Studying Jonah 2
Below is the Studying Jonah Bible Study for Jonah 2.
Our hope and desire is that as you use this Bible Study you will begin to learn how to study the Bible on your own. Throughout the study, we’ll be using questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide, which will show you how to get the most out of studying the book of Jonah, by discovering what questions to ask and how to stay focused on the original intended meaning of the text. You’ll notice these CHARA questions are BOLDED throughout this Bible Study, so you can easily see where and how this study method can help you discover more of the Bible for yourself.
Also, don’t miss the video that accompanies this Bible Study (below) as the Chara Project team talks about what we can learn from studying Jonah 2 (also available as a podcast!).
After being tossed overboard into the sea, Jonah sank into the depths of the Mediterranean and was swallowed by a fish. This is where Jonah chapter 2 picks up, as we get a close-up look at Jonah’s poetic prayer - a plea to God inside the belly of the fish.
READ: JONAH 2
RESEARCH - Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have?
What stands out to you in Jonah’s prayer in chapter 2?
HISTORY - When did the events take place? When was it written?
Jonah retells what happened while he was inside the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights (Jonah 1:17). At the time it was a cry for help (Jonah 2:2), recounting the events later it was a prayer of thanksgiving (Jonah 2:9).
What do we finally see Jonah doing for the first time in Jonah 2:1-2?
AUTHOR - Structure: What is emphasized by the order of events, ideas, people, etc.?
At what point did Jonah finally call out to the Lord his God (Jonah 2:2, 7)?
RESEARCH - Translations: Does another Bible translation add perspective or clarity?
Several Bible translations, such as the ESV and CSB, record that Jonah cried out to the Lord from deep inside “Sheol” (Jonah 2:2).
Reading other Bible translations, what clarity is provided on defining “Sheol”?
AUTHOR - Speech: What is being communicated through figurative language or symbolism?
Jonah recorded his prayer using poetry, a very common and familiar literary style in the ancient world. He expressed his fear of death while inside the belly of the fish, or Sheol, which metaphorically was like a watery grave or tomb.
What figurative language do you notice while in the belly of the fish for 3 days?
What insight does that provide in helping you grasp the state Jonah was in physically, mentally, and spiritually?
CONTEXT - Bible: Does another passage in the Bible provide clarity?
Jonah finally turned to God in his desperation. This is common throughout scripture. Read part of the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-20.
At what point did the younger son in the parable turn to his father (Luke 15:14-17)?
List all that took place before he turned back to the goodness of his father.
APPLY - Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection of the passage?
What does it take for you to turn to God in prayer? When have you been in “the depths” of your own life that you cried out to God like Jonah?
CONTEXT - Bible: Does the text quote or allude to another passage in the Bible and what understanding does that give?
Jonah’s prayer reflects several Psalms. In fact, cross-references in a Study Bible may point to a few Psalms such as Psalms 18:6, 31:22, 77:11-12, and 139:7-10.
Look up Psalm 139:7-10. The Lord’s presence, the very thing Jonah had wanted to escape in chapter one, he now seeks by looking toward the Lord’s “holy temple” (Jonah 2:4, 7), where God’s presence was in the Old Testament. From his watery grave, the Lord heard Jonah’s voice and answered him (Jonah 2:2).
How does Jonah’s experience align with the Psalmist?
What is your reaction to Psalm 139:7-10?
APPLY - Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection of the passage?
Even when Jonah ran from the Lord and disobeyed Him, God was always there, always pursuing Jonah.
Has there been a time when you tried to run from God or avoid His presence?
Are there people in your life that you pray God would pursue as relentlessly as the Lord pursued Jonah?
RESEARCH - Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have?
Technically it was the sailors who threw Jonah overboard, but who does Jonah recognize was truly behind this (Jonah 2:3)?
CONTEXT - Bible: Does the text quote or allude to another passage in the Bible and what understanding does that give?
Jonah recognized that God was discipling him for his disobedience, but he did not lose heart. “I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple” (Jonah 2:4 NIV). Consider looking up the word up “discipline” in the concordance in the back of your Bible, it will likely point you to verses such as Hebrews 12:5-11.
Read Hebrews 12:5-11. Who does God discipline and why?
APPLY - Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires?
Jonah knew that God was behind the storm, the casting of the lots that singled him out, and even the reason he was thrown into the raging sea. But Jonah also knew that God’s providence didn’t stop there.
What else did Jonah recognize the Lord was responsible for in chapter 2 (Hint: Jonah 1:17 and 2:6, 2:9, and 2:10)?
What about God’s character stands out to you the most so far?
AUTHOR - Style/Narrative: What can you learn from the actions and mistakes of the characters in the story?
Jonah knew it was pointless to worship “worthless” idols (Jonah 2:8). Even in his disobedience, Jonah’s loyalty to God did not waiver (Jonah 1:9, 2:3-9). But his loyalty came with a healthy dose of pride. Yet in chapter 2 the patriot turns repentant and we see Jonah turn back to the Lord and renew his commitment with a vow. It is not clear exactly what Jonah vowed in verse 9, but vows were common in the ancient world and usually included some kind of ritual to perform - Jonah likely fulfilled his vow with a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
What changes have you seen in Jonah up to this point?
CONTEXT - Bible: How does this passage fit into the big story of the Bible?
At the end of Jonah 2, the Lord commands the fish to spit Jonah out after 3 days and 3 nights. But this isn’t the only time this story is mentioned in the BIble, which we can find using cross-references.
Read Matthew 12:40. What major New Testament event did Jesus compare to Jonah being in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights?
HISTORY - What worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences were a part of their world and how did that influence them?
According to Jewish tradition, a soul would hover over a body for three days, meaning a person wasn’t considered truly dead until 3 days in the grave. This makes the 3 days' time even more significant, not only for Jesus’ death and resurrection, but also because we see Jonah, in a sense, die to self while inside the belly of the fish for 3 days. God can do impossible things, even bring people back from the dead—spiritually or physically.
What’s the significance of 3 days and 3 nights?
APPLY - Yield: What personal, cultural, or religious bias and assumptions do you bring to the text? What do you need to surrender, if anything, to be in harmony with the Bible?
Some that hold an anti-supernatural bias have questioned if the events we read about in Jonah actually happened, particularly the miracle of the great fish that swallowed Jonah. And they believe that Jonah should be read as a parable or fiction instead of a historical account of what actually happened.
There are several arguments that validate the historicity of Jonah, two of them being:
(1) If God could create the heavens and the earth and all that’s in it out of nothing, and if Jesus could rise from the dead, it seems to reason that God could appoint a great fish to intervene for Jonah
(2) Both the Old and New Testament point to Jonah as a historical figure. We just read Jesus’ mention of Jonah in the New Testament (Matthew 12:40), and earlier we learned that Jonah was mentioned as a prophet living at the time of King Jeroboam II in 2 Kings 14:25 in the Old Testament.
What bias and assumptions do you bring to the book of Jonah?
What do you need to surrender, if anything, to be in harmony with the Bible?
APPLY - Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires?
There is a lot that Jonah highlighted about the character of God in his prayer and that we can draw from Jonah’s experience so far.
What have you learned about God in Jonah 2?
APPLY - Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection of the passage?
After the storm, Jonah clearly saw God’s hand in his life as he sat in the belly of the fish. His open and honest prayer to God reflects the state of his heart and the relationship he desired with God. Often looking back at our storms in our life, we can see God’s hand after the fact.
Has there been a time in your life where you can look back and saw God’s hand in your own life?
What has been your response in the tough seasons in your own life?
Join the Chara Project team as they talk about what we can learn from studying Jonah 2 (also available as a podcast!).
How to Study the Bible
Access the CHARA Bible Study Guide
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Tips on How to Study the Bible with your Neighbor
Podcast: How to Study Jonah
An Overview of Studying the Book of Jonah