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COMMENTARY ON JONAH, CHAPTER TWO Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the sea monster, saying, I cried aloud in my distress to the Lord my God, and he hearkened to me; from the belly of Hades you heard the sound of my cry (vv.1–2).1 OMING TO NO harm, using the sea monster as a home, thinking clearly, and suffering no kind of ill effects of body or mind, he sensed divine assistance, knowing God is benevolent. On the other hand, not unaware that what had happened was due to his reluctance for ministry, he turned to prayer, uttering sentiments of thanksgiving, at the same time confessing the glory of his Savior, admiring his power, and proclaiming his clemency. He said, in fact, that his prayer was accepted , in my view coming to this realization from a prophetic spirit. Now, by the phrase from the belly of Hades, by which he means the stomach of the sea monster, he nicely compares the beast to Hades and death in that it knew how to kill and savagely consume its prey. You cast me into the depths of the sea’s heart, and floods encircled me. All your billows and your waves passed over me. I said, I am being driven out of your sight (vv.3–4). He comments (581) in various ways on the happening, referring it to grace from on high, and attributing to divine decrees the ability to rescue easily from every trouble. He says, in fact, that he was in the very recesses of the sea and in the melée of surging waters, which were drowning him like flooding billows; he was caught up in such a degree of misfortune as to have a full realization at that point that he was suffering the aversion of the divine eyes, and to be brought to despair of rescue. It is a terrible thing leading to ruin, namely, being removed 163 1. This is the numbering of modern versions. In the Heb., in the PG, and in Pusey’s text the verses are numbered 2–3. 164 CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA from God’s eyes. Accordingly, the divinely inspired David also makes supplication in the words, “Do not avert your face from me, nor turn away from your servant in anger.”2 Suffering divine wrath follows as an inevitable consequence of such aversion —or, rather, the anger of aversion precedes and prepares for it. Surely I shall never again gaze upon your holy temple? (v.4) On the one hand, he is aware that he has been preserved, thanks to God’s power, has been accorded assistance, is alive and well— and this in the sea monster and in the animal’s belly, something against the odds and beyond belief. He is probably uncertain as to whether he will be regurgitated and emerge into the light of day again. On the other hand, he also considers most desirable and truly an object of prayer his return to the divine Temple itself and offering praise to the God who saved him; he prays to attain this grace, attributing to God, as I said, the ability to achieve everything.3 Water flooded around me at the risk of my life; the deepest abyss enclosed me; (582) my head sank into the mountain caverns. I descended onto land, whose everlasting bars held me tight. May my life rise up from corruption towards you, O Lord my God (vv.5–6). Saved by God with ineffable power, he was intent on offering more splendid songs of thanksgiving. He describes completely what had happened , and conveys in detail the calamity he was caught up in, and again proclaims how he was saved. As a prophet he was not unaware, therefore, that he was in the sea, in a mighty abyss and in mountain caverns, where the sea monster probably lurked in rocks and in sea caves. He says that he arrived onto land, whose everlasting bars held him tight, that is, Hades—not that he was really there: we shall find that he was not dead; rather, the enormity of the danger and the gravity of the events did not prevent his thinking that he was dead and had arrived at Hades itself, whence no one emerges or in any way returns after once being entrapped. In my view, this is what is suggested by everlasting 2. Ps 27.9. 3. Not having located Jonah’s hometown...

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