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Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 16:14–21. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
There is a mixture of mercy and judgment in these verses, and it is hard to know to which to apply some of the passages here - they are so interwoven, and some seem to look as far forward as the times of the gospel.
I.God will certainly execute judgment upon them for their idolatries. Let them expect it, for the decree has gone forth.
1.God sees all their sins, though they commit them ever so secretly and palliate them ever so artfully (Jer 16:17): My eyes are upon all their ways. They have not their eye upon God, have no regard to him, stand in no awe of him; but he has his eye upon them; neither they nor their sins are hidden from his face, from his eyes. Note, None of the sins of sinners either can be concealed from God or shall be overlooked by him, Pro 5:21; Job 34:21; Psa 90:8.
2.God is highly displeased, particularly at their idolatries, Jer 16:18. As his omniscience convicts them, so his justice condemns them: I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, not double to what it deserves, but double to what they expect and to what I have done formerly. Or I will recompense it abundantly; they shall now pay for their long reprieve and the divine patience they have abused. The sin for which God has a controversy with them is their having defiled God's land with their idolatries, and not only alienated that which he was entitled to as his inheritance, but polluted that which he dwelt in with delight as his inheritance, and made it offensive to him with the carcases of their detestable things, the gods themselves which they worshipped, the images of which, though they were of gold and silver, were as loathsome to God as the putrid carcases of men or beasts are to us. Idols are carcases of detestable things. God hates them, and so should we. Or he might refer to the sacrifices which they offered to these idols, with which the land was filled; for they had high places in all the coasts and corners of it. This was the sin which, above any other, incensed God against them.
3.He will find out and raise up instruments of his wrath, that shall cast them out of their land, according to the sentence passed upon them (Jer 16:16): I will send for many fishers and many hunters - the Chaldean army, that shall have many ways of ensnaring and destroying them, by fraud as fishers, by force as hunters. They shall find them out wherever they are, and shall chase and closely pursue them, to their ruin. They shall discover them wherever they are hid, in hills or mountains, or holes of the rocks, and shall drive them out. God has various ways of prosecuting a people with his judgments that avoid the convictions of his word. He has men at command fit for his purpose; he has them within call, and can send for them when he pleases.
4.Their bondage in Babylon shall be sorer and much more grievous than that in Egypt, their task-masters more cruel, and their lives made more bitter. This is implied in the promise (Jer 16:14, Jer 16:15), that their deliverance out of Babylon shall be more illustrious in itself, and more welcome to them, than that out of Egypt. Their slavery in Egypt came upon them gradually and almost insensibly; that in Babylon came upon them at once and with all the aggravating circumstances of terror. In Egypt they had a Goshen of their own, but none such in Babylon. In Egypt they were used as servants that were useful, in Babylon as captives that had been hateful.
5.They shall be warned, and God shall be glorified, by these judgments brought upon them. These judgments have a voice, and speak aloud, (1.) Instruction to them. When God chastens them he teaches them. By this rod God expostulates with them (Jer 16:20): "Shall a man make gods to himself? Will any man be so perfectly void of all reason and consideration as to think that a god of his own making can stand him in any stead? Will you ever again be such fools as you have been, to make to yourselves gods which are no gods, when you have a God whom you may call your own, who made you, and is himself the true and living God?" (2.) Honour to God; for he will be known by the judgments which he executes. He will first recompense their iniquity (Jer 16:18), and then he will this once (Jer 16:21) - this once for all, not by many interruptions of their peace, but this one desolation and destruction of it. "For this once, and no more, I will cause them to know my hand, the length and weight of my punishing hand, how far it can reach and how deeply it can wound. And they shall know that my name is Jehovah, a God with whom there is no contending, who gives being to threatenings and puts life into them as well as promises."
II.Yet he has mercy in store for them, intimations of which come in here for the encouragement of the prophet himself and of those few among them that tremble at God's word. It was said, with an air of severity (Jer 16:13), that God would banish them into a strange land; but, that thereby they might not be driven to despair, there follow immediately words of comfort.
1.The days will come, the joyful days, when the same hand that dispersed them shall gather them again, Jer 16:14, Jer 16:15. They are cast out, but they are not cast off, they are not cast away. They shall be brought up from the land of the north, the land of their captivity, where they are held with a strong hand, and from all the lands whither they are driven, and where they seemed to be lost and buried in the crowd; nay, I will bring them again into their own land, and settle them there. As he foregoing threatenings agreed with what was written in this law, so does this promise. Yet will I not cast them away, Lev 26:44. Thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, Deu 30:4. And the following words (Jer 16:16) may be understood as a promise; God will send for fishers and hunters, the Medes and Persians, that shall find them out in the countries where they are scattered, and send them back to their own land; or Zerubbabel, and others of their own nation, who should fish them out and hunt after them, to persuade them to return; or whatever instruments the Spirit of God made use of to stir up their spirits to go up, which at first they were backward to do. They began to nestle in Babylon; but, as an eagle stirs up her nest and flutters over her young, so God did by them, Zac 2:7.
2.Their deliverance out of Babylon should, upon some accounts, be more illustrious and memorable than their deliverance out of Egypt was. Both were the Lord's doing and marvellous in their eyes; both were proofs that the Lord liveth and were to be kept in everlasting remembrance, to his honour, as the living God; but the fresh mercy shall be so surprising, so welcome, that it shall even abolish the memory of the former. Not but that new mercies should put us in mind of old ones, and give us occasion to renew our thanksgivings for them; yet because we are tempted to think that the former days were better than these, and to ask, Where are all the wonders that our fathers told us of? as if God's arm had waxed short, and to cry up the age of miracles above the later ages, when mercies are wrought in a way of common providence, therefore we are allowed here comparatively to forget the bringing of Israel out of Egypt as a deliverance outdone by that out of Babylon. That was done by might and power, this by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, Zac 4:6. In this there was more of pardoning mercy (the most glorious branch of divine mercy) than in that; for their captivity in Babylon had more in it of the punishment of sin than their bondage in Egypt; and therefore that which comforts Zion in her deliverance out of Babylon is this, that her iniquity is pardoned, Isa 40:2. Note, God glorifies himself, and we must glorify him, in those mercies that have no miracles in them, as well as in those that have. And, though the favours of God to our fathers must not be forgotten, yet those to ourselves in our own day we must especially give thanks for.
3.Their deliverance out of captivity shall be accompanied with a blessed reformation, and they shall return effectually cured of their inclination to idolatry, which will complete their deliverance and make it a mercy indeed. They had defiled their own land with their detestable things, Jer 16:18. But, when they have smarted for so doing, they shall come and humble themselves before God, Jer 16:19-21.
(1.)They shall be brought to acknowledge that their God only is God indeed, for he is a God in need - "My strength to support and comfort me, my fortress to protect and shelter me, and my refuge to whom I may flee in the day of affliction." Note, Need drives many to God who had set themselves at a distance from him. Those that slighted him in the day of their prosperity will be glad to flee to him in the day of their affliction.
(2.)They shall be quickened to return to him by the conversion of the Gentiles: The Gentiles shall come to thee from the ends of the earth; and therefore shall not we come? Or, "The Jews, who had by their idolatries made themselves as Gentiles (so I rather understand it), shall come to thee by repentance and reformation, shall return to their duty and allegiance, even from the ends of the earth, from all the countries whither they were driven." The prophet comforts himself with the hope of this, and in a transport of joy returns to God the notice he had given him of it: "O Lord! my strength and my fortress, I am now easy, since thou hast given me a prospect of multitudes that shall come to thee from the ends of the earth, both of Jewish converts and of Gentile proselytes." Note, Those that are brought to God themselves cannot but rejoice greatly to see others coming to him, coming back to him.
(3.)They shall acknowledge the folly of their ancestors, which it becomes them to do, when they were smarting for the sins of their ancestors: "Surely our fathers have inherited, not the satisfaction they promised themselves and their children, but lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. We are now sensible that our fathers were cheated in their idolatrous worship; it did not prove what it promised, and therefore what have we to do any more with it?" Note, It were well if the disappointment which some have met with in the service of sin, and the pernicious consequences of it to them, might prevail to deter others from treading in their steps.
(4.)They shall reason themselves out of their idolatry; and that reformation is likely to be sincere and durable which results from a rational conviction of the gross absurdity there is in sin. They shall argue thus with themselves (and it is well argued), Should a man be such a fool, so perfectly void of the reason of a man, as to make gods to himself, the creatures of his own fancy, the work of his own hands, when they are really no gods? Jer 16:20. Can a man be so besotted, so perfectly lost to human understanding, as to expect any divine blessing or favour from that which pretends to no divinity but what it first received from him?
(5.)They shall herein give honour to God, and make it to appear that they know both his hand in his providence and his name in his word, and that they are brought to know his name by what they are made to know of his hand, Jer 16:21. This once, now at length, they shall be made to know that which they would not be brought to know by all the pains the prophets took with them. Note, So stupid are we that nothing less than the mighty hand of divine grace, known experimentally, can make us know rightly the name of God as it is revealed to us.
4.Their deliverance out of captivity shall be a type and figure of this great salvation to be wrought out by the Messiah, who shall gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. And this is that which so far outshines the deliverance out of Egypt as even to eclipse the lustre of it, and make it even to be forgotten. To this some apply that of the many fishers and hunters, the preachers of the gospel, who were fishers of men, to enclose souls with the gospel net, to find them out in every mountain and hill, and secure them for Christ. Then the Gentiles came to God, some from the ends of the earth, and turned to the worship of him from the service of dumb idols.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 16 onwards) Behold, I will send many fishermen, says the Lord, and they will catch them. And after this, I will send them many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and from the clefts of the rocks, for my eyes are upon all their ways. They are not hidden from my sight, and their iniquity was not hidden from my eyes. And I will first repay double their iniquities and sins, for they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations. There are different interpretations of this chapter. For the Jews, it is believed to refer to the Chaldeans, who are described under the name of fishermen, and later to the Romans, who are compared to hunters, and who hunted down the unfortunate people in the mountains, hills, and caves of the rocks. But the Lord says that He Himself has done this because He has looked upon their ways and has returned upon them the iniquities with which they have polluted the land by worshipping idols and defiling His inheritance with abominations. But our Prophet thinks more rightly and better that these things are prophesied about the future. For as he had said before: I will bring them back to their land, which I gave to their fathers, now he shows how they are to be brought back, that first he should send Apostles, to whom the Savior said: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). And afterwards hunters, whom we can understand as either ecclesiastical men or Angels, who, when the time of completion comes, will hunt down all the holy ones from the mountains of lofty doctrines, and from the hills of good works, and from the caves of rocks, to the Apostles and apostolic men. For not only did Christ give the name Rock to Peter the Apostle (I Cor. X, Matt. XVI). In the senses of which, resting rightly, they are said to be transferred from rock. And it shows either the Apostles or those who came after them, having sins, and receiving their double injustices. For the servant who knows his master's will and does not do it, will be beaten with many blows (Luke XII). And it should be known that in Hebrew it is placed first, and in the Septuagint edition it was omitted. But when he says, 'I will first repay them double for their iniquities and their sins,' he indicates that after they have received evil, they will also receive good. However, those who will be transferred later have defiled the land of the Lord with the corpses of their idols and with their abominations they have filled his inheritance, so that the whole world may be subject to God, and may be preserved not by their own merit, but by his mercy. This we have inserted from the Hebrew: 'They are not hidden from my face,' which is not found in the Septuagint.
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Summary
Jeremiah 16:18 powerfully declares God's resolute judgment against Judah for their profound and pervasive unfaithfulness. The verse states that God will fully and comprehensively recompense their iniquity and sin, specifically because they have desecrated the land, which was His sacred inheritance, by filling it with the lifeless, detestable idols and abominable practices of pagan worship. It underscores the certainty of divine justice as a righteous response to their egregious covenant violations and spiritual defilement.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within a significant block of prophetic judgment in Jeremiah, specifically chapters 16-17, which detail the impending disaster and exile for Judah. Jeremiah himself is commanded by God in a poignant passage where he is forbidden to marry or have children, serving as a living parable of the desolation and lack of future generations that would result from the coming catastrophe. The preceding verses in chapter 16 describe the removal of peace, kindness, and mercy from the people, foreshadowing the severity of the judgment. The immediate context of verse 18 is God's declaration of punishment, which directly answers the people's bewildered question posed earlier in the chapter: "Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?" Verse 18 provides a direct and unequivocal answer to their inquiry, laying bare the specific nature of their transgression.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during the tumultuous late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, a period marked by the decline of Assyrian power and the rise of Babylon. Judah, caught between these empires, repeatedly vacillated in its loyalty to Yahweh, often embracing the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations. Kings like Manasseh and Amon had actively promoted pagan worship, including the veneration of Baal, Asherah, and even child sacrifice to Molech, which permeated the religious and social fabric of the land. The concept of the "land" (Hebrew: 'erets) was central to Israelite identity and covenant theology; it was a divine gift, a sacred space where God dwelt among His people. Defiling the land through idolatry, bloodshed, and immoral practices was a direct violation of the Mosaic Covenant, as detailed in books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and was understood to provoke God's wrath and lead to the land "vomiting out" its inhabitants.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Jeremiah and the broader Old Testament. Firstly, it highlights Divine Justice and Retribution, emphasizing that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to persistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness. The "double recompense" signifies a full and complete measure of judgment proportionate to the offense. Secondly, the theme of Covenant Breach is central, as Judah's idolatry and defilement of the land represented a profound betrayal of their exclusive covenant relationship with Yahweh, who had chosen them as His people and given them the land. This breach had severe consequences, as warned extensively in Deuteronomy 28. Thirdly, the verse underscores the Sacredness and Defilement of the Land. The land of Israel was considered holy, a place consecrated by God's presence and promises. Their actions of filling it "with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things" desecrated this holy space, making it ritually unclean and unfit for God's dwelling, a concept also powerfully articulated in Numbers 35:33-34. Finally, the theme of Idolatry and Abomination is explicitly addressed, revealing the depth of Judah's spiritual apostasy and the loathsomeness of their pagan practices in God's sight.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the root meaning "to repeat" or "to duplicate," this term signifies not merely a literal mathematical doubling, but a full, complete, and ample measure of retribution. It conveys the certainty and totality of God's judgment, ensuring that the punishment fully corresponds to the magnitude of the offense. It implies a just and comprehensive repayment for their actions.
This verb, often translated as "to profane," "to wound," or "to pollute," carries the sense of making something holy common or unclean. In this context, it refers to the act of desecrating God's sacred land through their idolatrous practices, violating its sanctity and rendering it ritually impure in God's eyes. It implies a deliberate and grievous act against divine holiness.
Literally meaning "a flabby thing," this term refers to a dead body or carrion, often associated with something unclean or worthless. Here, it is used figuratively to describe the lifeless, impotent idols and the remains of their pagan sacrifices. By filling God's inheritance with these "carcases," the people demonstrated the utter worthlessness of their false gods and the extent of their spiritual pollution.
Verse Breakdown
"And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double"
This clause emphasizes God's initiative and certainty in judgment. "First" (H7223, riʼshôwn) suggests that this recompense is a primary and immediate divine response. "Iniquity" (H5771, ʻâvôn) speaks of moral perversity and guilt, while "sin" (H2403, chaṭṭâʼâh) refers to the act of missing the mark or offending God. The combination highlights both the nature of their wrongdoing and its consequences. "Double" (H4932, mishneh) signifies a complete and proportionate retribution, not necessarily twice the amount, but a full measure of justice corresponding to their offenses.
"because they have defiled my land"
This phrase provides the direct justification for God's judgment. The land of Israel was God's holy possession, given to His people as an inheritance under covenant. Their actions, particularly idolatry, violated its sacredness. "Defiled" (H2490, châlal) implies a profanation, rendering something holy common or unclean. This was a direct affront to God's presence and ownership.
"they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things"
This elaborates on the nature and extent of the defilement. "Mine inheritance" (H5159, nachălâh) reiterates God's proprietary claim over the land. "Filled" (H4390, mâlêʼ) suggests the pervasive and widespread nature of their idolatry. "Carcases" (H5038, nᵉbêlâh) refers to the lifeless, worthless idols and the polluted remains of pagan rituals. "Detestable" (H8251, shiqqûwts) and "abominable things" (H8441, tôwʻêbah) are strong terms used throughout the Old Testament to describe things utterly loathsome to God, particularly idols and the immoral practices associated with their worship (e.g., child sacrifice, cultic prostitution). This imagery paints a vivid picture of the spiritual pollution that permeated the land.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 16:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the gravity of Judah's sin and God's righteous response. The phrase "recompense... double" functions as hyperbole, not in the sense of exaggeration, but to emphasize the absolute certainty and completeness of God's judgment, ensuring full and just retribution rather than a mere tit-for-tat. The land is presented as "my land" and "mine inheritance," using personification and metaphor to convey its sacred status and God's intimate ownership, making its defilement a personal affront to the divine. The vivid imagery of "carcases of their detestable and abominable things" employs metaphor and concrete imagery to depict the utter worthlessness and spiritual repugnance of the idols and pagan practices, transforming abstract sin into tangible, polluting objects. The pairing of "detestable" and "abominable" creates a hendiadys or synonymous parallelism, intensifying the condemnation and underscoring the profound loathsomeness of their idolatry in God's eyes.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 16:18 powerfully articulates the immutable principle of divine justice: God will not tolerate persistent sin, especially idolatry, which directly assaults His holiness and sovereignty. The "double recompense" signifies a full and just measure of judgment, underscoring that God's character demands a righteous response to unrepentant rebellion. This passage reveals God's deep grief over His people's defilement of the sacred land He entrusted to them, demonstrating that sin has tangible consequences not only for individuals but also for the very environment they inhabit. It highlights the profound seriousness of idolatry, which replaces the living God with lifeless objects and abominable practices, thereby severing the covenant relationship and inviting divine wrath.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 16:18 serves as a timeless warning about the gravity of spiritual infidelity and the unchanging nature of God's justice. While we may not erect physical idols of wood and stone today, the principle of "defiling the land"—our lives, our communities, our spiritual inheritance—through misplaced affections and priorities remains profoundly relevant. This verse calls us to a radical self-examination: What "detestable and abominable things" have we allowed to fill our hearts and minds, displacing the rightful worship of God? Are we pursuing material wealth, status, comfort, or even good causes with an intensity that borders on idolatry, thereby profaning the "temple" of our bodies and spirits, which belong to God? The "double recompense" reminds us that sin carries a full and certain consequence, yet it also implicitly points to the boundless grace available through repentance. Our application is to diligently guard our hearts against anything that would usurp God's rightful place, to live lives of purity and devotion, and to actively participate in the spiritual cleansing and restoration of our spheres of influence, honoring the sacred trust God has given us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "recompense their iniquity and their sin double" mean?
The phrase "recompense... double" (Hebrew: mishneh) in this context does not mean God will punish them literally twice as much as they deserve. Instead, it signifies a full, complete, and ample measure of retribution. It emphasizes the certainty and totality of God's judgment, ensuring that the punishment fully corresponds to the magnitude of their offenses, leaving no doubt about the justice and severity of His response. It's about a just and comprehensive repayment for their actions, ensuring that the consequences are proportionate to the depth of their rebellion. This concept is echoed in Isaiah 40:2, where Jerusalem is said to have received double for all her sins.
What were the "carcases of their detestable and abominable things"?
This vivid imagery refers to the lifeless, worthless idols and the polluting remnants of pagan worship practices that the people of Judah had embraced. "Detestable" (Hebrew: shiqqûwts) and "abominable" (Hebrew: tôwʻêbah) are strong terms used throughout the Old Testament to describe things utterly loathsome to God, primarily associated with idolatry, pagan rituals, and immoral practices such as child sacrifice to gods like Molech or cultic prostitution. By filling God's land with these things, they demonstrated the depth of their spiritual apostasy and the profound disrespect for God's holiness. These practices were explicitly forbidden in the Law, seen in passages like Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
Why was defiling the land such a serious offense to God?
The land of Israel was considered holy, a sacred trust and a divine inheritance given by God to His people as part of His covenant with them. It was the place where God chose to dwell among them, and its purity reflected His own holiness. Defiling the land through idolatry, bloodshed, and immoral practices was not merely a social transgression but a direct affront to God's character and His covenant. It violated the sacred space where His presence resided and demonstrated a profound disrespect for His ownership and His commands. The Law warned that the land itself would "vomit out" its inhabitants if it became defiled, as described in graphic detail in Leviticus 18:24-28, where the land is depicted as "vomiting out" its inhabitants.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 16:18, with its stark declaration of divine recompense for sin and the defilement of God's inheritance, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in Jesus Christ. Humanity, far more than just Judah, has universally "defiled" God's spiritual "land" and "inheritance"—the perfect relationship and world He created—through sin, becoming dead in trespasses and sins. The "double recompense" of divine justice, the full and complete payment for iniquity, was not exacted upon us, but upon Christ Himself. He, the spotless Lamb of God, became the ultimate "sin offering" (2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ became sin for us), bearing the full weight of humanity's "detestable and abominable things" on the cross. Through His sacrifice, the curse of the law was absorbed, and the righteous demands of God's justice were perfectly satisfied. He cleanses us from all defilement, transforming our hearts—which were once filled with spiritual "carcases" of sin and idolatry—into temples of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, in Christ, believers receive a new, imperishable "inheritance", not a physical land, but eternal life and a restored relationship with God, secured by His atoning work and resurrection.