Jonah 2: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Jonah 2 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Jonah prays to Yahweh from the fish’s belly, calling out in his affliction, and recounting how God answered him (vv. 1-2). He describes his distress, stating that he was thrown into the depths of the sea, surrounded by floods and waves (vv.

Key verse

“But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”
Jonah 2:9 (WEB)

Outline

Jonah 2:1–2 Jonah's Prayer from the Fish
Jonah 2:3–4 Describing His Distress
Jonah 2:5–6 Imagery of Despair
Jonah 2:7–9 Recognition and Commitment
Jonah 2:10 The Fish's Deliverance

Discussion questions

In v1, where is Jonah praying from?
What does Jonah say he did in v2 when he was in distress?
Jonah's statement in v4 about being 'banished' raises the question of what it means to feel distant from God?
In v9, why does Jonah emphasize that 'salvation belongs to Yahweh'?
When has a moment of despair led you to turn back to God like Jonah in v7?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Jonah 2: Psalm 34, Psalm 18, Lamentations 3.

Before next time: read Jonah 3.