Jeremiah 16:16 kjv
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
Jeremiah 16:16 nkjv
"Behold, I will send for many fishermen," says the LORD, "and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
Jeremiah 16:16 niv
"But now I will send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.
Jeremiah 16:16 esv
"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.
Jeremiah 16:16 nlt
"But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them," says the LORD. "I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves.
Jeremiah 16 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 16:16 | "Behold, I am sending for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they shall catch them; and I will send for many hunters on every mountain and on every hill, and out of the crevices of the rocks." | Direct fulfillment prophecy regarding the Babylonian captivity. |
| Jer 31:10 | "Hear this word, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’" | Contrast to scattering; God's future restoration. |
| Isa 49:24-25 | "Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or can the captives of a tyrant escape?" Yet the LORD declares, "For even the captives of the warrior shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant shall be rescued; for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children." | God's power to rescue His people even when taken captive. |
| Ezek 32:3 | "Now thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Draw your swords against him, against every wild beast, and gather all the nations against you to your ruin. | Judgment declared against Egypt, employing similar imagery. |
| Ezek 14:7-8 | “For whenever any of the house of Israel or of the sojourners who sojourn among them sets up idols in his heart and puts a stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and then comes to a prophet to inquire of me through him, I the LORD will answer him myself. And I will set my face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among my people. And you shall know that I am the LORD." | God's response to idolatry is judgment and separation. |
| Amos 4:2 | "The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, that, behold, the days are coming upon you when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks." | Parallel imagery of capture by hooks, signifying overwhelming judgment. |
| Hab 1:14-15 | "You have made mankind like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. He brings them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his cast net. So he rejoices and is glad." | Describes the Babylonian conquest using similar fishing imagery. |
| Luke 5:10 | "...and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." | Jesus uses the fishing metaphor for discipleship and spiritual outreach. |
| Matt 13:47 | "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind," | Kingdom of Heaven likened to a net gathering people for salvation/judgment. |
| Jer 7:29 | "Cut off your hair, throw it away and wail on the desolate heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath." | God's rejection due to sin leads to outward signs of grief and judgment. |
| Jer 22:6 | "For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: ‘You are but Gilead in my sight, the head of Lebanon; yet I will surely make you a wilderness, cities uninhabited.’" | Judgment leading to desolation. |
| Jer 25:9 | "Behold, I will summon all the tribes of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and I will send for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these nations roundabout; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror, a thing hissed at, and an everlasting desolation." | God appoints Babylon as His instrument of judgment. |
| Jer 50:17 | "Israel is a scattered sheep that the lions have driven away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gnawed his bones." | Depicts Israel as scattered and preyed upon by empires. |
| Hos 9:16 | "Ephraim is struck; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even if they give birth, I will put to death their cherished children." | Consequences of sin leading to barrenness and loss. |
| Micah 7:2 | "The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net." | Describes pervasive wickedness and people preying on each other. |
| Ezek 29:3-4 | “Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, that says, “My river is my own, and I made it myself.”’ | God's judgment against a proud nation. |
| 2 Chron 36:17 | "Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or maiden, old man or gray-bearded. He gave them all into his hand." | Historical account of the Chaldeans' devastating conquest. |
| Ps 3:7 | "Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked." | David calls for God's intervention against enemies who are struck down by God. |
| Jer 43:11 | "And when he comes, he will strike the land of Egypt and deliver the pestilence-stricken to death, and the wounded to captivity, and the sword will be left for him." | Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Egypt. |
| Hab 2:5 | "Moreover, the wealth obtained by violence shall be in his house. He will lay his thresholds in his blood." | Describes the inevitable downfall of the greedy and violent. |
| Matt 11:22 | "But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon than for you." | Jesus likens judgment upon cities that reject His message. |
Jeremiah 16 verses
Jeremiah 16 16 Meaning
This verse declares God's intention to send many fishermen who will catch His people. After this, He will send many hunters who will hunt them on every mountain and from every hill and from the crevices of the rocks. This signifies God's judgment and pursuit of His people, scattered because of their sin. The fishing and hunting imagery points to the comprehensive and inevitable nature of His discipline.
Jeremiah 16 16 Context
Jeremiah 16 follows a period where Jeremiah was forbidden by God to marry or to rejoice because of the impending devastation that would come upon Judah. The nation was deeply steeped in sin, particularly idolatry and social injustice. This prohibition emphasized the severe judgment that was on its way, impacting all aspects of life. Chapter 16 moves from personal pronouncements of judgment to a wider pronouncement concerning the entire nation. God declares that Judah has rejected Him and will be exiled. The imagery of fishermen and hunters signifies the pervasive and inescapable nature of the divine judgment that will overtake them. This is not a passive withdrawal of God, but an active sending of agents to apprehend and scatter the disobedient people, preparing them for a future restoration.
Jeremiah 16 16 Word Analysis
- Behold: (Hebrew: הִנֵּה - hinenēh) - An interjection used to draw attention, to call for observation; signifying something important is about to be stated.
- I am sending: (Hebrew: שָׁלַחְתִּי - shalaḥti) - First person singular, perfect tense of שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning to send, to dispatch, to commission. It denotes an intentional act by God.
- for many fishermen: (Hebrew: לְרַבִּים לִגְרוּשִׁיִּם - ləraḇḇim ligrûshîyim) - "For many" emphasizes quantity. "Fishermen" (gērûshîm) literally refers to those who cast nets or draw them in.
- and they shall catch them: (Hebrew: וְלָכַדְתִּי אֹתָם - vəlaḵadtî 'ōtām) - Future tense, first person singular, meaning to capture, to take captive. The object "them" refers back to "people" in a prior implicit sense.
- and I will send: (Hebrew: וְשָׁלַחְתִּי - vəshalaḥti) - Again, emphasizing God's active role in sending.
- for many hunters: (Hebrew: לְרַבִּים צוֹדִים - ləraḇḇim ṣōdîm) - "Hunters" (ṣōdîm) refers to those who pursue and capture prey. The number "many" again stresses the pervasive nature of the pursuit.
- on every mountain: (Hebrew: מִכָּל־הָהָר - mikkhāl-hāhār) - "From all the mountain." Highlights the totality of the pursuit.
- and on every hill: (Hebrew: וּמִכָּל־גִּבְעָה - ūmikkāl-gibhʻāh) - "And from all the hill." Reinforces the comprehensive reach of the judgment.
- and out of the crevices of the rocks: (Hebrew: וּמִמַּחֲלָצוֹת הַסֶּלַע - ūmimmǎḥălāṣōṯ-hassélaʻ) - "And from the clefts of the rock." Implies seeking them out even in hidden places.
- Fishing and Hunting Imagery as Divine Action: The paired imagery of fishermen and hunters signifies God's comprehensive judgment and restoration plan. Fishermen "catch" and bring out of the depths, while hunters "capture" and pursue to their last refuge. Both speak of effective, inescapable action. This isn't just about physical capture but spiritual separation.
- Scope and Pervasiveness of Judgment: The repetition of "many" and the inclusion of "every mountain," "every hill," and "crevices of the rocks" stress that no one will escape God's judgment due to their widespread sin. This mirrors the idea of scattering followed by thorough pursuit.
- God as the Prime Mover: The consistent use of "I will send" emphasizes that these agents of judgment, whether literal nations like Babylon or unseen forces, are ultimately commissioned by God. He orchestrates His justice.
- Ultimate Purpose: While described as judgment and capture, this pursuit is within the covenantal framework. God is acting not to obliterate but to discipline and ultimately purify, aligning with His salvific purpose for remnant Israel, as seen in the later New Testament use of "catching men" (Luke 5:10).
Jeremiah 16 16 Bonus Section
This verse reflects an earlier judgment depicted in Amos 4:2, "The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, that, behold, the days are coming upon you when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks." The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar is explicitly called God's servant in Jeremiah 25:9, indicating that human agents are indeed the instruments of God's judicial actions. The latter part of the verse speaks of seeking out, which is paralleled in the New Testament's evangelistic mission of "catching men" (Luke 5:10), indicating a continuity of divine pursuit, albeit for a different ultimate purpose in the era of grace. God's meticulous searching here also anticipates the thorough accounting required on the Day of Judgment for all humanity (Hebrews 4:13).
Jeremiah 16 16 Commentary
Jeremiah 16:16 powerfully conveys God's inescapable judgment upon a sinful nation. The dual imagery of fishermen and hunters vividly illustrates the comprehensive and relentless nature of this discipline. God Himself initiates this pursuit, dispatching agents to "catch" and apprehend His people. Whether these are literal captors like the Babylonians or a metaphor for how God brings His judgment to bear, the outcome is that His people will be found and apprehended. The thoroughness is emphasized by mentioning pursuit across mountains, hills, and even hidden rocky crevices, meaning nowhere is safe from divine consequence when sin is rampant. This passage is a stark reminder that while God's mercy is great, His justice is also active, pursuing those who turn away from Him. It highlights that disobedience leads to a scattering, but God's purposeful action will re-gather or, in this phase, decisively deal with His people according to their deeds. This foreshadows the exilic period but also echoes the spiritual tracking and accountability inherent in the divine-human relationship.