Jeremiah 36:3

3 ¹It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, ²so that every one may turn from his evil way, and ³that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ”

Jeremiah 36:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 36:3

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which
I purpose to do unto them
Not that there was any uncertainty in God as to the knowledge of future events, any more than a change in his purposes: he had purposed to bring evil upon them, which purpose would not be disannulled; and he knew that the Jews would not hearken to the prediction of it, or be concerned about it, and repent of their sins, and reform; but this method he was pleased to take, as being, humanly speaking, a probable one to awaken their attention, and which would leave them inexcusable: that they may return every man from his evil way;
repent of it, and reform: that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin;
by not inflicting on them the punishment and ruin threatened: where repentance is, remission of sin is likewise, and both are the gifts of divine grace, when spiritual and evangelical.

Jeremiah 36:3 In-Context

1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today.

3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ”

4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him.

5 And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the Lord,

Cross References

• 1. 36:3 ch. 26:3; Ezek. 12:3; Zeph. 2:3; [Amos 5:15]
• 2. 36:3 [ch. 18:8]
• 3. 36:3 See ch. 31:34