Verse 1
This is the first mention of Jonah praying (cf. Jonah 4:2). In both this verse and Jonah 4:2 the usual Hebrew word hitpallel, "to pray," appears. In Jonah 1:5 and Jonah 3:8 the Hebrew word qara’, "to call," occurs. Until now Jonah had been fleeing from God and hiding from Him. Now in his great distress he finally sought the Lord. Being willing to die by drowning was one thing (Jonah 1:12), but death by gradual digestion was something Jonah had not anticipated. We do not know how long Jonah struggled in the sea before the fish swallowed him. Perhaps that terror also contributed to his repentance. Some interpreters believe that Jonah’s repentance is a type of the repentance of the Jewish remnant that will occur prior to the beginning of the Millennium. [Note: E.g., J. Dwight Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come, p. 328; and Feinberg, pp. 28-29.]
God often has to discipline His rebellious children severely before we turn back to Him.
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