After offering words of comfort and promise to the exiles in Babylon, the prophetic message sharply shifts its focus back to the wicked individuals who remained in Jerusalem. This transition acts as a direct continuation of a previous warning, which had been abruptly paused following the sudden death of Pelatiah and the prophet's subsequent cry to God [מלבי״ם]. The residents of Jerusalem mistakenly believed that the exiles were cast away from God and that the land was left exclusively for them to inherit. However, the truth was exactly the reverse. Those left in the land were entirely submerged in sin, while future salvation was destined to emerge from the exiled community [אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The spiritual decay of the people in Jerusalem was profound. Rather than just committing outward acts of idolatry and sexual immorality, their inner desires were completely attached to the core of these terrible practices [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. The heart represents a person's innermost essence and true nature, showing that they embraced these abominations on the deepest level [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, this condition reflects a person with a sick, divided mind, wavering between different paths, yet ultimately allowing their desires to be drawn after idols [רד״ק].
Because of their choices, the people are held fully responsible for their situation, and God will repay them measure for measure [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Their punishment will arrive in the form of the sword and exile from the land, serving to cleanse away their sins [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Although this penalty is a future event, the prophecy describes it as if it has already taken place. The primary approach among commentators is that this reflects a common prophetic style, where a future outcome is so absolute and certain that it is spoken of in the past tense [מצודת ציון, אברבנאל]. Another possibility is that the decree for their punishment had indeed already been finalized and sealed by God, making the past tense literally accurate [אברבנאל].