The following three verses (Jeremiah 16:16–18) may have been part of an oracle of doom and judgment preached by Jeremiah at another time in his ministry, but it has been included as part of this passage (Jeremiah 16:14–21) and it continues the theme of judgment fromJeremiah 16:1–131 . Following on from the promise of restoration in Jeremiah 16:14–15, the listener and reader are reminded that the terrifying prospect of judgment was coming to Judah. Two well-known images are used to describe the judgment, that of fishermen and of hunters. Other prophets also use the image of a fisherman to describe the judgment of Judah (Ezekiel 12:13; Ezekiel 29:4–5; Amos 4:2; Habakkuk 1:14–17) and Amos also used the image of a hunter (Amos 9:1–4)2 . Both images make clear just how extensive and thorough the Lord’s judgment will be when the Babylonians invade. He will send many fishers and they shall catch them.
This is an image of a large number of fish being scooped up in the fisherman’s net. Many, many inhabitants of Judah will be taken captive by the Babylonians. Those who manage to flee and hide will not escape. The Lord will send many hunters and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the cleft of the rocks.
In the Lord’s hands, the Babylonian army will be a relentless and thorough enemy that none will be able to escape from.3
The Lord is going to do all of this to Judah because his eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes.
Judgment is coming to Judah, because they cannot hide from the Babylonians, but even more importantly, they cannot hide their unfaithful ways from the Lord; he has seen it all.
16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.