John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 16:17

"For mine eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity concealed from mine eyes." — Jeremiah 16:17 (ASV)

The Prophet now shows that the grievous calamity of which he had spoken would be a just reward for the wickedness of the people; for we know that the prophets were endowed with the Spirit of God not merely that they might foretell things to come—for that would have been very barren—but a doctrine was connected with their predictions.

Hence, the prophets not only foretold what God would do, but at the same time added the causes. A doctrine is therefore now added as a seasoning to the prophecy, for the Prophet says that the destruction of the Jews was at hand because they had long greatly provoked the wrath of God.

As there is no end to the evasions of hypocrites, according to what we observed yesterday, God here reminds them of his judgment. It is as though he had said, “This one thing is sufficient: he knows their iniquities, and he is a fit judge; so they contend in vain, and try in vain, to excuse or to extenuate their fault.”

Hence he says that the eyes of God were on all their ways: and he mentions all their ways, because they had not offended only once, or in one way, but they had added sins to sins. Nor are they hid, he says: the Prophet presses the matter on their attention; for had he allowed their false pretenses, they would have made no end of excuses. He therefore says that their ways were not hid, nor their iniquities concealed from the eyes of God. Now follows a confirmation—