Jonah 2:8 (DBY)

Passage

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Nearby Context

Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The bars of the earth [closed] upon me for ever: But thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.

Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, Into thy holy temple.

Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah.

Jonah 2:10 And Jehovah commanded the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land].

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "observe", "lying", "vanities", and "forsake". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "observe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "When my soul fainted within me I..." into verse 9's "But I will sacrifice unto thee with...", so "mercy" and "observe" belong inside that flow. In Jonah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "observe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.