Focused Passage

Jeremiah 16:1-4

Jeremiah’s Sign-Life, Judah’s Exile, and the Nations’ Confession

The chapter moves from Jeremiah's commanded unmarried and childless sign-life, to the prohibition against mourning, to the prohibition against feasting, to the people's question about why disaster is coming, to the LORD's answer of ancestral and intensified sin, to the announcement of exile, to a future restoration greater than the Exodus, to the sending of fishermen and hunters to capture sinners, and finally to Jeremiah's confession of the LORD as strength and refuge and the nations' future confession that inherited idols are worthless.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.”

3For this is what the LORD says concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and the mothers who bore them, and the fathers who fathered them in this land:

4“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Then the wordדְבַר־H1697Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularcameוַיְהִ֥יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto meאֵלַ֥יH413Preposition | first person common singularsayingלֵאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 2

Cross-references

Jeremiah 29:6Classic cross-references Lamentations 2:22Classic cross-references

Original words

You must notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlemarryתִקַּ֥חH3947Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular-אִשָּׁ֑הH802Noun - feminine singular[or]וְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlehaveיִהְי֤וּH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralsonsבָּנִ֣יםH1121Noun - masculine pluralor daughtersוּבָנ֔וֹתH1323Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine pluralin thisהַזֶּֽה׃H2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularplaceבַּמָּק֖וֹםH4725Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 3

Cross-references

Ezekiel 24:21Classic cross-references Jeremiah 18:21Classic cross-references

Original words

Forכִּי־H3588Conjunctionthis is whatכֹ֣ה׀H3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularconcerningעַל־H5921Prepositionthe sonsהַבָּנִים֙H1121Article | Noun - masculine pluralandוְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositiondaughtersהַבָּנ֔וֹתH1323Article | Noun - feminine pluralborn in thisהַזֶּ֑הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularplaceבַּמָּק֣וֹםH4725Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularandוְעַֽל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionthe mothersאִמֹּתָ֞םH517Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine pluralwho bore themהַיִּלּוֹדִ֖יםH3209Article | Adjective - masculine pluraland the fathersאֲבוֹתָ֛םH1Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural. . .הַמּוֹלִדִ֥יםH3205Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural-אוֹתָ֖םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralwho fatheredהַיֹּלְד֣וֹתH3205Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine pluralthemאוֹתָ֗םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralוְעַל־וְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionin thisהַזֹּֽאת׃H2063Article | Pronoun - feminine singularlandבָּאָ֥רֶץH776Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

Jeremiah 25:33Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 28:26Classic cross-references Psalms 83:10Classic cross-references Revelation 6:8Classic cross-references Jeremiah 34:20Classic cross-references

Original words

They will dieיָמֻ֗תוּH4191Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralfrom deadlyמְמוֹתֵ֨יH4463Noun - masculine plural constructdiseasesתַחֲלֻאִ֜יםH8463Noun - masculine pluralThey will notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe mournedיִסָּֽפְדוּ֙H5594Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .וְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleor buriedיִקָּבֵ֔רוּH6912Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralbut will lieיִֽהְי֑וּH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plurallike dungלְדֹ֛מֶןH1828Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularonעַל־H5921Prepositionvvvפְּנֵ֥יH6440Noun - common plural constructthe groundהָאֲדָמָ֖הH127Article | Noun - feminine singularThey will be finished offיִכְל֔וּH3615Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralby swordוּבַחֶ֤רֶבH2719Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularand famineוּבָֽרָעָב֙H7458Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularand their corpsesנִבְלָתָם֙H5038Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine pluralwill becomeוְהָיְתָ֤הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularfoodלְמַאֲכָ֔לH3978Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularfor the birdsלְע֥וֹףH5775Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructof the airהַשָּׁמַ֖יִםH8064Article | Noun - masculine pluraland beastsוּלְבֶהֱמַ֥תH929Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructof the earthהָאָֽרֶץ׃סH776Article | Noun - feminine singular

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