Jeremiah 16 9

Jeremiah 16:9 kjv

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

Jeremiah 16:9 nkjv

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

Jeremiah 16:9 niv

For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place.

Jeremiah 16:9 esv

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

Jeremiah 16:9 nlt

For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard.

Jeremiah 16 verses

Jeremiah 16 9 Meaning

Jeremiah 16:9 is a pronouncement of severe divine judgment from the LORD against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It foretells a complete cessation of all communal joy, festivity, and signs of flourishing life within their lifetime. Specifically, it predicts the silencing of the sounds of mirth and gladness, and crucially, the voices associated with wedding celebrations—the bridegroom and the bride. This signifies a coming era of utter desolation, marking the end of normal societal functions, family continuity, and public rejoicing, as a direct consequence of their disobedience and idolatry.

Jeremiah 16 9 Context

Jeremiah chapter 16 continues the prophetic message of judgment against Judah, emphasizing the severe consequences of their pervasive idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. In previous verses, Jeremiah himself is instructed to remain celibate, to avoid participating in funeral rites, and not to join in celebratory feasts, as these actions are to serve as prophetic signs of the impending doom. The context surrounding verse 9 describes a time when these ordinary aspects of life—marriage, mourning, and merriment—will cease due to the overwhelming catastrophe of war, famine, and pestilence. This specific verse, Jeremiah 16:9, amplifies the earlier injunction by directly stating that God Himself will bring an end to the very sounds of joy that characterize normal, flourishing community life. Historically, Judah was steeped in pagan worship, engaging in practices that defiled the land and provoked God's wrath, leading to the imminent Babylonian invasion and exile. The vibrant celebrations associated with weddings, which symbolized future hope, family continuity, and divine blessing, were integral to ancient Israelite culture. Silencing these voices was a direct threat to the core fabric of their society and a stark portrayal of utter national desolation and judgment.

Jeremiah 16 9 Word analysis

• For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

  • This phrase unequivocally identifies the source of the prophecy.
  • LORD of hosts (YHWH Tsabaoth - יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת): Emphasizes God's supreme power, sovereignty, and command over all creation and heavenly armies, underscoring His authority to execute such a severe judgment.
  • the God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael - אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל): Reaffirms God's covenant relationship with His people, indicating that this judgment is not from a distant deity but from the one they were bound to obey, making their rebellion a personal betrayal. This context also highlights their failure to honor their God.
  • The combined titles assert an unchallengeable divine decree.

• 'Behold, I will silence from this place,:

  • 'Behold,' (Hinei - הִנֵּה): An emphatic interjection drawing immediate attention to the upcoming, shocking declaration.
  • I will silence (Hashbit - הִשְׁבַּתִּי): A strong verb, active and decisive. It implies a direct, divine intervention to cause to cease, make desolate, or put an end to. This is not a passive decline but God's deliberate act of removal.
  • from this place (min ha'maqom ha'zeh - מִן־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה): Refers specifically to Judah and Jerusalem, the heartland of God's chosen people, where their covenant was established and broken. This makes the judgment specific and localized.

• before your eyes and in your days,:

  • before your eyes (lə‘ênêḵem - לְעֵינֵיכֶם): Signifies that the recipients of this prophecy will personally witness its dreadful fulfillment. It's not a distant future event, but an immediate and visible one, adding urgency and severity.
  • and in your days (ûviymaṯêḵem - וּבִימֵיכֶם): Further emphasizes the imminent and personal nature of the judgment. It will occur within the lifetime of the generation Jeremiah is addressing, providing no opportunity for procrastination or dismissiveness.

• the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness,:

  • the voice (qol - קוֹל): Refers to the audible expression or sound. Its repetition underscores that the very sounds of joy will be eradicated, leading to an oppressive silence.
  • mirth (sason - שָׂשׂוֹן): General term for joyful celebration, exultation, often associated with festivals, feasts, and public gatherings.
  • gladness (simcha - שִׂמְחָה): Joy, happiness, pleasure, often used interchangeably or alongside sason to emphasize the totality of communal rejoicing.
  • This pair collectively represents the vibrant, audible aspects of public rejoicing and festivity.

• the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.:

  • the voice of the bridegroom (qol ḥāṭān - קוֹל חָתָן): The joyous shouts and blessings of the groom, representing the central figure of a new family.
  • the voice of the bride (wəqōl kal·lāh - וְקוֹל כַּלָּה): The celebratory sounds and songs associated with the bride, a symbol of beauty, purity, and the promise of new life.
  • This specific pairing is highly significant culturally. Marriage was the cornerstone of ancient Israelite society, representing fertility, continuity, divine blessing, and the perpetuation of the family and community. Silencing these voices is the ultimate sign of national demise, a collapse of the social fabric, and the cessation of future generations' hope.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:" This introductory phrase establishes the prophetic utterance as an authoritative, divine pronouncement, originating from the supreme ruler and covenant God of Israel. It serves as a call to listen, acknowledging the divine origin and undeniable power behind the coming judgment.
• "'Behold, I will silence from this place, before your eyes and in your days," This phrase vividly declares the imminent, personal, and location-specific nature of God's active judgment. It conveys that the judgment is not a future possibility but an immediate certainty that the current generation will experience directly, underscoring the severity and inescapable reality of their punishment. The active verb "silence" attributes the destruction directly to God.
• "the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.'" This concluding phrase identifies the exact manifestations of joy and normal life that will be eradicated. The repeated "voice of" emphasizes the complete absence of audible signs of prosperity and community. The selection of "mirth and gladness" encompasses all general communal joy, while "bridegroom and bride" targets the fundamental symbol of societal continuity, future hope, and divine blessing—marriage celebrations. Its silencing indicates the total collapse of societal norms and future prospects, leaving only desolation.

Jeremiah 16 9 Bonus section

The profound silence predicted in Jeremiah 16:9 can be understood not only as the literal cessation of joyous sounds but also as a deeper theological indictment. In the created order, the beginning of life and its continuation (as symbolized by marriage and new families) is often linked to blessing and the order God established. By "silencing" these elements, God is essentially reversing or halting the natural, blessed flow of life for a time due to unrepentant sin. This also serves as a sharp contrast to prophecies of restoration (e.g., Jer 33:10-11, Zech 8:5) where the sounds of joy and weddings are explicitly mentioned as being restored, indicating a renewal of God's blessing and the return of prosperity and hope. Thus, the prophecy in Jeremiah 16:9 sets a stark benchmark of desolation against which future restoration would be measured. It highlights the depth of God's covenant loyalty – He is the God of Israel, therefore, when Israel deviates, He holds them accountable, and the consequences directly impact the life-affirming customs they cherished. The repetitive structure of "the voice of... and the voice of..." adds a poetic, dirge-like quality to the prophecy, amplifying its somber impact.

Jeremiah 16 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 16:9 delivers a crushing blow of divine judgment, painting a picture of profound national desolation through the complete eradication of joy. The prophecy is not just about general unhappiness; it's about the active removal of the sounds of public and personal celebration. The reference to the "voice of mirth and gladness" targets the outward expressions of public festivity—feasts, gatherings, and celebrations that would normally echo through the land. More pointedly, the silencing of the "voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" strikes at the heart of Israelite society. Weddings were not merely private affairs but public, week-long celebrations symbolizing prosperity, the continuation of family lines, divine blessing, and the very hope for the future. For these voices to be silenced signifies a complete societal breakdown, a halt to procreation and the building of new families, and thus, the end of national continuity. God explicitly states "I will silence," emphasizing His active role in bringing about this severe judgment, directly against those who had broken His covenant and pursued idolatry. This judgment is also decreed to occur "before your eyes and in your days," ensuring that the current generation, deeply implicated in the nation's sin, would personally bear witness to this catastrophic loss of everything they held dear, without the comfort of passing the burden to a future generation. The prophecy is a stark warning that unchecked sin and rebellion against God will lead to the forfeiture of life's fundamental joys and the very hope of future generations.