Will he reserve his anger for ever?
&c.] These words may be considered as a continuation of the speech put into their mouths to make to the Lord and plead with him, as well as what follows: will he keep it to the end?
that is, his anger: no; he will not: this is not according to the nature of God; he retains not his anger for ever, ( Micah 7:18 ) , though, according to some versions, this is to be understood of the sins of these people being reserved and kept forever, as their impudence and obstinacy; so the Syriac and Arabic versions; and to which agrees the Targum,
``is it possible that thy sins should be kept for thee for ever, or the stroke (of punishment) be strengthened upon thee to the end?''so Kimchi,
``says the prophet, if thou dost this (call him my father) will God reserve thine iniquity for thee for ever, or keep thy sin unto the end? he will not do so; but when thou returnest unto him, he will return unto thee, and do thee good; but thou hast not done so.''The sense is much the same: behold, thou hast spoken, and done evil things as thou couldest;
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.