Bible Verses

Jonah · Chapter 2 · Prayer

Jonah 2:7 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Read in chapter context · Jonah 2

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple."

KJV · King James Version

"When my soul5315 fainted5848 within me I remembered2142 the LORD3068: and my prayer8605 came in935 unto thee, into thine holy6944 temple1964."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses the, lord, and, unto, while the WEB renders these as yahweh, you, your. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Jonah 2:7 in Jonah 2

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Jonah 2:7 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Jonah 2. Read the full chapter →

  1. v.5 The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.
  2. v.6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
  3. v.7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
  4. v.8 Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
  5. v.9 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”

Book background

About the Book of Jonah

Testament
Old Testament
Genre
Minor prophet
Author
Jonah (subject); compiler unknown
Date written
c. 780–760 BC
Audience
Israel
Chapters
4

Jonah ran from God's call to preach to Nineveh — was swallowed by a great fish — then reluctantly went and saw the entire city repent. Yet Jonah was angry at God's mercy. The book confronts ethnic prejudice with the radical compassion of God for all peoples. Jesus pointed to "the sign of Jonah" as a picture of his own resurrection (Matthew 12:40).

Setting: Jonah was a real 8th-century prophet sent to Nineveh, capital of Assyria.

Key themes: mission · mercy · repentance · God's sovereignty · compassion

Read Jonah from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Jonah 2:7

Jonah 2:7 contains 19 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

  1. 1

    “When my soul fainted within me

    WMSFWM

  2. 2

    I remembered Yahweh

    IRY

  3. 3

    My prayer came in to you

    MPCITY

  4. 4

    into your holy temple.

    IYHT

Frequently asked

FAQ about Jonah 2:7

What does Jonah 2:7 say?

Jonah 2:7 reads: "“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple." — from the Old Testament, Jonah (Minor prophet). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Jonah 2:7 in?

Jonah 2:7 is in the book of Jonah, traditionally attributed to Jonah (subject); compiler unknown and written around c. 780–760 BC. Jonah is minor prophet in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Israel. Best known for Jonah and the great fish.

What is Jonah 2:7 about?

Jonah 2:7 is primarily a Bible verse about Prayer. Within Jonah, Jonah ran from God's call to preach to Nineveh — was swallowed by a great fish — then reluctantly went and saw the entire city repent. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Jonah 2:7 in WEB and KJV?

Jonah 2:7 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "When my soul5315 fainted5848 within me I remembered2142 the LORD3068: and my prayer8605 came in935 unto thee, into thine holy6944 temple1964.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Jonah 2:7?

Jonah 2:7 is 19 words in the WEB translation (102 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 6 seconds.

How can I memorise Jonah 2:7?

To memorise Jonah 2:7, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Jonah 2:7 matter in Jonah?

Jonah ran from God's call to preach to Nineveh — was swallowed by a great fish — then reluctantly went and saw the entire city repent. Yet Jonah was angry at God's mercy. The book confronts ethnic prejudice with the radical compassion of God for all peoples. Jesus pointed to "the sign of Jonah" as a picture of his own resurrection (Matthew 12:40). Jonah 2:7 sits within this larger story — Jonah as a whole emphasises mission, mercy, repentance.

How can I apply Jonah 2:7 today?

Many readers use Jonah 2:7 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Jonah 2:7 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.