb (relative clause: vows already made in the crisis)→ constative aorist (the vow as a completed speech-act)εὔχομαι: 'pray, vow'; in LXX εὔχομαι renders נָדַר ('vow') as well as פָּלַל ('pray'). Here the vow-nuance: 'what I have vowed.' Cf. Ps 21:26 LXX (τὰς εὐχάς μου ἀποδώσω).
ἀποδώσωI will repay / I will payFut Act Indic 1 Sg · ἀποδίδωμιmain verb (vow of fulfillment)→ predictive future (commitment to pay the vow made in crisis)ἀποδίδωμι: 'give back, repay, fulfill'; the technical term for fulfilling a vow (Ps 49:14; 115:8 LXX: τὰς εὐχάς μου τῷ κυρίῳ ἀποδώσω). The two futures θύσω and ἀποδώσω form the double vow.
σοιto youDativedative of indirect object (recipient: God)
σωτηρίαsalvationNominativesubject nominative (of the nominal clause: predication about salvation)σωτηρία: 'salvation, deliverance'; translating יְשׁוּעָה. The clause σωτηρία τῷ κυρίῳ is a nominative absolute or predication: 'salvation belongs to the LORD.' An exact echo of Ps 3:9 LXX (τοῦ κυρίου ἡ σωτηρία) — a deliberate citation that climaxes the psalm.
τῷto theDativearticle (with κυρίῳ in dative of possession/direction)
κυρίῳLORDDativedative of possession (salvation belongs to the LORD)κύριος: YHWH. The dative τῷ κυρίῳ expresses ownership: 'salvation is the LORD's.' This confession is the theological summit of the psalm, echoing Ps 3:9 LXX and the Exodus confession (Exod 15:2).
11
Καὶ προσετάγη τῷ κήτει, καὶ ἐξέβαλεν τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν ξηράν.
And the sea-monster was commanded, and it vomited out Jonah onto the dry land.
Narrative sequel (divine command executes rescue)ΚαίThe narrative frame resumes after the psalm. The passive προσετάγη ('was commanded') keeps God as the implied agent without naming him explicitly — the divine command is sufficient. The verb ἐξέβαλεν ('vomited out,' literally 'threw out') is a strong, even violent term, emphasizing the completeness of Jonah's ejection. The dry land (ξηρά) is the opposite of the sea and Sheol; return to it is rescue and life. Note: many translations place this as v.11; the LXX numbers it 2:10, with the psalm concluding the verse sequence at 2:9 and the narrative resolution here.
Καὶandcoordinating conjunction (narrative sequence)
προσετάγηwas commandedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · προστάσσωmain verb (divine passive: God commanded the fish)→ constative aorist (single divine command)προστάσσω: see v.1. The passive (theological/divine passive) keeps God as agent without explicit mention — the divine command that first appointed the fish (v.1) now dismisses it. Forms a frame with 2:1.
τῷtheDativearticle
κήτειsea-monsterDativedative subject of passive verb (recipient of the command)κῆτος: see vv.1–2. The third occurrence of κῆτος in the chapter, closing the narrative frame.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (result of divine command)
ἐξέβαλενvomited outAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἐκβάλλωmain verb→ constative aorist (single dramatic ejection)ἐκβάλλω: 'throw out, cast out, expel'; a strong verb of violent ejection — not a gentle release but a forceful expulsion. The same root is used for casting out demons in the NT (Mark 1:34, 39). The MT uses קִיא ('vomit'), which the LXX here renders with ἐκβάλλω, perhaps softening the vivid physical image or choosing the dramatic 'throw out.'
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
ἸωνᾶνJonahAccusativeaccusative direct objectἸωνᾶς: see v.1. The narrative frame that opened with 'Jonah in the belly' (vv.1–2) closes with Jonah ejected onto dry land.
ἐπὶontopreposition + accusative (direction/destination: onto the land)
τὴνtheAccusativearticle
ξηράνdry landAccusativeaccusative object of ἐπί (destination)ξηρά (sc. γῆ): 'dry land'; the feminine adjective used as a noun. Contrasts with the sea (θάλασσα) and the underworld of the psalm. Return to ξηρά = rescue, life, reinstatement. The exodus imagery of passing through the sea to dry land (Exod 14:29: ἐπὶ ξηρᾶς) may be in view.