Well, I'm about a third of the way through Psalms, completing my research on which Psalms the second chapter of Jonah is connected to... and it's a whale of a task. There are numerous Psalms that the chapter could have a connection to, and explaining all of them would take quite a long time. I would rather say that Jonah's prayer is written with the same spirit as many of the Psalms: it is a prayer/song that cries "I have sinned. I know that you are righteous and will forgive that sin, O Lord. Restore me so that I may spread your word to those who do not know of your grace and mercy." Particular Psalms that the chapter has a connection to include Psalms 3, 16,18, 22, 42, 43, and 88 (there are likely more that I have not found yet). An interesting task is to read the Psalms with the prayer of Jonah in mind, to see where he might have pulled his words from.
One thing that I will point out is that Jonah 2:3 - "all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me" - is a direct reference to Psalm 42:7. The Psalm is an instructional Psalm, a "Maschil" (Hebrew for "instruction") to the sons of Korah (see Numbers 16:1-35 and Numbers 26:11). It instructs the reader to remember the goodness and lovingkindness of God wherever you may go. The Psalm carries on into Psalm 43 in which the author states to God that he will proclaim His truth to the ungodly nations. This is advice that Jonah knows very well, and was his commission by God in the prior chapter; hence, it also shows his faith in prayer that, even though his physical body is dead inside the belly of the fish, he prays from his spirit to God to renew him so that he can fulfill his duty of spreading the Word of God. God fulfills his request at the end of the chapter.
I also love the ending of the prayer: "Salvation is of the Lord." This is two words in the Hebrew texts: Jeshua Jehovah. It is the names of the Son and the Father. "Jesus" is the Greek variant of the name "Joshua" which means "God's salvation". It is virtually the same as "Jeshua" here. "Jehovah" is the sacred name of the Father, and is indicated when you read "LORD" in the King James Bible. The prayer is offered in the name of the Son and in the name of the Father. Beautiful.
So Jonah is out of the belly, and ready to take up his commission. This is where we will join up with him in the next chapter. God bless.
