Texts in Conversation
In Jeremiah 18:8, God is described as willing to not destroy a nation if that nation turns from wrongdoing. The Greek Septuagint translation uses the word “repent” to describe how God changes his mind, a word that implies changing a mistake. It may serve an educational purpose to say that if God can change, so should the nations.
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Jeremiah 18:8
Hebrew Bible
7 There are times, Jeremiah, when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and destroy a nation or kingdom. 8 But if that nation I threatened stops doing wrong, I will cancel the destruction I intended to do to it. 9 And there are times when I promise to build up and establish a nation or kingdom.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Jeremiah 18:8
Septuagint
7 Finally I will speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to remove and destroy it. 8 And let that nation turn from all their evil, and I will change my mind concerning the evil that I have planned to do to them. 9 And finally I will speak concerning a nation and a kingdom to rebuild and to plant it,
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Whereas the concept of God’s wrath can be justified with respect to pedagogy, the concept of God’s repentance causes difficulties in another way. If God would repent of something, he would be not really wise, he would be less than a Stoic sage ... here are, however, some references where the verb µετανοέω ('repent') is used with God as subject. In Jeremiah 18:8, 10, the translator seemingly makes use of the term for the pedagogical purposes: If God is willing to repent, then human beings should also be willing ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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