16:2 You shall not take for yourself a wife With an instruction suggesting a symbolic act, Yahweh commands Jeremiah not to marry. See note on 13:1–11.

Symbolic Actions of the Prophets Table

16:4 dung The Hebrew word here is rare and always occurs in comparison with corpses left to decompose on the ground. Jeremiah uses the word five times (e.g., 8:2; 9:22), though there are only two other uses of the word elsewhere in the ot (2 Kgs 9:37; Psa 83:11).

for the birds of the air See Jer 7:33 and note. Jeremiah uses this imagery several more times (19:7; 34:20), echoing the covenant curse language of Deut 28:26.

16:5 the house of the funeral meal Jeremiah is not to participate in typical mourning rituals to symbolize how the devastated population of Judah will be unable to give the dead a proper burial (see Jer 16:6).

16:6 one will shave himself for them A sign of mourning. Compare Ezra 9:3; Jer 7:29.

16:8 the house of the banquet The beth mishteh, sometimes translated as “house of feasting,” refers to a celebratory feast; it is the opposite of the beth marzeach, which may be translated as “house of mourning” (Jer 16:5). Yahweh commands Jeremiah to break all social obligations; he cannot attend funerals or feasts (such as the wedding banquet indicated in v. 9).

16:10 what is our iniquity See Jer 5:19; and 13:22 and note. The people plead for an explanation of the disaster as if it was wholly unexpected.

16:12 have behaved badly more than your ancestors See 7:26 and note. The current generation’s stubborn refusal to repent is a greater evil than the idolatry of previous generations. See 3:17 and 8:5.

16:13 you have not known, you or your ancestors Fulfills the covenant curse of Deut 28:64 to scatter Israel to foreign lands, where they will worship foreign gods.

16:14 from the land of Egypt Yahweh’s redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt was an important component of His identity and how He revealed Himself to Israel (see Jer 2:6; Lev 11:45; Deut 6:12; 2 Kgs 17:36). The previous manifestations of His power will pale in comparison with the coming salvation.

16:16 for many The image of fishing and hunting likely alludes to the work of Yahweh’s servants to gather Israel, but there may be an intentional ambiguity since hunting and fishing involve capturing prey. The people will be gathered, but first they must be judged (Jer 16:18).

16:18 I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin Compare Isa 40:2. Yahweh will begin to comfort and restore the people after Israel has paid for their sinfulness.

their abhorrences The term shiqquts may be used to refer to abominable religious practices. See note on Jer 4:1.

with their abominations The Hebrew term here can denote anything offensive; it often refers to things that violate Yahweh’s sense of holiness, such as idolatry. See 6:15 and note.

to you the nations will come Acknowledges the eventual submission of the nations to Yahweh; the nations will bring Israel back to Yahweh at Zion. See Isa 2:2–3; 49:22–23.

vanity, and there is no profit in Even the nations will confess that only Yahweh is truly God.

16:21 they will know that my name is Yahweh A divine recognition formula that connects Yahweh’s acts with the people’s acknowledgement of Him as God. See Ezek 5:13 and note.