Jeremiah 16 3

Jeremiah 16:3 kjv

For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

Jeremiah 16:3 nkjv

For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them and their fathers who begot them in this land:

Jeremiah 16:3 niv

For this is what the LORD says about the sons and daughters born in this land and about the women who are their mothers and the men who are their fathers:

Jeremiah 16:3 esv

For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who bore them and the fathers who fathered them in this land:

Jeremiah 16:3 nlt

For this is what the LORD says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers:

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 3 Meaning

The verse prohibits consuming blood, not as a general dietary law for all time, but specifically to differentiate Israel from surrounding nations and to maintain their unique identity and covenant relationship with God. This prohibition is deeply tied to the sanctity of life, which God reserves as His own.

Jeremiah 16 3 Context

Jeremiah 16 prophesies about a coming period of severe judgment upon Judah. This judgment is a consequence of their deep-seated idolatry and the nation's widespread moral and spiritual decay, mirroring the sins of their forefathers. Jeremiah is given a specific set of personal restrictions as a prophetic sign of this impending desolation and separation from God's favor. These restrictions are designed to vividly illustrate the extent of the coming judgment, the absence of joy, and the loss of familial sustenance and inheritance. The prohibition against consuming blood is placed within this broader context of national apostasy and God's impending judgment, underscoring the complete devastation that would overtake the land and its people.

Jeremiah 16 3 Word analysis

• Thou shalt not take unto thee (KJV): This is a direct prohibition.
  • take: Hebrew word is "laqach" (לָקַח), meaning to take, to get, to receive. Here it signifies to take for oneself for consumption.
• a wife (KJV): Hebrew word is "ishshah" (אִשָּׁה), woman or wife.
  • In this specific context, the command to not "take unto thee a wife" is a prophetic symbol. It indicates the cessation of family life and the future impossibility of procreation due to the impending destruction and exile. This contrasts with typical societal norms and divine blessings associated with marriage and family. It's similar to how Hosea was told to marry an unfaithful wife to symbolize Israel's unfaithfulness to God.
• nor have sons (KJV): Hebrew word is "banim" (בָּנִים), sons.
  • This extends the prohibition from marriage to procreation, further emphasizing the desolation. It signifies that there will be no continuation of the lineage in the land under these conditions.
• nor have daughters (KJV): Hebrew word is "banot" (בָּנוֹת), daughters.
  • Reinforces the cessation of family lines and the future of the people.
• nor have wives for thy sons (KJV): This phrasing points to a future where even attempts to continue the family line by arranging marriages for one's sons will be fruitless or impossible.
• nor have daughters given to marriage (KJV): This implies that the social and familial structures that would allow for daughters to be married off will be absent or utterly disrupted by the impending judgment.
• nor thy sons have wives of their own (KJV): This completes the picture of total disruption in the generational line and family continuation.
• and the LORD God of Hosts (KJV): Hebrew phrase is "YHWH Elohei Yisrael" (יהוה אלהי ישראל). The term "Hosts" or "Sabaoth" (צבאות) emphasizes God's sovereign power and command over all heavenly and earthly forces.
  • This epithet, "LORD God of Hosts," is frequently used by the prophets to remind the people of God's ultimate authority and power, even as they face His judgment. It highlights that His decree for their destruction is not a sign of His weakness but His supreme authority.
• shall have dominion over the land (KJV): Hebrew word "malak" (מָלַךְ), to reign or rule.
  • This clause speaks of a cessation of normal, life-giving, and reproductive life in the land, meaning the land will not be sustained or replenished through human procreation due to the coming judgment. It emphasizes the thoroughness of the desolation.
• to bring upon them all thy indignation of thy wrath (KJV): This describes the severity of the coming punishment.
  • indignation: Hebrew word "za'am" (זַעַם), wrath, fury, indignation.
  • wrath: Hebrew word "charon" (חָרוֹן), anger, wrath, burning anger.
  • The combination underscores the intensity and all-encompassing nature of God's judgment against their sins.
• and their merciful kindness shall be driven from them (KJV): The mercy and favor of God will be withdrawn.
  • This signifies a departure from divine grace, leaving them to face the consequences of their actions without reprieve. It speaks to a period where God's sustaining grace is not visibly manifest toward the nation.
• nor be gathered (KJV): Hebrew word "qabats" (קָבַץ), to gather, assemble.
  • In this context, it refers to being gathered into their land as a people or having their families gathered in reunification. Instead, they will be scattered.
• nor known of men (KJV): The absence of personal remembrance or recognition due to death or dispersion.
  • It suggests that many will die unrecorded and unrecognized, lost in the devastation, with no one left to know or memorialize them.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• not take unto thee a wife, nor have sons and daughters: This collective prohibition signifies the total cessation of procreation and family continuation as a consequence of the impending judgment. It is a symbolic representation of barrenness and the end of a generational line, emphasizing that the natural cycles of life and family will be broken.
• nor have wives for thy sons, nor have daughters given to marriage, nor thy sons have wives of their own: This further elaborates on the disintegration of family structures and future lineage. It paints a bleak picture where marriage, a cornerstone of society and God's blessing, becomes impossible or irrelevant in the face of imminent destruction and exile. It emphasizes the breakdown of the social fabric that enables future generations.
• that the LORD God of Hosts shall have dominion over the land: This highlights God's sovereign control over the land, asserting that His dominion will lead to this drastic outcome. It frames the judgment as a consequence of His supreme authority, which permits and enacts such devastation as a demonstration of His justice against sin.
• to bring upon them all thine indignation of thy wrath: This group of words collectively expresses the extreme and comprehensive nature of God's anger directed at the sins of the people. It communicates the fullness of His displeasure and the intensity of the punishment that will be poured out upon them for their disobedience and corruption.
• and their merciful kindness shall be driven from them, nor be gathered, nor known of men: This emphasizes the complete withdrawal of divine favor and human legacy. "Merciful kindness" represents God's benevolent sustenance, which will cease. "Nor be gathered" speaks to dispersion rather than gathering for a new life. "Nor known of men" signifies oblivion, a loss of remembrance in the midst of disaster.

Jeremiah 16 3 Bonus section

The personal prohibitions given to Jeremiah in this chapter (not marrying, not mourning for the dead, not feasting) are designed to make him a living sign of God's judgment. By not participating in the typical life events—both sorrowful and joyous—Jeremiah visually communicates that the normal rhythm of life for Judah will be severely disrupted. His life becomes an emblem of a broken community, estranged from divine blessing and experiencing perpetual devastation. This empathetic, yet externally imposed, disruption for the prophet highlights the profound grief God has over His people's sin and the severity of the consequences they will face.

Jeremiah 16 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:1-4 marks a profound declaration of impending judgment, impacting the very fabric of family and future. God instructs Jeremiah to refrain from marrying and having children. This is not a personal decree for Jeremiah's life choices but a symbolic act illustrating the utter desolation that will befall Judah. Because of their rampant idolatry and systemic sin, the nation will be stripped of its future generations. The land will become barren of meaningful continuation, with families broken and lineages erased due to conquest and exile. God emphasizes His sovereignty as the LORD God of Hosts, signifying that this judgment is enacted by the One who commands all armies of heaven and earth. It is a complete outpouring of His wrath, marked by the withdrawal of His favor and a dispersion that leads to being unknown and forgotten. This foreshadows a time of great national mourning and loss, where the sounds of celebration and domestic joy will be replaced by cries of despair. The physical manifestation of this judgment serves as a stark prophetic warning to the people about the finality of their disobedience.