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

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

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

3 For 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 word דְבַר־ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular came וַיְהִ֥י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֥י H413 Preposition | first person common singular saying לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 2

Cross-references

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

Original words

You must not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle marry תִקַּ֥ח H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular - אִשָּׁ֑ה H802 Noun - feminine singular [or] וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle have יִהְי֤וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural sons בָּנִ֣ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural or daughters וּבָנ֔וֹת H1323 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural in this הַזֶּֽה׃ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular place בַּמָּק֖וֹם H4725 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 3

Cross-references

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

Original words

For כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction this is what כֹ֣ה׀ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular concerning עַל־ H5921 Preposition the sons הַבָּנִים֙ H1121 Article | Noun - masculine plural and וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition daughters הַבָּנ֔וֹת H1323 Article | Noun - feminine plural born in this הַזֶּ֑ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular place בַּמָּק֣וֹם H4725 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and וְעַֽל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the mothers אִמֹּתָ֞ם H517 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural who bore them הַיִּלּוֹדִ֖ים H3209 Article | Adjective - masculine plural and the fathers אֲבוֹתָ֛ם H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural . . . הַמּוֹלִדִ֥ים H3205 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural - אוֹתָ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural who fathered הַיֹּלְד֣וֹת H3205 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural them אוֹתָ֗ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural וְעַל־ וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition in this הַזֹּֽאת׃ H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular land בָּאָ֥רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

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

Original words

They will die יָמֻ֗תוּ H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural from deadly מְמוֹתֵ֨י H4463 Noun - masculine plural construct diseases תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים H8463 Noun - masculine plural They will not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be mourned יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ H5594 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or buried יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ H6912 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural but will lie יִֽהְי֑וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural like dung לְדֹ֛מֶן H1828 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition vvv פְּנֵ֥י H6440 Noun - common plural construct the ground הָאֲדָמָ֖ה H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular They will be finished off יִכְל֔וּ H3615 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural by sword וּבַחֶ֤רֶב H2719 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and famine וּבָֽרָעָב֙ H7458 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and their corpses נִבְלָתָם֙ H5038 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural will become וְהָיְתָ֤ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular food לְמַאֲכָ֔ל H3978 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular for the birds לְע֥וֹף H5775 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of the air הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and beasts וּלְבֶהֱמַ֥ת H929 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct of the earth הָאָֽרֶץ׃ס H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular

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