Jeremiah 16:16

Jeremiah 16:16 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

But for 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, even from the clefts of the rocks.

King James Version 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.

American Standard Version ASV

Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith Jehovah, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

Bible in Basic English BBE

See, I will send for great numbers of fishermen, says the Lord, and they will take them like fish in a net; and after that, I will send for numbers of bowmen, and they will go after them, driving them from every mountain and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

Free Bible Version FBV

But for the moment I'm going to send for many fishermen and they'll catch them, declares the Lord. Then I'm going to send for many hunters, and they'll hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from their hiding places in the rocks.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

Behold, sayth the Lord, I wil send out many fishers, and they shall fish them, and after, will I send out many hunters, and they shall hunt them from euery mountaine and from euery hill, and out of the caues of the rockes.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

Lo, I am sending for many fishers, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they have fished them, And after this I send for many hunters, And they have hunted them from off every mountain, And from off every hill, and from holes of the rocks.

World English Bible WEB

“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and afterwards 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.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

Behold I will send many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them: and after this I will send them many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

Translation for Translators T4T

But now I am summoning your enemies who will seize the people of Judah like [MET] fishermen catch fish. I am summoning those who will search for them on every mountain and hill, and in every cave, like [MET] hunters search for animals to kill.

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Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 16:16

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Jeremiah 16:16 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

HEB הִנְ/נִ֨י שֹׁלֵ֜חַ ל/דוגים לְ/דַיָּגִ֥ים רַבִּ֛ים נְאֻם יְהוָ֖ה וְ/דִיג֑וּ/ם וְ/אַֽחֲרֵי כֵ֗ן אֶשְׁלַח֙ לְ/רַבִּ֣ים צַיָּדִ֔ים וְ/צָד֞וּ/ם מֵ/עַ֤ל כָּל הַר֙ וּ/מֵ/עַ֣ל כָּל גִּבְעָ֔ה וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י הַ/סְּלָעִֽים

הִנְ/נִ֨י hên H2005 look! Part | Suff

שֹׁלֵ֜חַ shâlach H7971 to send V-Qal

ל/דוגים davvâg H1728 fisher Prep | N-mp

לְ/דַיָּגִ֥ים dayâg H1771 fisher Prep | N-mp

רַבִּ֛ים rab H7227 many Adj

נְאֻם nᵉʼum H5002 utterance N-ms

יְהוָ֖ה Yᵉhôvâh H3068 The Lord N-proper

וְ/דִיג֑וּ/ם dîyg H1770 to fish Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff

וְ/אַֽחֲרֵי ʼachar H310 after Conj | Prep

כֵ֗ן kên H3651 right Adv

אֶשְׁלַח֙ shâlach H7971 to send V-Qal-Imperf-1cs

לְ/רַבִּ֣ים rab H7227 many Prep | Adj

צַיָּדִ֔ים tsayâd H6719 hunter N-mp

וְ/צָד֞וּ/ם tsûwd H6679 to hunt Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff

מֵ/עַ֤ל ʻal H5921 upon Prep | Prep

כָּל kôl H3605 all N-ms

הַר֙ har H2022 mountain N-ms

וּ/מֵ/עַ֣ל ʻal H5921 upon Conj | Prep | Prep

כָּל kôl H3605 all N-ms

גִּבְעָ֔ה gibʻâh H1389 Gibeat N-fs

וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י nâqîyq H5357 cleft Conj | Prep | N-mp

הַ/סְּלָעִֽים çelaʻ H5553 crag Art | N-mp

Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 16:16

הִנְ/נִ֨י hên H2005 "look!" Part | Suff

An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.

Definition: interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

Usage: Occurs in 311 OT verses. KJV: behold, if, lo, though. See also: Genesis 3:22; Job 2:6; Psalms 51:7.

שֹׁלֵ֜חַ shâlach H7971 "to send" V-Qal

To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.

Definition: : depart/send 1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to send 1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct 1a3) to send away 1a4) to let loose 1b) (Niphal) to be sent 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out 1c2) to let go, set free 1c3) to shoot forth (of branches) 1c4) to let down 1c5) to shoot 1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled 1e) (Hiphil) to send

Usage: Occurs in 790 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out). See also: Genesis 3:22; Exodus 9:27; Joshua 14:11.

ל/דוגים davvâg H1728 "fisher" Prep | N-mp

This word refers to a person who catches fish, a fisherman. It is used in the Bible to describe people who work with fish.

Definition: fisherman, fisher

Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: fisher. See also: Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 47:10.

לְ/דַיָּגִ֥ים dayâg H1771 "fisher" Prep | N-mp

A fisherman is someone who catches fish for a living, and this Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe people like Peter and his brother Andrew, who were called by Jesus to follow him. It appears in Matthew 4:18-20 and Mark 1:16-20. The Bible often talks about fishermen.

Definition: fisherman, fisher

Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: fisher. See also: Isaiah 19:8; Jeremiah 16:16.

רַבִּ֛ים rab H7227 "many" Adj

This Hebrew word means a chief or captain, someone in charge. It is used in 2 Samuel 23:19 to describe a great and powerful man. The idea is one of leadership and authority.

Definition: adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly

Usage: Occurs in 443 OT verses. KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent). See also: Genesis 6:5; 1 Kings 11:1; Psalms 3:2.

נְאֻם nᵉʼum H5002 "utterance" N-ms

This word refers to an utterance or declaration from God, often through a prophet. It is used in the Bible to describe a revelation or message from God, like in Exodus or Numbers.

Definition: 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)

Usage: Occurs in 358 OT verses. KJV: (hath) said, saith. See also: Genesis 22:16; Jeremiah 22:16; Psalms 36:2.

יְהוָ֖ה Yᵉhôvâh H3068 "The Lord" N-proper

Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.

Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.

וְ/דִיג֑וּ/ם dîyg H1770 "to fish" Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff

This Hebrew word means to catch fish, and it is used in the Bible to describe the act of fishing, like when Jesus called his disciples to follow him and become fishers of men. It appears in the Old Testament, including in Ezekiel 47:10. The Bible often uses fishing as a metaphor.

Definition: (Qal) to fish, catch fish, fish for, catch

Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: fish. See also: Jeremiah 16:16.

וְ/אַֽחֲרֵי ʼachar H310 "after" Conj | Prep

Achar means backwards or after, used to describe something that happens later or in the rear. It is used in various senses in the Bible, including in 1 Kings 12:18.

Definition: 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

Usage: Occurs in 664 OT verses. KJV: after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with. See also: Genesis 5:4; Exodus 18:2; Joshua 8:14.

כֵ֗ן kên H3651 "right" Adv

In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Definition: adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

Usage: Occurs in 737 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:7; Exodus 37:19; Judges 7:17.

אֶשְׁלַח֙ shâlach H7971 "to send" V-Qal-Imperf-1cs

To send or depart is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which has various applications in the Bible. It can describe sending someone or something away, or letting something go.

לְ/רַבִּ֣ים rab H7227 "many" Prep | Adj

This Hebrew word means a chief or captain, someone in charge. It is used in 2 Samuel 23:19 to describe a great and powerful man. The idea is one of leadership and authority.

Definition: adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly

צַיָּדִ֔ים tsayâd H6719 "hunter" N-mp

A hunter is someone who catches game for food, and this Hebrew word describes that person. The word is used in the Bible to talk about people who hunt for a living. It is translated as 'hunter' in the KJV.

Definition: hunter

Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: hunter. See also: Jeremiah 16:16.

וְ/צָד֞וּ/ם tsûwd H6679 "to hunt" Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff

To provision means to gather food and supplies for a journey, as in Genesis 45:23, where Jacob prepares for his trip to Egypt. It represents God's care for His people.

Definition: 1) to hunt 1a) (Qal) to hunt 1b) (Poel) to hunt, hunt eagerly or keenly

Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: chase, hunt, sore, take (provision). See also: Genesis 27:3; Psalms 140:12; Proverbs 6:26.

מֵ/עַ֤ל ʻal H5921 "upon" Prep | Prep

This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.

Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)

Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.

כָּל kôl H3605 "all" N-ms

The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.

Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.

הַר֙ har H2022 "mountain" N-ms

A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.

Definition: : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount

Usage: Occurs in 486 OT verses. KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. See also: Genesis 7:19; Deuteronomy 3:12; Judges 18:13.

וּ/מֵ/עַ֣ל ʻal H5921 "upon" Conj | Prep | Prep

This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.

כָּל kôl H3605 "all" N-ms

Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

גִּבְעָ֔ה gibʻâh H1389 "Gibeat" N-fs

Gibeat refers to a small hill, with the name meaning hill, and is another spelling of Gibeah. It appears in various KJV translations as hill or little hill.

Definition: This name means hill Another spelling of giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeah" H1390H)

Usage: Occurs in 71 OT verses. KJV: hill, little hill. See also: Genesis 49:26; Isaiah 30:17; Psalms 65:13.

וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י nâqîyq H5357 "cleft" Conj | Prep | N-mp

In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a cleft or hole in a rock, often referring to a place of shelter or refuge, like the hole in the rock where Moses hid in Exodus 33:22.

Definition: cleft (of a rock)

Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: hole. See also: Isaiah 7:19; Jeremiah 13:4; Jeremiah 16:16.

הַ/סְּלָעִֽים çelaʻ H5553 "crag" Art | N-mp

This word means a craggy rock or cliff, a strong and secure place, like the rock of salvation in Psalm 71:3.

Definition: 1) crag, cliff, rock 1a) crag, cliff 1b) as stronghold of Jehovah, of security (fig.)

Usage: Occurs in 53 OT verses. KJV: (ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold. See also: Numbers 20:8; Psalms 71:3; Psalms 18:3.

Study Notes — Jeremiah 16:16

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Jeremiah 16:16 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 16:16
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 16:16
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 16:16
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 16:16
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16
Sermons on Jeremiah 16:16

Context — God Will Restore Israel

14Yet behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’ 15Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their forefathers.

16But for 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, even from the clefts of the rocks.

17For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes. 18And I will first repay them double their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and they have filled My inheritance with their abominations.”

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Habakkuk 1:14–15	You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly.
2	Amos 4:2	The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days are coming when you will be taken away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
3	Micah 7:2	The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.
4	Revelation 6:15–17	Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
5	Amos 9:1–3	I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape. Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down. Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.
6	1 Samuel 26:20	So do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to look for a flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
7	Genesis 10:9	He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.”
8	Isaiah 24:17–18	Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth. Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.
9	Jeremiah 25:9	behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.
10	1 Samuel 24:11	See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.

Jeremiah 16:16 Summary

[Jeremiah 16:16 means that God will send His 'fishermen' and 'hunters' to gather His people, not to harm them, but to bring them back to Himself, just like a shepherd gathers his sheep. This is part of God's larger plan to redeem and restore His people, as seen in Jeremiah 16:15. God's judgment will be thorough, and He will leave no one hidden from His sight, as seen in Psalm 139:7-12. This should give us hope and motivation to live a life that honors Him, knowing that He is always with us and sees all our ways.]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Lord mean by sending fishermen and hunters in Jeremiah 16:16?

The Lord is using the metaphor of fishermen and hunters to describe how He will gather and judge His people, as seen in Jeremiah 16:16, similar to the way Jesus called His disciples to be fishers of men in Matthew 4:19.

Is the Lord speaking of a literal fishing and hunting in Jeremiah 16:16?

No, the Lord is using these terms figuratively to describe the gathering and judgment of His people, as seen in the context of Jeremiah 16:14-18, where He speaks of returning them to their land and repaying their iniquity.

How does Jeremiah 16:16 relate to God's plan of redemption?

Jeremiah 16:16 is part of God's larger plan to redeem and restore His people, as seen in Jeremiah 16:15, where He promises to return them to their land, and in other verses like Ezekiel 36:24, where He promises to gather them from all the nations.

What is the significance of the clefts of the rocks in Jeremiah 16:16?

The clefts of the rocks represent the most hidden and inaccessible places, emphasizing that God's judgment will be thorough and comprehensive, leaving no one hidden from His sight, as seen in Psalm 139:7-12, where David acknowledges God's omnipresence.

Reflection Questions

How do I respond to the reality that God's eyes are on all my ways, and my guilt is not concealed from Him?
What are the 'clefts of the rocks' in my life where I try to hide from God, and how can I surrender them to Him?
In what ways can I cooperate with God's plan to gather and redeem His people, as described in Jeremiah 16:16?
How does the promise of God's judgment and redemption in Jeremiah 16:16 give me hope and motivation to live a life that honors Him?

Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 16:16

Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them,.... Which some understand of the Egyptians, who lived much on fish, and were much employed in catching them, to which

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 16:16

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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16

Though some interpreters make these words a promise, either of God’ s restoration of this people, and making use of Cyrus, who, as a fisherman or huntsman, by his proclamation fetched the Jews out of all parts of his dominions, to return to Jerusalem; or of the calling of God’ s elect by the apostles, who were God’ s fishermen, and went up and down preaching the gospel in all places; yet the next verse rather guideth us to interpret it as a threatening, and by these fishermen and huntsmen to understand all those enemies whom God made use of to destroy these Jews, hunting them out of all holes and coverts wheresoever they should fly and take sanctuary.

Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16

Jeremiah 16:16 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.Ver. 16. Behold, I will send for many fishers, &c.] scil., To enclose in their αμφιβληστορα, large and capacious nets, whole shoals of them together. These were the Chaldees, whom God sent for, arcano instinctu cordium, by putting it into their hearts to come up against Jerusalem. Howbeit, some by fishers understand the Egyptians, who lived much by fishing, and by hunters the Chaldeans. And they shall hunt them.] Out of all their starting holes and lurking places, as the Romans afterwards pulled them out of their secret places, &c.

Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16

(16) I will send for many fishers . . .—The words refer to the threat, not to the promise. The “fishers,” as in Amos 4:2; Habakkuk 1:15, are the invading nations, surrounding Judah and Jerusalem as with a drag-net, and allowing none to escape. The process is described under this very name of “drag-netting” the country by Herodotus (iii. 149, 6:31), as applied by the army of Xerxes to Samos, Chios, Tenedos, and other islands. The application of the words either to the gathering of the people after their dispersion or to the later work of the preachers of the Gospel is an after-thought, having its source in our Lord’s words, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). It is, of course, possible enough that those words may have been suggested by Jeremiah’s, the same image being used, as in the parable of Mat 13:47, to describe the blessing which had before presented its darker aspect of punishment. Hunters.—Another aspect of the same thought, pointing, so far as we can trace the distinction between the two, to the work of the irregular skirmisher as the former image did to that of the main body of the army: men might take refuge, as hunted beasts might do, in the caves of the rocks, but they should be driven forth even from these.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16

Verse 16. I will send for many fishers - for many hunters] I shall raise up enemies against them some of whom shall destroy them by wiles, and others shall ruin them by violence. This seems to be the meaning of these symbolical fishers and hunters.

Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 16:16

9–21. Du. rejects all these vv. Co. omits 9–13, suspects the genuineness of 14, 15 both here and in Jeremiah 23:7 f., and rejects 16, as well as portions of 17–21. Gi. retains of the whole series only Jeremiah 16:19, while admitting (Metrik) that 20, 21 may be genuine. Schmidt denies the genuineness of 14–21. There is thus a considerable consensus of authorities against the passage, but their arguments do not appear conclusive except as to 14, 15. See further in individual notes. According to Gi. (Metrik) metre is doubtful or non-existent, except in 7, 8, 19–21.

Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 16:16

The scattering of the people is to be like that of hunted animals, of which but few escape, the ancient method of hunting being to enclose a large space with beaters and nets, and so drive everything

Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 16:16

SOME DETAILS OF THE EXILE, Jeremiah 16:16-21.16. Fishers… hunters — They shall be treated like hunted animals. Means adapted to their capture shall be employed.

Sermons on Jeremiah 16:16

	Sermon	Description
	Slightly Healed by Paris Reidhead	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the disappointment of God with His chosen people, using the analogy of a vineyard. Despite God's efforts to cultivate and protect His people,
	The Situation Is Desperate by Vance Havner	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of holy desperation and how it is reflected in the book of Lamentations and Micah. He emphasizes the desperate state of the world
	If Any Man Be in Christ - Part 2 (Cd Quality) by Leonard Ravenhill	In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the impact of the Apostle Paul's teachings and the great things he accomplished despite facing numerous challenges. The preacher also menti
	That Tragic and Fiery Day by A.W. Tozer	In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the sixth chapter of Revelation. He begins by describing the opening of the four seals, which represent different events and symbols. The fi
	(Revival) Highlights of Past Revivals - Part 1 by Michael L. Brown	Michael L. Brown discusses the historical context of biblical revivals, emphasizing the Hebrew concept of 'Chaya,' which means to revive or bring to life. He highlights the story o
	Week of Meetings-04 Gpd's Picture of the Great Tribulation by Dwight Pentecost	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the events described in the book of Revelation, specifically focusing on the seals and vials of God's wrath. He explains that the seals repre
	Jap-07 Judgment Begins in the House of God by Art Katz	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the negative impact of technology and entertainment on society. He highlights the prevalence of violent and degrading content on television,