Many understand Jonah 2.9 (8) as the author’s condemnation of idol worship. In this article I suggest that the author is providing advice for life that comes out of the threat of drowning seen within both the poetic prayer (Jonah 2.3-10) and the preceding narrative (Jonah 1.1–2.2). A preferred translation is: “Those continuing to hold on to empty breaths forsake their Faithful Love.” Disagreements over the translation of this verse center on four issues: (1) the initial pi‘el verb; (2) the construct phrase הבלי־שׁוא; (3) the semantics of חסד; and (4) the relationship between חסד and its 3mp suffix.
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