God has given us for work. Thus it comes about that if your hand is strong and if you do not have a clear Word of God to the contrary (as Elijah had, who was fed from heaven) but you still wish to obtain your means of life (βιοφειλήματα) as something owed to you, you are tempting God. On the other hand, when you are in urgent distress, when you have been captured, and when it is impossible for you either to work or to earn daily bread—under such circumstances it is not tempting God if you hope for food from heaven.
And so a judgment about casting lots must be given for all cases at this point. Those sailors were impelled by the greatest distress, and they were not able to do anything else. Although Jonah was well aware that he was guilty of a great evil, still he cast lots with them in the hope that somehow he would escape. Our incompetent commentators, who suppose that they become holy only by works, know nothing about faith, nothing about spiritual temptations. Otherwise they would make more sensible judgments. I have given sufficient warning about this at the beginning of this prophet. In principle, a deed done by some people at one time does not have the same worth in God's sight as the same deed done by other people at other times. Rather, works are rated by God on the basis of faith. This is why God approves a deed in some cases but disapproves the same deed in other cases. However, I do not excuse Jonah from sin.
9. I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven. At this point the confession of sin finally begins. Jonah says that he fears the God of heaven, who is angry with him and whom he is foolishly trying to escape. Furthermore, he speaks in a way typical of the Hebrews when he says that he fears God. The fear of God is reverence for God and spiritual worship of Him, for in this meaning Scripture everywhere uses the expression "the fear of God." For the truest worship of God does not consist in works, no matter how great and holy they may be, but in true and proper respect. Such an expression occurs in Ps. 19:9:
"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, etc.," where they divide the fear of the Lord into different parts, but it is all beside the point, since he is speaking about the fear of God and about the law of the Lord in the same passage. This therefore is Jonah's intention when he says, "I fear the God of heaven," namely,
"I am a true worshiper of the true God." So did Jonah feel both the wrath of God against himself and now at last also the penalty which became even greater since his sin had been revealed and brought to light.
11. The sea grew more and more tempestuous, that is, the sea did not cease seething, but the storm was becoming increasingly severe. And so, since the Lord was not subduing the storm, Jonah wanted to provide a cure for this misfortune by his own death. Surely this was a great sin on the part of the prophet.
In addition, it was far greater and more serious because, now that he was about to die, he knew for sure that he had an angry and hostile God and that it was necessary for him to die because of the anger of God.
It was a very bitter trial to look at the death that lay before him in this way, to really wish to die, and still to know that God was angry with him. The magnitude of this trial we do not see because we are at the same time looking at the fact that he was later rescued miraculously because God wanted it so. However, in all these trials, so horrible that we shrink back from them, he is a figure of the Christ, for Christ Himself interpreted it in this way, as we shall mention.
Another thing—although Jonah alone was the cause of this storm, nevertheless all these men who were with him were in equal danger of life and were suffering the same punishment as Jonah. This is an instance of what we have often said, that one ungodly person often causes an entire state and whole nation to perish and to be in great misery. The Scriptures are full of examples of this. In this way, on account of Achan, who had stolen an accursed thing, the Lord afflicted the people of Israel in a terrible way, as we see in Joshua 7. On the other hand, the single man Moses often accounted for the safety of the entire nation of Israel. Thus the author of the Epistle of James, in chapter 5:17, says: "Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves (ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμι̂ν), and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth." These things are examples of God's judgments, who does not deal unjustly, although it seems quite different to us.
14. We beseech Thee, O Lord, let us not perish. That dread of death was good for them, for they were turned to the true God, etc.
IN order that the terror of death might be all the greater, not only was Jonah thrown into the sea, where there was no hope for help either from God or man, but when he thought that he must surely die, he was also swallowed alive by a fish, a fish the Lord provided for this very purpose. In this way it came about that, although he was in the midst of death, still he was alive.1 This is a wonderful account, in which the excellent, most high God has wished us to become very certain that He is the Lord of death and life, that - 7 all things are in His hand. For He Himself is the one who kills and makes alive, makes alive and kills, leads down to hell and brings out again.2 From this we ought to learn that we have a God who is able to save us even in the midst of death, in the midst of sin and of hell,3 just as He here wonderfully saved His
Jonah, who saw nothing, and could hope for nothing, except death. Jonah must have shrunk back in horror because, when he was thrown into the sea and was about to perish in the waves, he became aware of still another devourer who swallowed him alive in his gaping mouth. Although he was gulped down, he did not die but remained alive for three days. Undoubtedly there was a strange fight for faith going on inside
Jonah. When he was not able to die but was kept alive in the belly of the fish, he felt the divine grace.
Since he did not die, he felt that he was innocent, which his song indicates; and he felt that God was present, since he was not consumed. Nevertheless, he still entertained the thought that it was quite possible that he would still be consumed. This was truly a strange and serious temptation, so much so that I can hardly imagine a stranger one. In fact, I would not easily believe such things if the Holy Spirit had not written them. But as I have said, all things were written for us that we might learn from them in every adversity to rely on the kind Father, the excellent, most high God. Why should we not trust God, why should we not throw ourselves on Him in all adversities if in the midst of death, in the midst of hell, He saves His own people and has promised that He will save to such an extent that even death, sin, hell, and all misfortunes must be for good to the godly and not only not harm them but even be helpful and become instrumental for life? This is very plain to see in this story of Jonah. He who will not trust God, let him trust the devil. And so what the apostle Paul says is true (Rom. 8:28): "All things work together for good" to those who believe.
Three days and three nights.4 It is remarkable how Jonah was able to count the days, since he neither saw nor heard anything when he was shut up in the belly of the fish. But he did notice the day when he was thrown headlong into the sea and when at last he was restored to the light. Undoubtedly he was not in the fish for three whole days and nights, just as Christ did not lie in the grave for three whole days if you would count very exactly. Moreover, Scripture regularly uses the figure of speech synecdoche, that is, considering a part as the whole thing, etc.
1. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. It was not as you might think, that the prophet versified this song while he Was in distress. Rather, when he was finally released, he put into an orderly arrangement the things he had been thinking about in adversity and temptation. It is a fine song and one that shows that he did not put trust in his works. For thus he spoke:
2. I called to the Lord out of my distress. For there was nothing else to do in such need of both body and soul but cry out. Our desires, our powers are nothing, just as Jonah here called out in pressing need.
No merit was present, for he had sinned very seriously against the Lord. And so the only thing to do was to cry out, to cry out "to the Lord." For the Lord is the only one to whom we must flee as to a sacred anchor and the only safety on those occasions when we think that we are done for. But this is the gist of the matter, that even though we feel that God is against us and that we have an angry God and that we are sinners who have deserved wrath and damnation, still it is possible for us to pray to God as to our kind and placable Father, for that is the kind of God He always is, and He ought never to be understood in any other way. And so God ought to be thought of not according to what we see but according to His promises, in which He has promised that He will be our Father and our God. When He treats us well, when He does not test or smite us, we ought not to put our trust in Him on that account, since He is doing something different from that which appears, but we should fear Him. On the other hand, when He strikes us down, again we ought not to distrust5 Him on that account, and there is no need to despair because He is doing something different from what we think.
And He answered me. Jonah felt that his prayer was effective, as it is impossible for the effectiveness of true prayer not to be felt. For if we do not feel that our prayer has been effective, we have not truly prayed. That internal feeling necessarily follows a true prayer, just as also preachers of the Word feel the effectiveness of the Word which they teach. For Christ says, Luke 8:46: "I perceive that power has gone forth from Me."
Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. Jonah adapts his wording to his feelings, since his feelings were no different than if he were being kept in hell. In the same way Scripture calls serious temptations of this kind
"hell," as can be noticed here and there in the Psalms, and Scripture says that those who are in extreme temptation are in "hell."
- 8 And Thou didst hear my voice, that is, although there was nothing to be seen except destruction and damnation, although faith was struggling, nevertheless he continued: "And therefore I was saved, Thou didst hear me," for faith saves by the Word—even though nothing but damnation appears and no matter how great the temptations are.
3. For Thou didst cast me into the deep. And now, almost to the end [of his prayer], he describes his submersion.
Into the heart of the seas. This is a Hebraism, and it means "into the lowest part of the sea." This expression is frequent in Scripture, as in Deut. 4:11: "To the heart of heaven," which means "into the midst of heaven." Similarly we read in Ps. 45:5: "The peoples will fall under you, into the heart of the king's enemies," which means "into the midst of the enemies," that is, where they are strongest and most numerous. In the same way here "into the heart of the seas" means "where the sea is deepest."
All Thy waves. This expression has been taken from a psalm also. "Waves" would be more correctly translated "breakers," for it is the same word as in Ps. 93:4: "Marvelous are the uprisings (elationes) of the sea," where the ancient authors have translated "heavings" (suspensurae). It actually designates what we
Germans call Bulgen, or Wellen ("breakers, or waves"). And so this is the thought: "Every storm and every movement of the sea covered me." Aptly he says "Thy waves," because he means, "My conscience tells me that it is You who are bringing this punishment on me, this horror of death and of hell." This is the punishment of consciences, that in trouble we feel the wrath of God against us, that it is He who lays these misfortunes and very great afflictions on us.
4. Then I said: I am cast out from Thy presence. At this point Jonah thought he was done for both in body and soul, It is as if he were saying: "All these things that You were doing to me were driving me to despair. Terrified by these signs of Your wrath I saw nothing except that I was done for, that I was hurled forth from Your presence." This is the common factor in indescribable groanings. This is the deepest sighing and the supreme death in temptation. These are not empty words, but the only people who can understand them are those who have at some time been in this kind of trouble. Such people will know what it is to feel their conscience against them and to be truly thrown out by God. This is the way it appears to consciences6 of this kind, which find their root in distress, and so it also seemed to Jonah. He says, "I said," as if to say: "I was deceived, and You are the one who deceived me, since You did something different from what I hoped would happen." Thus there was a wrestling with despair in Jonah's heart. However, he did not totally despair. Although despair is so great in such temptations and so powerful that even faith seems to go under, still faith endures, and strength is perfected in weakness, according to 2 Cor. 12:9. The identical thought is in Ps. 31:22, from which these words have been taken:
"I had said in my alarm, 'I am driven far from Thy sight.' "
How shall I again look upon Thy holy temple? I think this7 must be read and understood in a completely negative sense with this meaning: "You don't think that I will ever see Your holy temple, do
You?" For even to this day the Hebrew scholars do not agree about what this word means.8 Perhaps it denotes that wellknown physical temple at Jerusalem, for it had been designed by God for the purpose of prayer. Or if someone is not satisfied with this explanation, let him understand a spiritual temple, that is, where God dwells, for the prophets are accustomed to call God's dwelling place the temple of God, etc.
5. The sea covered my head. Here the Hebrew word [סּוף] means either "the sea" or "a sedge." And so I translate it this way: "The sedge had bound my head," that is, "The sea, which has sedge or rushes along the shores, became a crown for my head. It was absolutely impossible for me to escape." In this way
Jonah intensifies and enlarges the temptation.
6. At the roots of the mountains. "I was in the roots of the mountains," where the mountains end, that is, in the lowest part of the sea.
The earth with its bars closed upon me forever. These are only figures of speech. It is as if he were saying: "It was impossible for me to get out, because the earth had completely enclosed me with its bars.
There was absolutely no more hope for me to be freed." And this is an overwhelming sensation. All people who are in serious temptations of this sort feel this way. The result is that they do not think it is possible for them to be released in any manner.
Yet Thou didst bring up my life from the Pit. The Hebrew word [תחַַשַַׁׁ], which the Latin translator9 renders "the Pit."10 is also in Ps. 16:10, where we read: "Thou dost not let Thy Holy One11 see the Pit."
This utterance was altogether an utterance of faith, and when this is truly said by us, it is impossible for us