Jeremiah 16:18

“And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, etc.] Or, “but first I will recompense”, etc.f344; meaning, before he showed favour to them, and returned their captivity, (<241615>Jeremiah 16:15), he would punish them according to their sins; not double to what they deserved, but to what: they were used to have, or he was used to inflict upon them, punishing them less than their sins deserved; but now he would reward them to the full, though not beyond the measure of justice, yet largely and abundantly, and with rigour and severity. Some understand this of God’s gathering together all their sins and iniquities “from the beginning”f345, as they render the word; the sins of…”

“first . . . double--HORSLEY translates, "I will recompense . . . once and again"; literally, "the first time repeated": alluding to the two captivities--the Babylonian and the Roman. MAURER, "I will recompense their former iniquities (those long ago committed by their fathers) and their (own) repeated sins" (Jer 16:11-12). English Version gives a good sense, "First (before 'I bring them again into their land'), I will doubly (that is, fully and amply, Jer 17:18; Isa 40:2) recompense." carcasses--not sweet-smelling sacrifices acceptable to God, but "carcasses" offered to idols, an offensive odor to God: human victims (Jer 19:5; Eze 16:20), and unclean animals (Isa 65:4; Isa 66:17). MAURER…”

“First - Before the return from exile. I will recompense their iniquity ... double - The ordinary rule of the Law (Isaiah 40:2 note). Sin is twofold; there is the leaving of God’s will undone, and the actual wrongdoing. And every punishment is twofold: first, there is the loss of the blessing which would have followed upon obedience, and secondly, the presence of actual misery. Because they have defiled ... - Rather, “because they have profaned My land with the carcases of their detestable things” (their lifeless and hateful idols, the very touch of which pollutes like that of a corpse, Numbers 19:11); “and hare filled My inheritance with their abominations.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“I will recompense - Before I will restore them, I will plentifully punish them, (for so double here signifies, not the double of what their sins deserve.) Defiled - By their idolatry, blood and cruelty. Detestable - Unclean beasts offered to their idols, or innocent persons slain by them. Jeremiah 16:21”

“16:18 The punishment was double—slaughter and exile—because the people of Judah had violated the two most important commandments. They did not love God (Deut 6:4-5), and they did not love their neighbors (Lev 19:18; see also Matt 22:37-40).”

“first: Jer 17:18; Isa 40:2, Isa 61:7; Rev 18:6 they have defiled: Jer 2:7, Jer 3:1, Jer 3:2, Jer 3:9; Lev 18:27, Lev 18:28; Num 35:33, Num 35:34; Psa 106:38; Isa 24:5; Mic 2:10; Zep 3:1-5 the carcases: Lev 26:30; Eze 11:18, Eze 11:21, Eze 43:7-9 Jeremiah 16:19”