Jeremiah 16:8 kjv
Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.
Jeremiah 16:8 nkjv
Also you shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink."
Jeremiah 16:8 niv
"And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink.
Jeremiah 16:8 esv
You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink.
Jeremiah 16:8 nlt
"And do not go to their feasts and parties. Do not eat and drink with them at all.
Jeremiah 16 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 24:7-9 | The new wine dries up, the vine languishes, all the merryhearted sigh... No longer do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. | Describes the cessation of joy and celebration. |
| Hos 2:11 | And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her New Moons... | God declares He will cease their festive seasons. |
| Lam 5:14-15 | Elders have ceased from the gate, young men from their music. The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing has been turned into mourning. | Laments the loss of all joy and community. |
| Eze 24:15-24 | Ezekiel commanded not to mourn for his wife's death, a sign of Judah's unexpressed grief. | Prophetic act of abstention as a sign. |
| Jer 7:34 | And I will make to cease from the cities of Judah... the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. | Prophecy of ending all celebratory sounds. |
| Amos 8:10 | I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation... | Judgment converting celebration to sorrow. |
| Zech 8:19 | The fasts of the fourth month and the fifth, the seventh and the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness... | Contrasts with future restoration of joy. |
| Jer 33:11 | The voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride... | Prophecy of restored joy in future salvation. |
| Eccl 7:2 | It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting... | Wisdom literature preferring sobriety in sorrow. |
| Matt 24:38-39 | For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage... | Focus on revelry before impending judgment. |
| Luke 17:26-30 | Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot... they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building... | Normal life continuing before sudden destruction. |
| 1 Cor 5:11 | But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. | Command to separate from sinful association. |
| 2 Cor 6:14-17 | Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?... Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord... | Call for separation from worldly practices. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind... | Principle of non-conformity to the world. |
| Gen 6:5-7 | The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth... and the Lord regretted that he had made man... | Depiction of human revelry leading to judgment. |
| Psa 30:11 | You have turned for me my mourning into dancing... | God's power to transform sorrow into joy. |
| Joel 1:5 | Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth. | Judgment affecting those indulging in drink. |
| Dan 5:1-6 | Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords... While Belshazzar was drinking wine... | Feast associated with sinful pride leading to judgment. |
| Rev 18:22-23 | The sound of harpers and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never again be heard in you... The light of a lamp will never again shine in you... | Prophecy of the complete cessation of joy in fallen Babylon. |
| Job 21:11-13 | Their children skip like lambs, and their little ones dance. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre... spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment go down to Sheol. | Ungodly enjoying pleasure before judgment. |
Jeremiah 16 verses
Jeremiah 16 8 Meaning
This verse is a direct command from God to the prophet Jeremiah, instructing him to refrain from participating in any joyful social gatherings or celebrations, specifically a "house of feasting." This prohibition is a symbolic act, a living parable, designed to powerfully illustrate to the people of Judah the severity and totality of God's impending judgment. It signifies that all sources of human joy, social interaction, and normalcy will cease in the land as a consequence of their sin and idolatry, mirroring the prior command to abstain from mourning rites.
Jeremiah 16 8 Context
Jeremiah 16 outlines a series of profound and sorrowful prohibitions given by God to the prophet. These commands serve as vivid, prophetic signs for the people of Judah concerning their impending exile and judgment due to persistent idolatry. In verses 1-4, Jeremiah is forbidden to marry or have children, symbolizing the end of lineage and the grim fate of the coming generation. In verses 5-7, he is prohibited from participating in traditional mourning rites for the dead, signifying God's withdrawal of peace, love, and mercy, and the lack of mourners or comfort during a time of overwhelming death. Jeremiah 16:8 follows directly, completing this triad of social exclusions by commanding the prophet to also abstain from joyous occasions. Together, these prohibitions underscore the complete disruption and cessation of all normal social, familial, and religious life—both sorrowful and joyous—that will be experienced by Judah as a consequence of their rebellion against the Lord, preceding their devastating exile by Babylon.
Jeremiah 16 8 Word analysis
(ul) Word-by-word analysis
- Also: Implies continuity from the previous command in verse 5-7. Just as Jeremiah was to abstain from mourning, he is likewise to abstain from celebration, signaling that all normal human experiences of both sorrow and joy would cease.
- you: Specifically refers to Jeremiah, highlighting the personal burden and unique calling placed upon him to embody these difficult prophetic messages.
- shall not go: A direct and strong prohibition (לֹא תֵלֵךְ, lo' telech). It emphasizes an active decision to disengage and separate.
- into the house: Denotes a specific physical location for communal gathering and activity.
- of feasting: Hebrew: בֵּית־מִשְׁתֶּה (beit-mishteh), literally "house of drinking" or "house of revelry/banquet." It signifies joyful social occasions, often involving communal eating, drinking, music, and merriment, such as weddings, harvest festivals, or other celebrations of prosperity and happiness. This represents the normalcy and social cohesion God is about to remove.
- to sit with them: Expresses the idea of fellowship, shared presence, and participation in the community's joy. Jeremiah is commanded to actively dissociate himself.
- to eat: Refers to shared meals, a fundamental act of hospitality, fellowship, and celebration in ancient culture. Its prohibition underscores the breaking of social bonds and communal well-being.
- and drink: Further emphasizes the celebratory aspect of feasting, often associated with wine and merriment. The cessation of these activities points to a time of deprivation and a complete lack of cheer.
(ul) Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Also you shall not go into the house of feasting": This phrase directly instructs Jeremiah to actively absent himself from communal celebrations. It signifies a divine withdrawal of joy and normalcy from the life of the prophet, mirroring the imminent withdrawal of these things from the entire nation. His life becomes a stark and sorrowful message.
- "to sit with them, to eat and drink": These verbs specify the acts of participation being prohibited. They represent the active engagement in communal revelry and the sharing of blessings, whether physical or social. By forbidding these, God emphasizes that the entire experience of shared human joy and social fellowship is to be denied, highlighting the impending desolation where such activities will become impossible or inappropriate. The usual markers of life and well-being will cease to exist.
Jeremiah 16 8 Bonus section
- Prophetic Symbology: Jeremiah's actions in chapter 16 are not merely spoken words but embody a type of "acted parable" or "sign-act," which was a common feature of Old Testament prophecy. These acts were powerful, memorable, and physically demonstrated the message God was conveying, often having a stronger impact than mere verbal declarations.
- Contrast to Future Restoration: While this verse depicts the cessation of joy, Jeremiah also prophesies a future time (Jer 33:10-11) when "the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" will return to Judah, signifying God's ultimate restoration of His people after judgment and exile. This current prohibition emphasizes the absolute severity of their immediate spiritual condition.
- Moral Impurity of Feasting: While not explicitly stated as idolatrous feasting in this verse, the larger context of Jeremiah's ministry and the judgment against Judah suggests that even ordinary social feasts might have been permeated by idolatrous overtones, a complacent disregard for God, or an unholy levity in the face of national sin, making them inappropriate for the prophet of judgment.
Jeremiah 16 8 Commentary
Jeremiah 16:8 reinforces the severe message delivered through the prophet's personal life. Following the prohibitions against marriage and mourning, the command to avoid the "house of feasting" completes the picture of a society stripped bare of its foundational elements: family, compassion, and joy. Jeremiah's exclusion from celebratory meals and gatherings serves as a vivid prophetic action, demonstrating that all sources of human comfort and gladness, regardless of their nature (sacred or secular), would soon be absent from Judah. This abstinence represents the impending silence and desolation that would settle over the land as a direct consequence of God's righteous judgment against their pervasive sin and idolatry, turning their songs of joy into wailing and their celebrations into lamentation. It signifies a complete collapse of normal societal life where even basic human happiness becomes inappropriate in the face of such profound divine displeasure and impending destruction.