John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 3:5

"Will he retain [his anger] for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way." — Jeremiah 3:5 (ASV)

Will he reserve his anger for ever? &c.] These words may be considered as a continuation of the speech put into their mouths to make to the Lord and plead with him, as well as what follows: will he keep it to the end? that is, his anger: no; he will not: this is not according to the nature of God; he retains not his anger for ever, (Micah 7:18), though, according to some versions, this is to be understood of the sins of these people being reserved and kept forever, as their impudence and obstinacy; so the Syriac and Arabic versions; and to which agrees the Targum,

``is it possible that your sins should be kept for you for ever, or the stroke (of punishment) be strengthened upon you to the end?'' so Kimchi, ``says the prophet, if you do this (call him my father) will God reserve your iniquity for you for ever, or keep your sin unto the end? he will not do so; but when you return unto him, he will return unto you, and do you good; but you have not done so.'' The sense is much the same:

behold, you have spoken, and done evil things as you couldest; which were enough to cause the Lord to reserve and keep his anger for ever. There is a double reading here; the Cetib, or writing, is (ytrbd), "I have spoken"; the prophet had spoken to them to return; or the Lord by the prophet had spoken to them, and put the above words into their mouths, and told them what they should say when they returned to the Lord; "but you have done evil things"^F25; notwithstanding such declarations of grace, and do continue to do them: and you have prevailed^F26; as the last clause may be rendered; that I cannot turn away mine anger from you, but must reserve it, and keep it for ever.

The Keri, or reading, is (trbd), "you have spoken"; you have said you will do evil things, and you have done them as you have said, and have prevailed; you have sinned with all your might and main, and have spoken and done as evil things as possibly could be done.

Some choose to render the words thus, "if you had spoken"; the words that were put into their mouths before mentioned; "though you have done evil things, yet you would have prevailed"^F1; that is, with God, to have turned away his anger from you.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F25: (twerh yvexw) "sed fecisit mala", Schmidt.
• F26: (lkwxw) "et praevaluisti", Vatablus, Schmidt; "et preavales", Piscator, Gataker; "et evaluisti", Cocceius.
• F1: "Si ita loquereris, quanquam mala [plurirma] fecisti, praevaleres", Grotius.