Will he reserve his anger for ever? - Why should not wrath be continued against thee, as thou continuest transgression against the Lord?
Rather, “Will he, the young husband,” retain, “keep up His anger forever!” These words should be joined to Jeremiah 3:4.
Behold - Rather, “Behold, thou hast spoken” thus, but thou hast “done evil things” persistently. The King James Version translates as if Judah‘s words and deeds were both evil. Really her words were fair, but her deeds proved them to be false.
And here ends the prophecy, most interesting as showing what was the general nature of Jeremiah‘s exhortations to his countrymen, during the 14 years of Josiah‘s reign. He sets before them God and Israel united by a covenant of marriage, to the conditions of which Yahweh is ever true, while Israel practices with zest every form of idolatry. Therefore, the divine blessing is withheld. It is an honest and manly warning, and the great lesson it teaches us is, that with God nothing avails but a real and heartfelt repentance followed by a life of holiness and sincere devotion to His service.
Jeremiah 3:6-11. Israel therefore is invited to, return to the marriage-covenant by repentance Jeremiah 3:12-14, in which case she and Judah, accepted upon the like condition, shall become joint members of a spiritual theocracy. Jeremiah 3:15-18. The repentance which God requires must be real Jeremiah 3:194:4.