Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? - (cf. Joel 2:14, "Who knoweth if He will return and repent?") Their acting on a vague possibility of God's mercy, without any special ground of encouragement, is the more remarkable instance of faith, as they had to break through long-rooted prejudices in giving up idols to seek Yahweh at all. The only ground which their ready faith rested on was the fact of God sending one to warn them instead of destroying them at once; this suggested the thought of a possibility yet of pardon. Hence, they are cited by Christ as about to condemn in the judgment those who, with much greater light and privileges, yet repent not (Matthew 12:41).