Jonah 2:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

How is it that Jonah survived inside the belly of the creature without perishing? Is this something we can logically understand? Is it futile to seek an explanation? How did the whale show mercy to the righteous man? How could the heat not suffocate him? How was he not consumed? If simply being submerged in the depths of the ocean is challenging, being contained in the whale's gut and subjected to such heat must be even more daunting. How did Jonah manage to breathe in such a confined space? Was there sufficient air for both him and the creature? How did the whale expel the prophet unharmed? How was he able to speak and maintain awareness while praying? Are these occurrences plausible? When examined through reason, they seem unlikely; yet through the lens of faith, they become entirely believable.

Jonah was swallowed by the whale, and similarly, Christ descended into the realm of the dead; He spent three days and three nights there, just as Jonah did in the belly of the fish.

Yet, it may be rightly asserted that the commands issued to mute creatures, the elements, or any aspect of creation serve as a law for them, and what pleases Him is indeed a command; all creation yields to His will, even if we struggle to comprehend the nature of that obedience, which is fully known to Him. Thus, Jonah was consumed by the whale without harm and remained there for three days and three nights. To some, this narrative may appear unnatural and defy reason. Skeptics, particularly those who do not recognize the true God and have been led astray by demonic influences, may question: how could he survive being inside the whale? How did he endure without injury? How could he withstand the innate warmth of the creature's belly? How could he survive in the moisture found within the whale’s insides? Most importantly, how was he not destroyed, boiled like food? After all, he appeared completely vulnerable and was easy prey for the destruction of his body. We contend that this occurrence should be viewed as genuinely miraculous, surpassing human understanding and transcending ordinary experiences. If it is stated that God is the one who performed this, who could possibly doubt it? The Almighty is all-powerful and can effortlessly alter the properties of whatever He wishes, with nothing able to resist His unfathomable purposes. Thus, that which is naturally prone to decay can, by His command, be made immune to corruption; and that which is solid, resilient, and impervious to decay may easily be obliterated; for the essence of creation, I believe, is determined by what delights the Creator. However, it is important to note that the followers of Hellenism, who have spun myths, claimed that Hercules, the son of Alcmena and Zeus, was swallowed by a whale and later expelled, emerging with his head bare from the heat of the monster's belly, completely hairless. This fable is referenced by Lycophron, who was among their notable figures, describing him as “A three-veined lion, once devoured by the jaws of Tritons, a sharp-toothed beast.” Yet, we do not believe in divine workings for the sake of their invented tales; we mention them only to admonish those who doubt, as their historical accounts do not dismiss similar narratives. However, I believe it is essential to affirm this miraculous event through works that continue to unfold by the will of God. Consider how a fetus, while submerged in the natural amniotic fluid, exists as if entombed within the womb of its mother—it cannot breathe, yet survives, miraculously sustained by God's will. Yet, no similar objections have been raised against these divine acts, despite their obscurity: who has comprehended the mind of the Lord, as it is written (Rom. 11:34; Is. 40:13)? Who has understood the pathways of His miracles? In truth, whose intellect is not surpassed by them? Therefore, it is perilous not to believe, even when God performs acts transcending reason; let us accept as true what is revealed, eschewing unwarranted curiosity. Since the prophet is a reflection of Christ’s ministry, it is critical to add that the entire world faced peril, and humanity was distressed, as waves of sin violently surged against it, fierce passions overflowed, and corruption rose like a tidal wave, propelled by the storms of Satan and his evil powers. In our state of upheaval, the Creator, God and Father, extended His mercy by sending His Son from heaven, who took on human flesh to come to a world in turmoil, willingly facing death to quell the chaos so that the seas might calm, the storms might quiet, and the tumult might end, for we find salvation through Christ's death. Now, the tempest has faded, the rain has ceased, the waves have settled, the winds' fury has been subdued, a profound silence has descended, and we enjoy spiritual tranquility after Christ's suffering on our behalf. The Gospel accounts reflect a similar narrative: once, as the Apostles were crossing the Sea of Tiberias, a fierce wind arose, causing great unrest upon the waters. In their desperation, they awakened Jesus, who was asleep, crying out, “Lord, save us, we perish” (Matthew 8:25). When He got up, it is recorded that He rebuked the sea, saying with authority, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39), thus rescuing His disciples. This incident serves as a symbolic representation of what has been accomplished in human nature; as I have mentioned, through Him, we are liberated from the decay of death, from sin, and from suffering, for the old turmoil was banished, and all things were transformed into tranquility.

The final inquiry raised pertains to Jonah. It seems to arise not from Porphyry's assertions but from the scornful jibes of the pagans. The question posed is: What should we make of Jonah, who is said to have spent three days in the belly of a whale? It appears far-fetched and unlikely that a man could be swallowed whole with his garments and remain inside a fish; if this narrative is symbolic, then an explanation is necessary. This type of questioning undoubtedly serves as a constant source of mockery among Gentiles. The response must be that one must either dismiss all claims of divine miracles or clarify why this particular miracle should not be accepted. Hence, if the Christian faith is swayed by the derision of the Gentiles, then we may as well doubt Christ’s own resurrection on the third day.

Moreover, it is important to note that where destruction was intended, salvation manifested. The term ‘prepared’ suggests either that God initially created it, as reflected in the Psalms: ‘this serpent, which thou hast made to scold him’ (Psalms 103:26), or that He commanded it to approach the ship, to take in Jonah, who had been cast out, providing sanctuary instead of death. This way, the one who faced God’s wrath on the ship could experience His mercy from the depths. Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Septuagint also mentions that Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. The profound significance of this scenario has been clarified by the Lord in the Gospel (Matt. 12), rendering it unnecessary to restate what has already been articulated by the one who suffered. Our inquiry remains: How did He stay in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights? Some suggest two days and two nights, counting Friday (παρασχευὴν) when the sun vanished from the sixth hour until the ninth (Matt. 27:45), followed by night after day, and they include the Sabbath in their calculations to arrive at three days and nights. However, we interpret the whole by the part (συνεχδοτικός), so that from the moment He² died on Friday (εν παρασχευῆ), we have one day and night, another on Saturday, and the third night, which is attributed to the Lord’s Day, referencing the beginning of the next day. In the book of Genesis (chapter 1), night pertains not to the preceding day but to the coming one, marking the start of the future day rather than the end of the past. To clarify, let’s say someone departed from one location at the ninth hour and arrived at the next at the third hour the following day. If I claim they completed the journey in two days, I cannot be directly accused of falsehood, as the traveler utilized only part of each of the two days. I believe this analogy may shed light on this matter. However, if anyone disagrees and possesses a better interpretation of this enigmatic passage, their understanding should be favored.

He, cast into the depths, is not lost and survives; forsaken by the land, seized by the sea; in the prison of the monster’s womb, God's escaped servant is held captive. Liberated from the turmoil, residing in the sea’s belly—out of the waters, adrift in the floating creature. In physical captivity, yet spiritually detached from his body, he rejoices in the Lord. He occupies the beast’s body; the prophetic essence remains unbound by worldly confinement. In the womb, the captive overcomes his bondage through supplication, reaching the ears of the Lord. Freed through prayer, restrained by flight, he is justified by faith. He who believed he could evade God by fleeing across the sea, hiding from Him in a vessel, finds himself in the belly of the beast, submerged in the ocean, yet ascends to the Arbiter through faith.

Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, symbolizing the three days Christ the Savior would spend in the grave, a connection Christ Himself highlighted when responding to the Jews seeking a sign (Matthew 12:39-40).