28:2 a god . . . in the heart of the seas. In the ancient Near East, the watery depths of the primeval ocean are a standard symbol for the powers of chaos and death. Archaeologists have discovered more than one mythical creation account in which “the Sea” appears as a dragon or sea monster to be killed by the gods. The threat of chaos to the created order is subdued and the gods rule the waves. In the Bible the sea is no threat to God; it obeys His commands. Ezekiel describes how the king of Tyre had become proud of the city’s wealth and power, and had begun to flatter himself as a god ruling over the sea (cf. Ps. 29:10; Rev. 17:1, 15). But the sea would swallow him (v. 8; 29:3 note).