King James Version

Jonah 1:17

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

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Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

In the Hebrew text this line is Jonah 2:1.

וַיְמַ֤ןvaymanand appointמָנָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appoint”, the next action in the storyH4487properly, to weigh out; by implication, to allot or constitute officially; also to enumerate or enrollappoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell.יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).דָּ֣גdagfishדָּגnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fish”, the ordinary formH1709a fish (often used collectively)fish.גָּד֔וֹלgadolgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.לִבְלֹ֖עַlivloato destroyבָּלַעpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to destroy”, the to-form of the verbH1104to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroycover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יוֹנָ֑הyonahJonahיוֹנָהnoun, proper name — “Jonah”H3124Jonah, an IsraeliteJonah.וַיְהִ֤יvayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.יוֹנָה֙yonahJonahיוֹנָהnoun, proper name — “Jonah”H3124Jonah, an IsraeliteJonah.בִּמְעֵ֣יbimein bellyמֵעֶהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “in belly”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4578used only in plural the intestines, or (collectively) the abdomen, figuratively, sympathy; by implication, a vest; by extension the stomach, the uterus (or of men, the seat of generation), the heart (figuratively)belly, bowels, [idiom] heart, womb.הַדָּ֔גhadagthe fishדָּגdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the fish”, the ordinary formH1709a fish (often used collectively)fish.שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הsheloshahthirdשָׁלוֹשׁadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “third”, the ordinary formH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).יָמִ֖יםyamimas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֥הusheloshahand thirdשָׁלוֹשׁconjunction, adjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “and third”, the ordinary formH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).לֵילֽוֹתleylotnightלַיִלnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(2-1) And the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah appointeth a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah is in the bowels of the fish three days and three nights.

World English Bible

Yahweh prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Darby Translation

And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(2-1) And the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ προσέταξε Κύριος κήτει μεγάλῳ καταπιεῖν τὸν Ἰωνᾶν· καὶ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.

Fulfilled in

Matthew 12:40 Matthew 12:40 · King James VersionFor as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.Matthew 12:40 · King James VersionOpen the Source
three days and three nights · NT explicit
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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The King James Version (1769) is in the public domain in the United States.