This verse picks up the thought at the end of the previous chapter, where the heathen sailors offer sacrifices and make vows. Here Jonah is represented as promising to offer such sacrifices, accompanied by words of praise, and as fulfilling the vows that he had previously made.

I will sing praises to you must be restructured in some languages by a redistribution of the various meaningful elements, for example, “I will sing songs that will praise you” or “… contain praises of you” or “I will praise you by my singing.”

Though in English the expression offer you a sacrifice presents no difficulty of understanding, in some languages a literal rendering might be misleading, since a term meaning “offer” might suggest not actually giving something but merely offering it with the implication of possible refusal or even withdrawal. Therefore it may be necessary to render I will offer you a sacrifice as “I will make a sacrifice for you,” or “I will give you a gift of a sacrifice,” or “I will worship you by killing an animal for you.”

The final sentence sums up the thoughts of a sufferer who has been rescued by the Lord, either from some natural calamity such as a storm, or from an illness. He confesses that this salvation or “deliverance” (Revised Standard Version) comes from the Lord. Here New English Bible uses “victory,” which is appropriate in many instances, particularly in the Psalms and in the latter part of Isaiah. In this context, however, salvation seems more appropriate.

In a number of languages one cannot speak of “salvation coming.” Only animate objects or vehicles may be regarded as “coming.” Therefore it may be necessary to restructure the final sentence of the poem to read “only the Lord can save” or “… can rescue.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on the Book of Jonah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .