Jeremiah 26:3

3 Maybe they will listen, and each of them turn from his evil way; then I will be able to relent from the disaster I intend to bring on them because of how evil their deeds are.

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 Y'hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y'hudah, this word came from ADONAI:

2 "ADONAI says: 'Stand in the courtyard of ADONAI's house and speak to the people from all the cities in Y'hudah who come to worship at ADONAI's house; say everything I order you to say to them, and don't leave out a word.

3 Maybe they will listen, and each of them turn from his evil way; then I will be able to relent from the disaster I intend to bring on them because of how evil their deeds are.

4 So tell them that this is what ADONAI says: "If you will not pay attention to me and live according to my Torah, which I have given you,

5 and listen to what my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, say - I have sent them frequently, but you haven't listened -