Jonah 2:8 (YLT)

Passage

Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.

Nearby Context

Jonah 2:6 To the cuttings of mountains I have come down, The earth, her bars <FI>are<Fi> behind me to the age. And Thou bringest up from the pit my life, O Jehovah my God.

Jonah 2:7 In the feebleness within me of my soul Jehovah I have remembered, And come in unto Thee doth my prayer, Unto Thy holy temple.

Jonah 2:8 Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.

Jonah 2:9 And I--with a voice of thanksgiving--I sacrifice to Thee, That which I have vowed I complete, Salvation <FI>is<Fi> of Jehovah.

Jonah 2:10 And Jehovah saith to the fish, and it vomiteth out Jonah on the dry land.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "In the feebleness within me of my..." into verse 9's "And I--with a voice of thanksgiving--I sacrifice...", so "mercy" and "observing" 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 "observing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.