Jonah 2:5 in Hebrew
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֨יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ תְּהֹ֖ום יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי׃
Introduction to Jonah’s Prayer
Jonah 2:5 is part of Jonah’s prayer from within the fish, using vivid poetic imagery to describe his distress. The verse states:
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֨יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ – “The waters surrounded me up to my soul.”
תְּהֹ֖ום יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי – “The deep engulfed me.”
ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי – “Seaweed was wrapped around my head.”
These phrases depict Jonah’s near-death experience, emphasizing his entrapment and desperation.
Understanding the Poetic Expressions
1. אֲפָפ֤וּנִי מַ֨יִם֙ עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ (“The waters surrounded me up to my soul”)
– The verb אֲפָפוּ (ʾăfāpū) means “to encompass, surround, or engulf.”
– עַד־נֶ֔פֶשׁ (“up to my soul”) is an idiom meaning “to the point of death.”
– This phrase expresses suffocation, as though Jonah is drowning.
2. תְּהֹ֖ום יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי (“The deep engulfed me”)
– תְּהֹום (təhōm) refers to the abyss or ocean depths, often associated with chaos and danger in biblical poetry.
– יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי (yəsōvəbēnī) means “surrounded me, enclosed me,” reinforcing his feeling of entrapment.
3. ס֖וּף חָב֥וּשׁ לְרֹאשִֽׁי (“Seaweed was wrapped around my head”)
– סוּף (sûf) means “reeds” or “seaweed,” symbolizing entanglement.
– חָב֥וּשׁ (ḥābûš) means “bound” or “wrapped tightly.”
– This image of seaweed entangling his head heightens the sense of helplessness.
The Literary Function of These Expressions
1. Symbolizing Jonah’s Near-Death Experience
– The imagery of being surrounded by water, sinking into the abyss, and being wrapped in seaweed paints a picture of hopelessness and suffocation.
– The progression (water → deep abyss → seaweed wrapping his head) intensifies his distress.
2. Using the Deep as a Metaphor for Sheol
– The deep ocean (תְּהֹום) is often associated with Sheol (the realm of the dead) in biblical poetry.
– Jonah’s descent symbolizes separation from life and from God.
3. Building a Contrast with Divine Deliverance
– The dark, suffocating imagery of Jonah’s struggle contrasts with his later salvation.
– This heightens the dramatic tension, making God’s rescue more powerful.
The Power of Poetic Imagery in Jonah 2:5
Jonah 2:5 uses intensely vivid and symbolic language to describe his descent into chaos and near-death experience. The water, the abyss, and the entangling seaweed all reinforce his helplessness.
This poetic structure prepares the reader for Jonah’s eventual deliverance, making his rescue by God even more dramatic and meaningful.
