The short oracle of judgment in Jeremiah 16:16–18 ends with the Lord confirming his judgment of Judah. The Lord says, But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin.
The words but first
emphasize the fact, that, despite the promise of restoration throughout Jeremiah 16:14–21, judgment is still coming. The Lord will doubly repay
Judah for her sin. Some commentators have struggled with the fact that this seems to suggest that the Lord’s judgment is excessive and not just. There is increasing evidence, however, that the Hebrew word misneh, which is translated as double
can also be translated as equivalent
where it has the sense of being an exact copy of something. The Lord’s judgment will perfectly match Judah’s iniquity and sin.1
18 Je leur donnerai d'abord le double salaire de leur iniquité et de leur péché, Parce qu'ils ont profané mon pays, Parce qu'ils ont rempli mon héritage Des cadavres de leurs idoles et de leurs abominations.