Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 16:1

"The word of Jehovah came also unto me, saying," — Jeremiah 16:1 (ASV)

In this prophecy (Jeremiah 16:1–18), the punishment of the people is set forth in even sterner terms than in the last. The whole land is likened to a desert covered with the bodies of the dead, who lie unlamented and uncared for; and the prophet himself is commanded to abstain from ordinary human practices so that his way of life, as well as his words, may warn the people of the greatness of the approaching calamity.

However, there is eventually to be a return from exile, but only after the nation's idolatry has been severely punished. The prophecy was probably written around the end of Jehoiakim’s reign.