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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 16:2 "You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/16-2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/24_Jer_16_02.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 16:2 - Disaster Predicted" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place." /><script type="application/javascript" 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cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad2.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/jeremiah/16-1.htm" title="Jeremiah 16:1">◄</a> Jeremiah 16:2 <a href="/jeremiah/16-3.htm" title="Jeremiah 16:3">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/16.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/jeremiah/16.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/16.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />“Do not get married or have children in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/16.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/16.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />“You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/16.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/16.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/16.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/16.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/16.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/16.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/16.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife or have sons and daughters in this place (Jerusalem).”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/16.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Do not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/16.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />&#8220You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/16.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters, in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/16.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Jeremiah, don't get married and have children--Judah is no place to raise a family. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/16.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/16.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"Don't marry! Don't have any sons or daughters in this place!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/16.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />"Do not marry or have children in a place like this. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/16.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"You are not to take a wife, nor are you to have sons or daughters in this place."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/16.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />?You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/16.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />"Do not get married and do not have children here in this land.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/16.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />"You shall not take a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/16.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons nor daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/16.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.” <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/16.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />“You do not take a wife to yourself, "" Nor do you have sons and daughters in this place.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/16.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Thou dost not take to thee a wife, Nor hast thou sons and daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/16.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take to thee a wife, and sons and daughters shall not be to thee in this place.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/16.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have thee sons and daughters in this place. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/16.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />“You shall not take a wife, and there shall be no sons or daughters for you in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/16.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Do not take a wife and do not have sons and daughters in this place,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/16.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/16.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />You shall not take a wife for yourself, neither shall you have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/16.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Do not take yourself a wife, and you shall not have sons or daughters in this place<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/16.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Thou shalt not take thee a wife, Neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/16.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />and there shall be no son born to thee, nor daughter in this place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=4726" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/16.htm">Disaster Predicted</a></span><br><span class="reftext">1</span>Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, <span class="reftext">2</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō- (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">“You must not</a> <a href="/hebrew/3947.htm" title="3947: ṯiq·qaḥ (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms) -- To take. A primitive root; to take.">marry</a> <a href="/hebrew/lə·ḵā (Prep:: 2ms) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: ’iš·šāh (N-fs) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō- (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">or</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: yih·yū (V-Qal-Imperf-3mp) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">have</a> <a href="/hebrew/lə·ḵā (Prep:: 2ms) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/1121.htm" title="1121: bā·nîm (N-mp) -- Son. From banah; a son, in the widest sense (like 'ab, 'ach, etc.).">sons</a> <a href="/hebrew/1323.htm" title="1323: ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ (Conj-w:: N-fp) -- Daughter. From banah; a daughter.">or daughters</a> <a href="/hebrew/2088.htm" title="2088: haz·zeh (Art:: Pro-ms) -- This, here. A primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that.">in this</a> <a href="/hebrew/4725.htm" title="4725: bam·mā·qō·wm (Prep-b, Art:: N-ms) -- Or maqom; also mqowmah; or mqomah; from quwm; properly, a standing, i.e. A spot; but used widely of a locality; also of a condition.">place.”</a> </span><span class="reftext">3</span>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:…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-26.htm">1 Corinthians 7:26-28</a></span><br />Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is. / Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife. / But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-19.htm">Matthew 24:19</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/21-23.htm">Luke 21:23</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-32.htm">1 Corinthians 7:32-34</a></span><br />I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord. / But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife, / and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the work of the Lord, how she can be holy in both body and spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, how she can please her husband.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-29.htm">1 Corinthians 7:29-31</a></span><br />What I am saying, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; / those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing; / and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/1-2.htm">Hosea 1:2</a></span><br />When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/24-15.htm">Ezekiel 24:15-18</a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. / Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/8-18.htm">Isaiah 8:18</a></span><br />Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-38.htm">1 Corinthians 7:38</a></span><br />So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/19-10.htm">Matthew 19:10-12</a></span><br />His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” / “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. / For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-7.htm">1 Corinthians 7:7-9</a></span><br />I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. / Now to the unmarried and widows I say this: It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am. / But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-1.htm">1 Corinthians 7:1</a></span><br />Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/20-2.htm">Isaiah 20:2-4</a></span><br />the LORD had already spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and the sandals from your feet.” And Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot. / Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush, / so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/4-15.htm">Ezekiel 4:15-17</a></span><br />“Look,” He replied, “I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you may bake your bread over that.” / Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. / So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_timothy/5-14.htm">1 Timothy 5:14</a></span><br />So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">You shall not take you a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters in this place.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/19-14.htm">Genesis 19:14</a></b></br> And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/matthew/24-19.htm">Matthew 24:19</a></b></br> And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/luke/21-23.htm">Luke 21:23</a></b></br> But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/14-16.htm">Daughters</a> <a href="/isaiah/62-5.htm">Marry</a> <a href="/jeremiah/6-11.htm">Wife</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/16-3.htm">Daughters</a> <a href="/jeremiah/29-6.htm">Marry</a> <a href="/ezekiel/16-32.htm">Wife</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 16</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/16-1.htm">The prophet, under the types of abstaining from marriage, </a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/16-8.htm">from houses of mourning and feasting, foreshows the utter ruin of the Jews;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/16-10.htm">because they were worse than their fathers.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/16-14.htm">Their return from captivity shall be stranger than their deliverance out of Egypt.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">16. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/16-16.htm">God will doubly recompense their idolatry.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/16.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/16.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>You must not marry</b><br>This command to Jeremiah is significant in the context of ancient Israelite culture, where marriage and family were central to social and religious life. Marriage was seen as a covenant reflecting God's relationship with His people. By instructing Jeremiah not to marry, God is making a profound statement about the impending judgment on Judah. This command serves as a symbolic act, illustrating the severity of the coming disaster and the futility of establishing a family in a doomed society. It also highlights Jeremiah's role as a prophet set apart for a unique mission, emphasizing his total dedication to God's message.<p><b>or have sons or daughters</b><br>In ancient Israel, having children was considered a blessing and a sign of God's favor. Children were seen as a continuation of one's lineage and a means of preserving one's name and inheritance. By forbidding Jeremiah from having children, God underscores the dire circumstances facing Judah. This prohibition serves as a prophetic sign of the coming calamity, where the future generations would suffer greatly due to the nation's disobedience. It reflects the themes of judgment and loss that permeate the book of Jeremiah, as well as the broader biblical narrative of consequences for turning away from God.<p><b>in this place.</b><br>The phrase "in this place" refers specifically to the land of Judah, which was under threat of invasion and destruction by Babylon. This geographical context is crucial, as it situates the prophecy within the historical reality of the Babylonian exile. The land, once promised to the descendants of Abraham as a place of blessing, is now a place of impending judgment due to the people's persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness. This command to Jeremiah highlights the seriousness of the situation and serves as a warning to the inhabitants of Judah about the consequences of their actions. It also foreshadows the eventual exile and the loss of the land, a central theme in the prophetic literature.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. Known for his messages of warning and judgment, as well as hope and restoration.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a></b><br>The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing impending judgment due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience to God.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/g/god's_command.htm">God's Command</a></b><br>The directive given to Jeremiah not to marry or have children, symbolizing the severe judgment and desolation that would come upon the land.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/o/obedience_to_god's_commands.htm">Obedience to God's Commands</a></b><br>Jeremiah's life demonstrates the importance of obedience, even when God's commands are difficult or counter-cultural. Believers are called to trust God's wisdom and timing.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/symbolic_acts_as_prophetic_messages.htm">Symbolic Acts as Prophetic Messages</a></b><br>God often uses the lives of His prophets as living messages to His people. Our lives, too, can be testimonies of God's truth and grace.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_god's_judgment.htm">Understanding God's Judgment</a></b><br>The command not to marry or have children highlights the severity of God's impending judgment. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of persistent sin and disobedience.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/l/living_with_an_eternal_perspective.htm">Living with an Eternal Perspective</a></b><br>Jeremiah's situation encourages believers to focus on eternal values rather than temporary circumstances, especially in times of crisis or judgment.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_16.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 16</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_jer._16_2_align_with_'be_fruitful'.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 forbids Jeremiah from marrying or having children—how does this reconcile with earlier Biblical commands to “be fruitful and multiply”? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_defines_the_jezebel_spirit.htm">What defines the Jezebel spirit?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_if_believers_die_young_or_childless.htm">Psalm 128:5–6 envisions a long life and seeing future generations—what about believers who die young or never have descendants? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_child_sacrifice_in_ezekiel_16_20-21_credible.htm">How credible is the depiction of widespread child sacrifice in Ezekiel 16:20-21, given limited archaeological evidence for such practices in Jerusalem?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/16.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(2) <span class= "bld">Thou shalt not take thee a wife . . .</span>--The words came to an Israelite and to a priest with a force which we can hardly understand. With them marriage, and the hopes which it involved, was not only a happiness but a duty, and to be cut off from it was to renounce both, because the evil that was coming on the nation was such as to turn both into a curse. We may compare cur Lord's words in <a href="/matthew/24-19.htm" title="And woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!">Matthew 24:19</a> and those spoken to the daughters of Jerusalem (<a href="/luke/23-29.htm" title="For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never gave suck.">Luke 23:29</a>), and what, in part at least, entered into St. Paul's motives for a like abstinence on account of "the present distress" (<a href="/1_corinthians/7-26.htm" title="I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.">1Corinthians 7:26</a>).<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/16.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Thou shalt not take thee a wife</span>. So St. Paul, "I think therefore that this is good by reason of the present distress, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is (<a href="/1_corinthians/7-26.htm">1 Corinthians 7:26</a>, Revised Version); and Hosea has already drawn an awful picture of "Ephraim bringing forth his children to the murderer" (<a href="/hosea/9-9.htm">Hosea 9:9</a>). In ordinary times it was a kind of unwritten law among the Israelites to marry and beget children. Most of the prophets (e.g. Isaiah) appear to have been married. <span class="cmt_word">In this place</span>; <span class="accented">i.e.</span> in the land of Judah. A Jeremianic phrase (comp. <a href="/jeremiah/7-3.htm">Jeremiah 7:3</a>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">“You must not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹֽא־</span> <span class="translit">(lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">marry</span><br /><span class="heb">תִקַּ֥ח</span> <span class="translit">(ṯiq·qaḥ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3947.htm">Strong's 3947: </a> </span><span class="str2">To take</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[or]</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹֽא־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have</span><br /><span class="heb">יִהְי֤וּ</span> <span class="translit">(yih·yū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">sons</span><br /><span class="heb">בָּנִ֣ים</span> <span class="translit">(bā·nîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1121.htm">Strong's 1121: </a> </span><span class="str2">A son</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or daughters</span><br /><span class="heb">וּבָנ֔וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(ū·ḇā·nō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1323.htm">Strong's 1323: </a> </span><span class="str2">A daughter</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in this</span><br /><span class="heb">הַזֶּֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(haz·zeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Pronoun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2088.htm">Strong's 2088: </a> </span><span class="str2">This, that</span><br /><br /><span class="word">place.”</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּמָּק֖וֹם</span> <span class="translit">(bam·mā·qō·wm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4725.htm">Strong's 4725: </a> </span><span class="str2">A standing, a spot, a condition</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/16-2.htm">Jeremiah 16:2 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/16-2.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 16:2 You shall not take a wife neither (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/16-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 16:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 16:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/16-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 16:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 16:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>