Jeremiah 8:3

3 et eligent magis mortem quam vitam omnes qui residui fuerint de cognatione hac pessima in universis locis quae derelicta sunt ad quae eieci eos dicit Dominus exercituum

Jeremiah 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 8:3

And death shall be chosen rather than life
By them that should be alive in those times, who would be carried captive into other lands, and be used very hardly, and suffer greatly, by the nations among whom they should dwell; see ( Revelation 9:6 ) . The Septuagint version, and those that follow it, make this to be a reason of the former, reading the words thus, "because they have chosen death rather than life"; see ( Deuteronomy 30:19 ) , but the other sense is best, which is confirmed by what follows: by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family;
the nation of the Jews, become very corrupt and degenerate; so the people of Israel are called the whole family of Israel, ( Amos 3:1 ) , now it is foretold, that those which remained of that people, who died not by famine, or were not slain by the sword, yet should be in such a miserable condition, as that death would be more eligible to them than life: even which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith
the Lord of hosts:
for, though they were carried captive by men, yet the thing was of the Lord, and a just punishment upon them for their sins.

Jeremiah 8:3 In-Context

1 in tempore illo ait Dominus eicient ossa regis Iuda et ossa principum eius et ossa sacerdotum et ossa prophetarum et ossa eorum qui habitaverunt Hierusalem de sepulchris suis
2 et pandent ea ad solem et lunam et omnem militiam caeli quae dilexerunt et quibus servierunt et post quae ambulaverunt et quae quaesierunt et adoraverunt non colligentur et non sepelientur in sterquilinium super faciem terrae erunt
3 et eligent magis mortem quam vitam omnes qui residui fuerint de cognatione hac pessima in universis locis quae derelicta sunt ad quae eieci eos dicit Dominus exercituum
4 et dices ad eos haec dicit Dominus numquid qui cadet non resurget et qui aversus est non revertetur
5 quare ergo aversus est populus iste in Hierusalem aversione contentiosa adprehenderunt mendacium et noluerunt reverti
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.