Jeremías 16

1 Y vino a mí palabra del SEÑOR, diciendo:

2 No tomarás para ti mujer, ni tendrás hijos ni hijas en este lugar.

3 Porque así dijo el SEÑOR acerca de los hijos y de las hijas que nacieren en este lugar, y de sus madres que los den a luz, y de los padres que los engendraren en esta tierra.

4 De dolorosas enfermedades morirán; no serán endechados ni enterrados; serán por muladar sobre la faz de la tierra; y con cuchillo y con hambre serán consumidos, y sus cuerpos serán para comida de las aves del cielo y de las bestias de la tierra.

5 Porque así dijo el SEÑOR: No entres en casa de luto, ni vayas a lamentar, ni los consueles; porque yo quité mi paz de este pueblo, dijo el SEÑOR, mi misericordia y piedades.

6 Y morirán en esta tierra grandes y chicos; no se enterrarán, ni los endecharán, ni se arañarán, ni se mesarán por ellos;

7 ni por ellos partirán pan por luto, para consolarlos de su muerte; ni les darán a beber vaso de consolaciones por su padre o por su madre.

8 Asimismo no entres en casa de convite, para sentarte con ellos a comer o a beber.

9 Porque así dijo el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel: He aquí que yo haré cesar en este lugar, delante de vuestros ojos y en vuestros días, toda voz de gozo y toda voz de alegría, toda voz de esposo y toda voz de esposa.

10 Y acontecerá que cuando anunciares a este pueblo todas estas cosas, te dirán ellos: ¿Por qué habló el SEÑOR sobre nosotros este mal tan grande? ¿Y qué maldad es la nuestra, o qué pecado es el nuestro, que cometiéramos contra el SEÑOR nuestro Dios?

11 Entonces les dirás: Porque vuestros padres me dejaron, dice el SEÑOR, y anduvieron en pos de dioses ajenos, y los sirvieron, y a ellos se encorvaron, y me dejaron a mí, y no guardaron mi ley;

12 y vosotros habéis hecho peor que vuestros padres; porque he aquí que vosotros camináis cada uno tras la imaginación de su malvado corazón, no oyéndome a mí.

13 Por tanto, yo os haré echar de esta tierra a tierra que ni vosotros ni vuestros padres habéis conocido, y allá serviréis a dioses ajenos de día y de noche; porque no os daré misericordia.

14 Pero he aquí, vienen días, dijo el SEÑOR, que no se dirá más: Vive el SEÑOR, que hizo subir a los hijos de Israel de tierra de Egipto;

15 sino: Vive el SEÑOR, que hizo subir a los hijos de Israel de la tierra del aquilón, y de todas las tierras adonde los había arrojado; y los volveré a su tierra, la cual di a sus padres.

16 He aquí que yo envío muchos pescadores, dice el SEÑOR, y los pescarán; y después enviaré muchos cazadores, y los cazarán de todo monte, y de todo collado, y de las cavernas de los peñascos.

17 Porque mis ojos están puestos sobre todos sus caminos, los cuales no se me ocultaron, ni su maldad se esconde de la presencia de mis ojos.

18 Mas primero pagaré al doble su iniquidad y su pecado; porque contaminaron mi tierra con los cuerpos muertos de sus abominaciones, y de sus abominaciones llenaron mi heredad.

19 Oh SEÑOR, fortaleza mía, y fuerza mía, y refugio mío en el tiempo de la aflicción; a ti vendrán gentiles desde los extremos de la tierra, y dirán: Ciertamente mentira poseyeron nuestros padres, vanidad, y no hay en ellos provecho.

20 ¿Hará por ventura el hombre dioses para sí? Mas ellos no serán dioses.

21 Por tanto, he aquí, les enseñaré esta vez, les enseñaré mi mano y mi fortaleza, 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.