Jonah 2:9 (DRB)

Passage

They that in vain observe vanities, forsake their own mercy.

Nearby Context

Jonah 2:7 I went down to the lowest parts of the mountains: the bars of the earth have shut me up for ever: and thou wilt bring up my life from corruption, O Lord, my God.

Jonah 2:8 When my soul was in distress within me, I remembered the Lord: that my prayer may come to thee, unto the holy temple.

Jonah 2:9 They that in vain observe vanities, forsake their own mercy.

Jonah 2:10 But I with the voice of praise will sacrifice to thee: I will pay whatsoever I have vowed for my salvation to the Lord.

Jonah 2:11 And the Lord spoke to the fish: and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "When my soul was in distress within..." into verse 10's "But I with the voice of praise...", so "mercy" and "vain" 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 "vain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.