The Meaning of Jonah 2:8 Explained

Jonah 2:8

KJV: They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

YLT: Those observing lying vanities their own mercy forsake.

Darby: They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

ASV: They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They that observe  lying  vanities  forsake  their own mercy. 

What does Jonah 2:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jonah proceeded to philosophize a bit. Everyone who makes an idol his or her god abandons the source of his or her loyal love (Heb. hesed) by doing so. The source of loyal love is Yahweh. This is true of pagans, but the prophet himself had done the same thing. The idols (lit. empty vanities) in view are things that one puts in God"s rightful place in his or her life (cf. Psalm 31:6; 1 John 5:21).

Context Summary

Jonah 2:1-10 - A Prayer From The Depths
The great fish was probably a shark. He who sent the storm prepared the fish. Life is full of contrivances on the part of the great Lover of men. To plunge beneath the wave is to fall into His arms. More than once the body of a man has been found in the belly of a shark in the Mediterranean. Even those who hold that this story is an elaborate parable must admit that it is probably founded on such a fact. Our Lord's endorsement of this book and incident is very emphatic, Matthew 12:39-41.
The psalm which follows is very helpful to those who have brought themselves into the depths by their wrongdoing. God will hear such out of the depths of Sheol. When you think you are cast out of His sight forever, if you will look toward His holy temple, you will find that His love is gradually extricating you from the pit. To trust in your own efforts and expedients is to regard lying vanities and to forsake your own mercy. "Salvation is of the Lord." All nature waits upon His word. The big sharks and the tiny minnows are alike at the behest of God for the help of man. Only "look again" to God, and then be sure to pay your vows when delivered! [source]

Chapter Summary: Jonah 2

1  The prayer of Jonah
10  He is delivered out of the belly of the fish

What do the individual words in Jonah 2:8 mean?

Those who regard idols worthless their own Mercy Forsake
מְשַׁמְּרִ֖ים הַבְלֵי־ שָׁ֑וְא חַסְדָּ֖ם יַעֲזֹֽבוּ

מְשַׁמְּרִ֖ים  Those  who  regard 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
הַבְלֵי־  idols 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: הֶבֶל  
Sense: vapour, breath.
שָׁ֑וְא  worthless 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁוְא  
Sense: emptiness, vanity, falsehood.
חַסְדָּ֖ם  their  own  Mercy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
יַעֲזֹֽבוּ  Forsake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.