Jeremias 26:3

3 Take up arms and spears, and draw nigh to battle;

Jeremias 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Jeremias 26:3 In-Context

1 In the beginning of the reign of king Sedekias, there came this word concerning Aelam.

2 FOR EGYPT, AGAINST THE POWER OF PHARAO NECHAO KING OF EGYPT, who was by the river Euphrates in Charmis, whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Joakim king of Juda.

3 Take up arms and spears, and draw nigh to battle;

4 and harness the horses: mount, ye horsemen, and stand ready in your helmets; advance the spears, and put on your breast-plates.

5 Why do they fear, and turn back? even because their mighty men shall be slain: they have utterly fled, and being hemmed in they have not rallied, saith the Lord.