Interpretation of the Bible / Jonah 2:9

The Book of Jonah is one of the prophetic books of the Old Testament and tells the story of a man who runs from God, disobeying His call to preach in Nineveh. Jonah is eventually thrown into the sea and swallowed by a large fish, where he remains for three days. In this chapter 2, Jonah finds himself in the belly of the fish and cries out to God for his salvation.

Thankfulness as a Response to Salvation

Verse 9 is an expression of praise and gratitude to God for His salvation. Jonah acknowledges that it is only by God’s grace and power that he has been delivered from the fish and has another opportunity to fulfill his mission. The voice of praise is a sacrifice given to God in recognition of His grace and love.

The Importance of Keeping Promises to God

Jonah also promises to fulfill what he told God in verse 9: “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good.” In this sense, we can understand that offering praise is not only a verbal act, but rather involves concrete actions in accordance with what God has asked.