Focused Passage

Jeremiah 16:16-18

Jeremiah’s Sign-Life, Judah’s Exile, and the Nations’ Confession

The chapter moves from Jeremiah's commanded unmarried and childless sign-life, to the prohibition against mourning, to the prohibition against feasting, to the people's question about why disaster is coming, to the LORD's answer of ancestral and intensified sin, to the announcement of exile, to a future restoration greater than the Exodus, to the sending of fishermen and hunters to capture sinners, and finally to Jeremiah's confession of the LORD as strength and refuge and the nations' future confession that inherited idols are worthless.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16 But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.

17 For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.

18 And I will first repay them double their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and they have filled My inheritance with their abominations.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

But for now הִנְנִ֨י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will send for שֹׁלֵ֜חַ H7971 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular many רַבִּ֛ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural fishermen לְדַוָּגִים H1728 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and they will catch them וְדִיג֑וּם H1770 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural After that וְאַֽחֲרֵי־ H310 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . כֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb I will send אֶשְׁלַח֙ H7971 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular for many לְרַבִּ֣ים H7227 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural hunters צַיָּדִ֔ים H6719 Noun - masculine plural and they will hunt them down וְצָד֞וּם H6679 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural on מֵעַ֤ל H5921 Preposition-m every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct mountain הַר֙ H2022 Noun - masculine singular . . . וּמֵעַ֣ל H5921 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m . . . כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct and hill גִּבְעָ֔ה H1389 Noun - feminine singular even from the clefts וּמִנְּקִיקֵ֖י H5357 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct of the rocks הַסְּלָעִֽים׃ H5553 Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction My eyes עֵינַי֙ H5869 Noun - cdc | first person common singular [are] on עַל־ H5921 Preposition all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct their ways דַּרְכֵיהֶ֔ם H1870 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural They are not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle hidden נִסְתְּר֖וּ H5641 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural from My face מִלְּפָנָ֑י H6440 Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular and their guilt עֲוֺנָ֖ם H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural is not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle concealed נִצְפַּ֥ן H6845 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular from מִנֶּ֥גֶד H5048 Preposition-m My eyes עֵינָֽי׃ H5869 Noun - cdc | first person common singular
Verse 18

Original words

And I will first רִֽאשׁוֹנָ֗ה H7223 Adjective - feminine singular repay them וְשִׁלַּמְתִּ֣י H7999 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular double מִשְׁנֵ֤ה H4932 Noun - masculine singular construct their iniquity עֲוֺנָם֙ H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural and their sin וְחַטָּאתָ֔ם H2403 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural because עַ֖ל H5921 Preposition they have defiled חַלְּלָ֣ם H2490 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My land אַרְצִ֑י H776 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular with the carcasses בְּנִבְלַ֤ת H5038 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of their detestable idols שִׁקּֽוּצֵיהֶם֙ H8251 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural and they have filled מָלְא֖וּ H4390 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My inheritance נַחֲלָתִֽי׃ס H5159 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular with their abominations וְתוֹעֲב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם H8441 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.