Jeremiah 16:16
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This isn't just about enemies capturing people; it’s a vivid picture of total pursuit. First, "fishers" use nets to sweep through populated areas, catching them in crowds, and then "hunters" track down even the ones who flee to the most remote caves and rocky hidings, leaving absolutely no escape.
“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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After warning of unparalleled judgment worse than Egypt's Exodus, Jeremiah explains that God will bring overwhelming forces against Judah, likening them first to fishermen casting nets to capture the people from towns and fortresses. Then, he compares these enemies to hunters who will relentlessly pursue and capture any fugitives who try to hide in the mountains, hills, and rocky crevices. This imagery emphasizes the inescapable nature of the coming judgment and the thoroughness with which the people will be captured and scattered.
Imagine the entire land of Judah being systematically scoured, not by one army, but by different tactics – first like a fisherman casting a wide net, then like relentless hunters. Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to describe the inescapable judgment coming upon Judah.
Judgment's Two-Pronged Approach
Jeremiah 16:16 uses two powerful metaphors to illustrate God's judgment on disobedient Judah:
Fishers: This image speaks to a methodical and comprehensive capture. The 'fishers' (invading armies, primarily the Babylonians) would surround cities and fortresses, drawing people out in vast numbers, much like a net gathering every kind of fish. The emphasis here is on the overwhelming sweep that leaves few, if any, escaping the initial onslaught.
Hunters: Following the initial capture, the 'hunters' represent a relentless pursuit of those who tried to flee and hide. They would track down fugitives from every mountain, hill, and rocky crevice. This highlights that even desperate attempts to escape God's judgment would be futile.
Together, these images convey a sense of absolute thoroughness. God declares that His judgment would be so complete that no one would be able to hide, no matter where they sought refuge. This wasn't just about capturing people; it was about dismantling their entire society and scattering them.
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It’s striking that God doesn't just announce judgment; He declares, 'I am sending...' This reveals a profound truth about who is ultimately in control, even of human wickedness and warfare.
God's Hand in Human Actions
Jeremiah 16:16 is a powerful declaration of God's sovereignty. Notice the consistent refrain: 'I will send...' This isn't a passive observation of events; it's an active decree.
Divine Initiative: God Himself is the one initiating the deployment of these 'fishers' and 'hunters.' The invading armies, though acting with their own human desires and brutality, are instruments in God's hand.
Purposeful Judgment: God’s sending of these forces has a specific purpose: judgment upon His people for their disobedience. Even when human empires wage war, in the divine economy, their actions can be directed by God to accomplish His justice and His plan.
Inescapable Authority: This assertion of sending underscores that no earthly power can act independently of God's ultimate authority. He raises up and directs nations and armies to fulfill His decrees, whether for blessing or for judgment.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His faithfulness and self-existence to His people.
Jeremiah's prophecy uses vivid imagery of 'fishers' and 'hunters' to describe the relentless pursuit and capture of the people of Judah by their enemies, reflecting the brutal reality of the Babylonian conquest and exile after the fall of Jerusalem.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah and begins deporting prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
A larger group, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, is exiled to Babylon. This event further devastates the kingdom.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's army destroys Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and scattering the remaining population.
c. 586 BC onwards
Widespread Scattering of Judahites
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, many survivors flee to surrounding regions like Egypt, while others are taken captive to Babylon, becoming fugitives in the land.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, leading to the eventual decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
538 BC onwards
Return from Exile
The first wave of Jewish exiles returns to Judah under Zerubbabel, beginning the rebuilding of the Temple and community.
This passage uses a similar imagery of being caught in a net, describing how the king of Babylon would capture Jerusalem's inhabitants who tried to flee, emphasizing the inescapable nature of God's judgment.
Amos 4:2Amos also speaks of God sending hunters and fishers to capture Israel, highlighting the theme of God orchestrating judgment through foreign powers who relentlessly pursue and capture His people.
Habakkuk 1:14-15This passage directly parallels the imagery of fishers and nets, describing the Chaldeans as treating people like fish, casting their net and gathering them into their drag, illustrating the ruthless efficiency of the enemy.
Matthew 4:18-19This New Testament passage reinterprets the 'fisher' imagery in a positive light, where Jesus calls his disciples to become 'fishers of men,' showing how a judgment metaphor can be transformed into a message of salvation.
Luke 5:4-10The miraculous catch of fish that leads to Jesus calling his disciples serves as another instance where fishing imagery is used to signify a profound calling and a vast harvest, contrasting with Jeremiah's message of judgment.
barnesJeremiah 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."
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 within it to some place where it was destroyed. The destruc…
calvinJeremiah 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."
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.
Ecce ego mitto ad piscatores…
This isn't just about enemies capturing people; it’s a vivid picture of total pursuit. First, "fishers" use nets to sweep through populated areas, catching them in crowds, and then "hunters" track down even the ones who flee to the most remote caves and rocky hidings, leaving absolutely no escape.
After warning of unparalleled judgment worse than Egypt's Exodus, Jeremiah explains that God will bring overwhelming forces against Judah, likening them first to fishermen casting nets to capture the people from towns and fortresses. Then, he compares these enemies to hunters who will relentlessly pursue and capture any fugitives who try to hide in the mountains, hills, and rocky crevices. This imagery emphasizes the inescapable nature of the coming judgment and the thoroughness with which the people will be captured and scattered.
After warning of unparalleled judgment worse than Egypt's Exodus, Jeremiah explains that God will bring overwhelming forces against Judah, likening them first to fishermen casting nets to capture the people from towns and fortresses. Then, he compares these enemies to hunters who will relentlessly pursue and capture any fugitives who try to hide in the mountains, hills, and rocky crevices. This imagery emphasizes the inescapable nature of the coming judgment and the thoroughness with which the people will be captured and scattered.
"“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." — This isn't just about enemies capturing people; it’s a vivid picture of total pursuit. First, "fishers" use nets to sweep through populated areas, catching them in crowds, and then "hunters" track…
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Last reviewed October 2026
