Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 2
The true God, only, is the God who saves (rescues) his people (2:9). No false god has the power to do it. In fact, idols, the images of those false gods, are unable even to save themselves (Isaiah chapter 46). So, they certainly cannot help those people who depend on them.
In the Hebrew language, Jonah 2:8 combines two different words to describe those false gods or their images. We could translate both of these words in the same way – both of them mean ‘empty things’, or things without any value whatever. The first word really means a breath, something weak that only lasts for a moment. The second word can mean a lie, a false statement, something that only causes trouble.
So, the description really means something weak in which people foolishly put their trust. These people are depending on something that will certainly fail them. It might be a false god (Isaiah 44:9-20), or money (Matthew 6:24), or health and strength (Ecclesiastes 11:9 to 12:5), or a powerful army (Isaiah 31:1).
All these things must fail in the end, because God alone can save his people. So, the person who trusts in such things, loses his opportunity to benefit from God’s grace, his great kindness. That kindness is God’s free gift; and he offers it to all who will receive it (Isaiah 55:1-7). He wants even wicked people to turn to him so that he can forgive them. (Ezekiel 18:21-23 and 18:30-32).
Jonah had never served idols, but he had chosen not to obey God. God helped him to change his attitudes and to place his complete trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-6). God saved him from his great troubles; then, he was living by the grace (kindness) that God had provided for him (compare 1 Timothy 1:13-15).
Next part: Salvation is from God alone (Jonah 2:9)
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