John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 8:3

"And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith Jehovah of hosts." — Jeremiah 8:3 (ASV)

And death shall be chosen rather than life
By those who should be alive in those times, who would be carried captive into other lands, and be used very hardly, and suffer greatly, by the nations among whom they should dwell; see (Revelation 9:6) . The Septuagint version, and those that follow it, make this to be a reason of the former, reading the words thus, "because they have chosen death rather than life"; see (Deuteronomy 30:19) , but the other sense is best, which is confirmed by what follows:

by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family ;
the nation of the Jews, become very corrupt and degenerate; so the people of Israel are called the whole family of Israel, (Amos 3:1) , now it is foretold, that those who remained of that people, who did not die by famine, or were not slain by the sword, yet should be in such a miserable condition, as that death would be more eligible to them than life:

even which remain in all the places where I have driven them, says
the Lord of hosts :
for, though they were carried captive by men, yet the thing was of the Lord, and a just punishment upon them for their sins.