Jeremías 16

1 Entonces la palabra del SEÑOR vino a mí, diciendo:

2 No tomes para ti mujer ni tengas hijos ni hijas en este lugar.

3 Porque así dice el SEÑOR acerca de los hijos e hijas nacidos en este lugar, y acerca de las madres que los dieron a luz, y de los padres que los engendraron en esta tierra:

4 De muertes crueles morirán; no serán llorados ni sepultados; serán como estiércol sobre la faz de la tierra; a espada y por hambre serán acabados, y sus cadáveres servirán de comida para las aves del cielo y para las bestias de la tierra.

5 Porque así dice el SEÑOR: No entres en casa de duelo, ni vayas a lamentar, ni los consueles; pues he retirado mi paz de este pueblodeclara el SEÑORla misericordia y la compasión.

6 Morirán grandes y pequeños en esta tierra; no serán enterrados, ni llorados, y nadie se sajará ni se rapará por ellos;

7 no partirán el pan en el duelo para ellos, a fin de consolarlos por el muerto, ni les darán a beber la copa de consolación por su padre o por su madre.

8 Tampoco entres en casa de banquete para sentarte con ellos a comer y beber.

9 Porque así dice el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, el Dios de Israel: He aquí, voy a hacer que desaparezca de este lugar, ante vuestros ojos y en vuestros días, la voz de gozo y la voz de alegría, la voz del novio y la voz de la novia.

10 Y sucederá que cuando anuncies a este pueblo todas estas palabras, ellos te dirán: "¿Por qué el SEÑOR ha pronunciado toda esta gran calamidad contra nosotros? ¿Cuál es nuestra iniquidad y cuál es nuestro pecado que hemos cometido contra el SEÑOR nuestro Dios?"

11 Entonces les dirás: "Es porque vuestros padres me abandonaron"declara el SEÑOR"y siguieron a otros dioses y los sirvieron y se postraron ante ellos, pero a mí me abandonaron y no guardaron mi ley.

12 "Y vosotros habéis hecho peor que vuestros padres, porque he aquí, cada uno de vosotros anda tras la terquedad de su malvado corazón, sin escucharme.

13 "Por tanto, yo os arrojaré de esta tierra a una tierra que no habéis conocido, ni vosotros ni vuestros padres; y allí serviréis a otros dioses día y noche, pues no os mostraré clemencia."

14 Por tanto, he aquí, vienen díasdeclara el SEÑORcuando ya no se dirá: "Vive el SEÑOR, que sacó a los hijos de Israel de la tierra de Egipto",

15 sino: "Vive el SEÑOR, que hizo subir a los hijos de Israel de la tierra del norte y de todos los países adonde los había desterrado." Porque los haré volver a su tierra, la cual di a sus padres.

16 He aquí, enviaré a muchos pescadoresdeclara el SEÑORque los pescarán; y después enviaré a muchos cazadores, que los cazarán por todo monte y por todo collado y por las hendiduras de las peñas.

17 Porque mis ojos están puestos sobre todos sus caminos, que no se me ocultan, ni su iniquidad está encubierta a mis ojos.

18 Pero primero, pagaré al doble su iniquidad y su pecado, porque ellos han contaminado mi tierra con los cadáveres de sus ídolos abominables y han llenado mi heredad con sus abominaciones.

19 ¡Oh SEÑOR, fuerza mía y fortaleza mía, refugio mío en el día de angustia! A ti vendrán las naciones desde los términos de la tierra y dirán: Nuestros padres heredaron sólo mentira, vanidad y cosas sin provecho.

20 ¿Puede hacer el hombre dioses para sí? ¡Pero no son dioses!

21 Por tanto, he aquí, voy a darles a conocer, esta vez les haré conocer mi mano y mi poder; y sabrán que mi nombre es el SEÑOR.

Jeremías 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Prohibitions given to the prophet. (1-9) The justice of God in these judgments. (10-13) Future restoration of the Jews, and the conversion of the Gentiles. (14-21)

Verses 1-9 The prophet must conduct himself as one who expected to see his country ruined very shortly. In the prospect of sad times, he is to abstain from marriage, mourning for the dead, and pleasure. Those who would convince others of the truths of God, must make it appear by their self-denial, that they believe it themselves. Peace, inward and outward, family and public, is wholly the work of God, and from his loving-kindness and mercy. When He takes his peace from any people, distress must follow. There may be times when it is proper to avoid things otherwise our duty; and we should always sit loose to the pleasures and concerns of this life.

Verses 10-13 Here seems to be the language of those who quarrel at the word of God, and instead of humbling and condemning themselves, justify themselves, as though God did them wrong. A plain and full answer is given. They were more obstinate in sin than their fathers, walking every one after the devices of his heart. Since they will not hearken, they shall be hurried away into a far country, a land they know not. If they had God's favour, that would make even the land of their captivity pleasant.

Verses 14-21 The restoration from the Babylonish captivity would be remembered in place of the deliverance from Egypt; it also typified spiritual redemption, and the future deliverance of the church from antichristian oppression. But none of the sins of sinners can be hidden from God, or shall be overlooked by him. He will find out and raise up instruments of his wrath, that shall destroy the Jews, by fraud like fishers, by force like hunters. The prophet, rejoicing at the hope of mercy to come, addressed the Lord as his strength and refuge. The deliverance out of captivity shall be a figure of the great salvation to be wrought by the Messiah. The nations have often known the power of Jehovah in his wrath; but they shall know him as the strength of his people, and their refuge in time of trouble.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 16

In this chapter the ruin and destruction of the Jews is set forth, and confirmed by the prophet's being forbid to be merry, or to go into the house of feasting or mourning, with the reasons thereof; also the sins of the people, the cause of it, are pointed at; and afterwards a promise of their restoration is made; and the chapter is concluded with a prayer of the prophet, pressing his faith in the divine protection, and in the calling of the Gentiles. After the preface or introduction, Jer 16:1, the prophet is forbid to take a wife, or have any children, with the reason of it; because that parents and children would die of grievous deaths unlamented, and not be buried, Jer 16:2-4 and he is also forbid to go into the house of mourning, because peace, lovingkindness, and mercy, were taken from the people, and both great and small would die, and no lamentation be made for them, nor have any burial also, Jer 16:5-7, nor might he go into the house of feasting, because the voice of joy and gladness would cease out of the land, Jer 16:8,9, and upon the people's inquiring the reason of all this, the prophet is bid to tell them, that it was for their forsaking the Lord and his worship, and for their idolatrous practices; of which they were more guilty than their forefathers, and therefore would be cast out of the land, and carried captive into a strange country, Jer 16:10-13 but, after all this, they should be restored again to their own land, and have a greater deliverance than that out of Egypt, as they themselves would own, Jer 16:14,15 but before this would be, fishers and hunters should be sent to distress them, and all because of their iniquities, which God's eye was upon, and would recompense, Jer 16:16-18, and the chapter is closed with the prophet's prayer, in which he expresses his faith in the Lord, and in the conversion of the Gentiles, who would be convinced of their idolatry, and made to know the power and name of the Lord, Jer 16:19,20.