Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
Nevertheless my loving-kindness - My mercy; my favor. I will not utterly cast him off. He shall not be in the condition of those who are my enemies, or who are entirely forsaken.
Will I not utterly take from him - Margin, "I will not make void from." The Hebrew word - pârar - means to break, to break in pieces; then, to violate, as a covenant; then, to make vain, to bring to nought, to frustrate; then, to annul, to abolish. The idea here is that of making entirely vain; wholly removing from; or taking completely away. The meaning is, that he would not wholly take away his favor; he would not entirely abandon him; he would not suffer him to become wholly apostate; he would not leave him to ruin. The covenant once made would be accomplished; the promise given would be carried out.
Nor suffer my faithfulness - My faithfulness as pledged in the covenant or promise. "To fail." Margin," lie." I will not Proverbs false, or deal falsely in the pledge which I have made. It shall not appear at last that I have made a promise which has not been kept. This passage contains a very important principle in regard to the dealings of God with his people. The principle is, that if people are converted, if they in fact become his people - he will never suffer them wholly to fall away and perish. They may be suffered to backslide; they may fall into sin, but they will not be allowed to go so far as to apostatize wholly. They will be brought back again. Whatever method may be necessary for this, will be adopted. Commands; warnings; entreaties; remonstrances; - their own experience; the admonitions of others; the influences of the Holy Spirit: judgments and calamities; sickness; loss of property; bereavement; disappointment; disgrace; any of these, or all of these, may be resorted to, in order to bring them back; but they will be brought back. God, in mercy and in love, will so visit them with sorrow and trouble that they shall be recovered, and that their "spirit shall be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
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