Jeremiah 10:24

24 Lord, chastise thou me; nevertheless in doom, and not in thy strong vengeance, lest peradventure thou drive me to nought. (Lord, discipline, or correct, thou me; nevertheless with justice/in judgement, and not with thy strong vengeance, lest perhaps thou drive me down to nothing.)

Jeremiah 10:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 10:24

O Lord, correct me, but with judgment
The prophet here represents the body of the Jewish nation, especially the godly among them; he considers the troubles coming upon the nation as a correction and chastisement of the Lord; he does not refuse it, or desire it might not come upon them; he knew the chastisements of a father are for good; he only entreats it might be "with judgment"; not in strict justice, as his and the sins of his people deserved, then they would not be able to bear it; but in measure and moderation, with a mixture of mercy and tenderness in it; and in a distinguishing manner, so as to make a difference between his own people and others, in the correction of them; see ( Ezekiel 34:16 Ezekiel 34:17 ) : not in thine anger;
in vindictive wrath, and hot displeasure, which is elsewhere deprecated by the saints, ( Psalms 6:1 ) ( 38:1 ) : lest thou bring me to nothing;
or "lessen me" ^F5, or "make me little"; or make us few, as the Arabic version; or bring to a small number, as the Syriac; and so to utter ruin.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (ynjemt Np) "ne imminuas me", Munster, Calvin, Cocceius; "ne diminuere facias me", Pagninus, Montanus; "ne paucum reddas me", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 10:24 In-Context

22 Lo! the voice of hearing cometh, and a great moving together from the land of the north, that it set the cities of Judah into wilderness, and a dwelling place of dragons. (Lo! tidings come, and then a great tumult from the land of the north, that shall turn the cities of Judah into a wilderness, and into a dwelling place for dragons, or for jackals.)

23 Lord, I know, that the way of a man is not of him(self), neither it is of a man that he go, and (ad)dress his steps. (Lord, I know, that the way of a person is not their own choosing, nor is it for anyone that they can go, and direct their own steps.)

24 Lord, chastise thou me; nevertheless in doom, and not in thy strong vengeance, lest peradventure thou drive me to nought. (Lord, discipline, or correct, thou me; nevertheless with justice/in judgement, and not with thy strong vengeance, lest perhaps thou drive me down to nothing.)

25 Pour out thine indignation on heathen men that knew not thee, and on provinces that called not thy name to help; for they ate Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed the honour of him. (Pour out thy indignation upon the heathen who do not know thee, and upon the provinces that did not call on thy name for help; for they ate up Jacob, and devoured him, and wasted him, and destroyed his honour.)