Question

In black distress, I called my God,When I could scarce believe him mine,He bowed his ear to my complaints-No more the whale did me confine.With speed he flew to my relief,As on a radiant dolphin borne;Awful, yet bright, as lightning shoneThe face of my Deliverer God.My song for ever shall recordThat terrible, that joyful hour;I give the glory to my God,His all the mercy and the power.Nearly all joined in singing this hymn, which swelled high above the howling of the storm. A brief pause ensued; the preacher slowly turned over the leaves of the Bible, and at last, folding his hand down upon the proper page, said: Beloved shipmates, clinch the last verse of the first chapter of Jonah- 'And God had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.'Which BEST describes how the passage draws on the Bible?

A) It alludes to the biblical story of Jonah, who was swallowed by a great fish.
B) It mirrors the famous story of Noah and the ark, as both texts deal with boats.
C) It reverses biblical ideas, calling the Bible itself into question as a religious text.
D) It has no connection to the Bible, as a work of fiction from 19th century America was unlikely to draw from the Bible.

Answer 1

The passage alludes to the biblical story of Jonah, reflecting themes of distress, divine intervention, and personal salvation similar to those found in the Bible.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage described draws on the Bible by directly referencing the story of Jonah. This is evident as the hymn sung by the characters mirrors Jonah's gratitude for deliverance by God after being swallowed by a great fish. The preacher's selection of the verse from Jonah further reinforces this allusion. Additionally, the theme of salvation in times of distress relates to central Christian narratives and the emphasis on personal salvation found throughout various stories in the Bible. The passage does not question the Bible as a religious text, nor does it align with the story of Noah or suggest the absence of biblical connections, making option A the most accurate description.