Jeremiah 16:2 kjv
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
Jeremiah 16:2 nkjv
"You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place."
Jeremiah 16:2 niv
"You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place."
Jeremiah 16:2 esv
"You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.
Jeremiah 16:2 nlt
"Do not get married or have children in this place.
Jeremiah 16 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 16:2 | You shall not take a wife for yourself, nor shall your sons or your daughters be born in this land. | Command to Jeremiah |
| Jeremiah 16:3 | For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who beget them in this land: | Reason for the command |
| Jeremiah 16:4 | They shall die painful deaths. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried, but they shall be as refuse on the surface of the ground. They shall be consumed by sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be food for the birds of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth. | Details of the judgment |
| Jeremiah 3:6 | "Even in my continued backsliding, says the LORD, I have shown myself to no purpose. Her treacherous sister, Judah, has not feared; she has acted like a harlot. | Judah's persistent sin |
| Jeremiah 7:29 | "Cut off your hair, OmourningDove, and cast it away; raise a lament on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath." | God's rejection and forsaking |
| Jeremiah 10:2 | Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the nations, nor be dismayed by the signs of the heavens, although the nations are dismayed by them." | Avoidance of pagan practices |
| Isaiah 65:9 | I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an inheritor of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. | Promise of future offspring |
| Isaiah 66:10 | Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in great joy, all you who mourned for her. | Hope for restoration |
| Ezekiel 24:17 | Sigh in silence; you must not mourn for the dead. Bind your turban on yourself, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your upper lips, nor eat the bread of men. | Similar prophetic sign |
| Hosea 1:2 | When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself an wife of whoredom and children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." | Hosea's symbolic marriage |
| 1 Corinthians 7:29 | But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, and henceforth both they that have wives should be as though they had none. | Imminent return |
| Romans 11:30 | For as you were once disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience. | God's mercy through disobedience |
| John 3:8 | The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. | Divine sovereignty |
| Proverbs 20:11 | Even a child makes himself known by his acts, whether his conduct is pure and right. | Purity of children |
| Psalm 103:15 | As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field he blooms. | Transience of human life |
| Jeremiah 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." | God's foreknowledge and purpose |
| Matthew 1:18 | Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. | Miraculous birth |
| Luke 1:37 | For with God nothing will be impossible. | Power of God |
| Amos 5:4 | For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live." | Seeking God |
| Amos 5:5 | Do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or wander away to Beersheba; for indeed Gilgal shall go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing. | Judgment on false worship |
| Hosea 4:1 | Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. For there is no faithfulness and no kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land. | Spiritual decline |
Jeremiah 16 verses
Jeremiah 16 2 Meaning
This verse describes God's command to Jeremiah to not marry or have children, signifying a judgment upon the people of Judah. It underscores the severe and lasting consequences of their sin, which will lead to barrenness and a desolation so profound that no one will be born to enjoy the land or perpetuate lineage.
Jeremiah 16 2 Context
Jeremiah 16:1-2 are situated within the broader prophecy of Jeremiah, a prophet called by God to pronounce judgment on Judah for its persistent idolatry, social injustice, and unfaithfulness to the covenant. This specific passage occurs during a time when Judah is on the brink of the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's personal life was meant to be a living sign of God's judgment, illustrating the impending doom that awaited the nation. The prohibition against marriage and procreation for Jeremiah vividly portrayed the future barrenness and desolation of the land due to its sin.
Jeremiah 16 2 Word Analysis
- וַיְהִי (vay'-hee): "And it was," "And it came to pass." This is a common narrative conjunction used to introduce events or set a scene. It marks the commencement of God's instruction to Jeremiah.
- יְהוָה (Yah-weh): "The LORD," the personal covenant name of God. Its use here emphasizes that the command comes from the divine source, carrying divine authority and purpose.
- אֵלַי (e-lai): "to me." Indicates direct communication from God to the prophet.
- לֵאמֹר (le-mor): "to say," "saying." Introduces the content of God's message.
- אַל (al): "Do not," a strong negative imperative, forbidding action.
- תִּקַּח־ (tik-kach): "you shall take." The verb "take" here implies acquiring or bringing someone into a relationship, specifically marriage.
- לְךָ (le-cha): "for yourself." Personalizes the command, applying it directly to Jeremiah's own life and future.
- אִשָּׁה (i-shah): "a wife." Refers to marriage.
- וְגַם (v'-gam): "and also," "and even." Connects the prohibition of taking a wife with the prohibition of having children.
- בָּנִים (ba-nim): "sons."
- וּבָנוֹת (u-va-noat): "and daughters." Plural, encompassing both male and female offspring.
- בָּנוֹת (ba-not): "be born." Future tense, passive form of the verb "to be born."
- בְּמָקוֹם (be-ma-kom): "in this place." Refers to Jerusalem and the land of Judah, the context of Jeremiah's ministry.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh): "this." Points to the specific location and time.
Word Group Analysis:
- "אַל־תִּקַּח־לְךָ אִשָּׁה... וּבָנוֹת לֹא־תִהְיֶינָה לָךְ בָּמָקוֹם הַזֶּה" (al-tik-kach-le-cha i-shah... u-va-noat lo-ti-hyeh-nah la-cha be-ma-kom ha-zeh): This phrase encapsulates the core divine command: "Do not take for yourself a wife, nor shall daughters be born to you in this place." It signifies a prohibition against the establishment of a new family line within the land, mirroring the impending judgment that will leave the land desolate and its people exiled or dead, thus preventing future generations.
Jeremiah 16 2 Bonus Section
This command to Jeremiah echoes a similar directive given to Hosea (Hosea 1:2), where God commanded Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful, as a symbol of Israel's spiritual infidelity. Both prophets were called to experience profound personal hardship to serve as living parables of God's judgment and faithfulness amidst Israel's disobedience. Jeremiah's abstention from family also anticipates the devastation of the Babylonian exile, where many families would be broken, and children would perish. This illustrates a prophet’s profound obedience to God's word, even when it demanded immense personal sacrifice.
Jeremiah 16 2 Commentary
God commands Jeremiah not to marry and not to have children in Judah. This command is not a suggestion but a divine injunction that serves as a public demonstration of the severe consequences awaiting Judah. By abstaining from marriage and procreation, Jeremiah embodies the barrenness and future emptiness that sin will bring upon the nation. His personal life becomes a somber sign to the people, communicating a message of impending destruction and the cessation of future generations in the land due to their unfaithfulness to God. This illustrates God's judgment is so complete that even the continuation of family lines will be halted.