Meaning, commentary and cross references
Jonah 2:9
“But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
NIV · New International Version
But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
WEB · World English Bible
But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the LORD.”
What does Jonah 2:9 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on Jonah 2:9
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving,.... Not only offer up a legal sacrifice in a ceremonial way, when he came to Jerusalem; but along with it the spiritual sacrifice of praise, which he knew was more acceptable unto God; and thus Christ, his antitype, upon his deliverance from his enemies, Psalm 22:22; I will pay that I vowed; when he was in distress; as that he would sacrifice after the above manner, or behave in a better manner for the future than he had done; and particularly would go to Nineveh, if the Lord thought fit to send him again: salvation is of the Lord; this was the ground of the faith and hope of Jonah when at the worst, and the matter of his…
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on Jonah 2:8–9
9. Ego autem in voce laudis sacrificabo tibi, quae vovi reddam: salus est Jehovae. Here Jonah says first, that men miserably go astray, when they turn aside to vain superstitions, for they rob themselves of the chief good: for he calls whatever help or aid that is necessary for salvation, the mercy of men. The sense then is that as soon as men depart from God, they depart from life and salvation, and that nothing is retained by them, for they willfully cast aside whatever good that can be hoped and desired.
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: Jonah 2:6–10 (WEB)
6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever; yet you have brought my life up from the pit, LORD my God. 7“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple. 8Those who regard vain idols forsake their own mercy. 9But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the LORD.” 10Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
Cross references
- Psalms 3:8
- Psalms 50:14
- Ecclesiastes 5:4–5
When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
- Hebrews 13:15
Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
- Psalms 50:23
- Hosea 14:2
Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good; so we offer bulls as we vowed of our lips.
- Psalms 68:20
- Psalms 116:17–18