Jeremiah 26:3

3 Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I may relent of the disaster I am planning to bring upon them because of the evil of their deeds.

Jeremiah 26:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 26:3

If so be they will hearken
And obey; which is expressive not of ignorance and conjecture in God, but of his patience and long suffering, granting space and time for repentance, and the means of it; which disregarded, leave without excuse: and turn every man from his evil way;
his series and course of life, which was evil, and was the case of everyone; so that as their sin was general, the reformation ought to be so too: that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them;
or "am thinking", or "devising ^F4 to do unto them"; which repentance must be understood not of a change of mind, but of the course of his providence towards them, which, by his threatenings, and some steps taken, portended ruin and destruction; yet, in case of repentance and reformation, he would change his method of action agreeably to his will: because of the evil of their doings;
this was the reason why he had threatened them with the evil of punishment, because of the evil of their actions; which were breaches of his law, and such as provoked the eyes of his glory.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 (bvx ykna rva) "quod ego (sum) cogitans", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 26:3 In-Context

1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:

2 “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship there. Do not omit a word.

3 Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I may relent of the disaster I am planning to bring upon them because of the evil of their deeds.

4 And you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘If you do not listen to Me and walk in My law, which I have set before you,

5 and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent you again and again even though you did not listen,