The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:5 Explained

Jeremiah 3:5

KJV: Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

YLT: Doth He keep to the age? watch for ever?' Lo, these things thou hast spoken, And thou dost the evil things, and prevailest.

Darby: Will he keep his anger for ever? Will he preserve it perpetually? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and thou art so determined.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Will he reserve  [his anger] for ever?  will he keep  [it] to the end?  Behold, thou hast spoken  and done  evil things  as thou couldest. 

What does Jeremiah 3:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

They also asked Him if He would always be angry with them. They acknowledged that He had spoken warnings in the past and had followed up His words with acts of judgment. He had had His way with them, but now, they implied, it was time for Him to relent. They failed to appreciate that the end of His punishment required repentance from them, not a change of heart from Him.
"Persistent, habitual sin can desensitize an individual to the nagging of one"s conscience, the convicting work of God"s Spirit, or the direct rebuke of God"s Word." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 3

1  God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land
6  Judah is worse than Israel
12  The promises of the gospel to the penitent
20  Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 3:5 mean?

will He remain angry forever lo will He keep it to the end behold - you have spoken and done evil things and as you were able -
הֲיִנְטֹ֣ר ؟ לְעוֹלָ֔ם אִם־ יִשְׁמֹ֖ר ؟ לָנֶ֑צַח הִנֵּ֥ה [דברתי] (דִבַּ֛רְתְּ‪‬) וַתַּעֲשִׂ֥י הָרָע֖וֹת וַתּוּכָֽל פ

הֲיִנְטֹ֣ר  will  He  remain  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטַר 
Sense: to keep, keep guard, reserve, maintain.
؟ לְעוֹלָ֔ם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
אִם־  lo 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִשְׁמֹ֖ר  will  He  keep  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
؟ לָנֶ֑צַח  to  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
הִנֵּ֥ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
[דברתי]  - 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
(דִבַּ֛רְתְּ‪‬)  you  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
וַתַּעֲשִׂ֥י  and  done 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרָע֖וֹת  evil  things 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וַתּוּכָֽל  and  as  you  were  able 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation