Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

JONAH 2:4KJV
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Jonah 2:4 (KJV)

What does Jonah 2:4 mean?

Jonah 2:4 expresses Jonah’s feeling of being separated from God, yet holding onto hope that he will once again be able to turn toward God’s presence. Even though Jonah believes he is banished from God’s sight, he resolves to look again toward God’s holy temple.

Jonah is speaking from inside the fish, praying to God after fleeing his mission and being swallowed. The verse shows Jonah’s deep distress—he feels cut off from God—but also his determination to seek God’s mercy. The “holy temple” refers to the place where God’s presence dwells, and looking toward it is a way of expressing faith and longing for restoration.

The Hebrew behind Jonah 2:4

  • “Out” (גָּרַשׁ, garash) means to drive out or banish. Jonah uses this word to describe feeling expelled from God’s presence, highlighting his sense of isolation and judgment.
  • “Sight” (עַיִן, ayin) literally means “eye.” Here, it refers to God’s attention or watchful care, so being out of God’s “sight” means feeling beyond God’s concern or favor.
  • “Look” (נָבַט, nabat) means to look or gaze intently. Jonah’s choice of this word shows an active, hopeful turning toward God, not just a passing glance.
  • “Again” (יָסַף, yasaf) means to add or do again. Jonah is expressing hope that, despite his situation, he will once more be able to seek God.

Why Jonah 2:4 matters

  • Jonah 2:4 clarifies that even when someone feels far from God or judged, it is still possible to hope for restoration and to turn back toward God.
  • The verse connects Jonah’s personal experience to the broader theme of exile and return that runs through the Bible, showing that separation from God is not always permanent.
  • Jonah’s reference to the temple emphasizes the importance of God’s presence and the hope of worship and reconciliation, even in desperate situations.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H1644 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • Leviticus 21:7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
  • 1 Kings 2:27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

“look” Hebrew H5027 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
  • Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
  • Isaiah 22:11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.