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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Jonah 2:8

When my soul was failing me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to thee into thy holy temple.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Faith;   Idolatry;   Repentance;   Scofield Reference Index - Miracles;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Vanity;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Idol, Idolatry;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jonah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jonah;   Lie, Lying;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jonah, the Book of;   Observe;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Poetry;   Prayer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Those who cherish worthless idolsabandon their faithful love,
Hebrew Names Version
Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
King James Version (1611)
They that obserue lying vanities, forsake their owne mercy.
King James Version
They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
English Standard Version
Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
New American Standard Bible
"Those who are followers of worthless idols Abandon their faithfulness,
New Century Version
"People who worship useless idols give up their loyalty to you.
Amplified Bible
"Those who regard and follow worthless idols Turn away from their [living source of] mercy and lovingkindness.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They that waite vpon lying vanities, forsake their owne mercie.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness,
Legacy Standard Bible
Those who regard worthless idolsForsake their lovingkindness,
Berean Standard Bible
Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
Contemporary English Version
All who worship worthless idols turn from the God who offers them mercy.
Complete Jewish Bible
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered Adonai ; and my prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
Darby Translation
They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Some people worship useless idols, but those statues never help them.
George Lamsa Translation
All those who revere false idols forsake thy mercy.
Good News Translation
Those who worship worthless idols have abandoned their loyalty to you.
Lexham English Bible
Those who worship vain idols forsake their loyal love.
Literal Translation
Those who observe vanities of idolatry forsake their faithfulness;
American Standard Version
They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
Bible in Basic English
The worshippers of false gods have given up their only hope.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thy holy temple.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They that holde vpon lying vanitie, forsake his mercie.
English Revised Version
They that regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
World English Bible
Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei that kepen vanytees, forsaken his merci idili.
Update Bible Version
Those that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
Webster's Bible Translation
They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
New English Translation
Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
New King James Version
"Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.
New Living Translation
Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies.
New Life Bible
Those who worship false gods have given up their faith in You.
New Revised Standard
Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They who take heed to the vanities of falsehood, do, their own lovingkindness, forsake.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(2-9) They that in vain observe vanities, forsake their own mercy.
Revised Standard Version
Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their true loyalty.
Young's Literal Translation
Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They that holde of vayne vanyties, wil forsake his mercy.

Contextual Overview

1 Now the Lord had commanded a great whale to swallow up Jonas: and Jonas was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. 2 And Jonas prayed to the Lord his God out of the belly of the whale, 3 and said, 4 Thou didst cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and the floods compassed me: all thy billows and thy waves have passed upon me. 5 And I said, I am cast out of thy presence: shall I indeed look again toward thy holy temple? 6 Water was poured around me to the soul: the lowest deep compassed me, my head went down 7 to the clefts of the mountains; I went down into the earth, whose bars are the everlasting barriers: yet, O Lord my God, let my ruined life be restored. 8 When my soul was failing me, I remembered the Lord; and may my prayer come to thee into thy holy temple. 9 They that observe vanities and lies have forsaken their own mercy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 12:21, 2 Kings 17:15, Psalms 31:6, Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 10:8, Jeremiah 10:14, Jeremiah 10:15, Jeremiah 16:19, Habakkuk 2:18-20

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 32:21 - with their vanities Judges 10:13 - General 1 Kings 16:13 - vanities 2 Kings 1:3 - ye go 2 Kings 21:22 - General Job 15:31 - trust Psalms 4:2 - love Psalms 16:4 - Their Psalms 40:4 - as turn Psalms 115:8 - General Psalms 119:29 - Remove Proverbs 12:11 - he that followeth Isaiah 28:15 - we have made Isaiah 50:11 - all ye Jeremiah 2:5 - walked Jeremiah 3:23 - in vain Jeremiah 51:18 - vanity Hosea 12:11 - surely Acts 14:15 - from

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
And God planted a garden eastward in Edem, and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:9
And God made to spring up also out of the earth every tree beautiful to the eye and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of learning the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:24
So the Lord God sent him forth out of the garden of Delight to cultivate the ground out of which he was taken.
Genesis 4:16
So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.
Genesis 13:10
And Lot having lifted up his eyes, observed all the country round about Jordan, that it was all watered, before God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha, as the garden of the Lord, and as the land of Egypt, until thou come to Zogora.
2 Kings 19:12
Have the gods of the nations at all delivered them, whom my fathers destroyed; both Gozan, and Charran, and Raphis, and the sons of Edem who were in Thaesthen?
Isaiah 51:3
And now I will comfort thee, O Sion: and I have comforted all her desert places; and I will make her desert places as a garden, and her western places as the garden of the Lord; they shall find in her gladness and exultation, thanksgiving and the voice of praise.
Ezekiel 27:23
Charra, and Chanaa, these were thy merchants: Assur, and Charman, were thy merchants:
Ezekiel 28:13
Thou wast in the delight of the paradise of God; thou hast bound upon thee every precious stone, the sardius, and topaz, and emerald, and carbuncle, and sapphire, and jasper, and silver, and gold, and ligure, and agate, and amethyst, and chrysolite, and beryl, and onyx: and thou hast filled thy treasures and thy stores in thee with gold.
Ezekiel 31:16
At the sound of his fall the nations quaked, when I brought him down to Hades with them that go down to the pit: and all the trees of Delight comforted him in the heart, and the choice of plants of Libanus, all that drink water.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. They that worship idols, who are nothing, mere vanity and lies, and deceive those that serve them, these forsake the God of their lives, and of their mercies; and so do all such who serve divers lusts and pleasures, and pursue the vanities of this life; and also those who follow the dictates of carnal sense and reason, to the neglect of the will of God, and obedience to his commands; which was Jonah's case, and is, I think, chiefly intended. The Targum, Syriac version, and so Jarchi, and most interpreters, understand it of worshippers of idols in general; and Kimchi of the mariners of the ship Jonah had been in; who promised to relinquish their idols, but did not; and vowed to serve the Lord, and sacrifice to him, but did not perform what they promised. But I rather think Jonah reflects upon himself in particular, as well as leaves this as a general instruction to others; that should they do as he had done, give way to an evil heart of unbelief, and attend to the suggestions of a vain mind, and consult with flesh and blood, and be directed thereby, to the disregard of God and his will; they will find, as he had done to his cost, that they forsake that God that has been gracious and merciful to them, and who is all goodness and mercy,

Psalms 144:3; which to do is very ungrateful to him, and injurious to themselves; and now he being sensible of his folly, and influenced by the grace and goodness of God to him, resolves to do as follows:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They that observe lying vanities - , i. e., (by the force of the Hebrew form , that diligently watch, pay deference to, court, sue, “vanities of vanities,” vain things, which prove themselves vain at last, failing the hopes which trust in them. Such were actual idols, in which men openly professed that they trusted Such are all things in which men trust, out of God. One is not more vain than another. All have this common principle of vanity, that people look, out of God, to that which has its only existence or permanence from God. It is then one general maxim, including all people’s idols, idols of the flesh, idols of intellect, idols of ambition, idols of pride, idols of self and self-will. People “observe” them, as gods, watch them, hang upon them, never lose sight of them, guard them as though they could keep them. But what are they? “lying vanities,” breath and wind, which none can grasp or detain, vanishing like air into air.

And what do they who so “observe” them? All alike “forsake their own mercy;” i. e., God, “Whose property is, always to have mercy,” and who would be mercy to them, if they would. So David calls God, “my mercy.” Psalms 144:2. Abraham’s servant and Naomi praise God, that He “hath not forsaken His mercy” Genesis 24:27; Ruth 2:20. Jonah does not, in this, exclude himself. His own idol had been his false love for his country, that he would not have his people go into captivity, when God would; would not have Nineveh preserved, the enemy of his country; and by leaving his office, he left his God, “forsook” his “own mercy.” See how God speaks of Himself, as wholly belonging to them, who are His. He calls Himself “their own mercy” . He saith not, “they who” do “vanities,” (for Ecclesiastes 1:2. ‘vanity of vanities, and all things are vanity’) lest he should seem to condemn all, and to deny mercy to the whole human race; but “they who observe, guard vanities,” or lies; “they,” into the affections of whose hearts those “vanities” have entered; who not only “do vanities,” but who “guard” them, as loving them, deeming that they have found a treasure - These “forsake their own mercy.” Although mercy be offended (and under mercy we may understand God Himself, for God is Psalms 145:8, “gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger and of great mercy,”) yet he doth not “forsake,” doth not abhor, “those who guard vanities,” but awaiteth that they should return: these contrariwise, of their own will, “forsake mercy” standing and offering itself.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jonah 2:8. They that observe lying vanities — They that trust in idols, follow vain predictions, permit themselves to be influenced with foolish fears, so as to induce them to leave the path of obvious duty, forsake their own mercy. In leaving that God who is the Fountain of mercy, they abandon that measure of mercy which he had treasured up for them.


 
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