King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 29:6 Mean?

Jeremiah 29:6 in the King James Version says “Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that the...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 29 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.”

Jeremiah 29:6 · KJV

Context

4

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

5

Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

6

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

7

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

8

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Read Jeremiah 29 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
God commands the exiles not merely to survive but to multiply—to take wives, have children, and arrange marriages for those children. This is covenant language echoing God's creation mandate to 'be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:28) and His promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5). Even in exile, even under judgment, God's people are to embrace life, grow families, and continue the covenant line.

This command directly opposed the logic of despair. Why marry and have children if we're prisoners in a foreign land? Why bring children into suffering? Yet God commands it because His purposes continue even through judgment. The future hope of restoration required a next generation to carry it forward. Those who obeyed this command became the parents and grandparents of the generation that returned under Cyrus—Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther, Mordecai, Ezra, and Nehemiah were all products of the exilic community.

This teaching has profound implications for Christian living. We do not put life on hold waiting for Christ's return. We marry, raise children, plan for the future—not because we're earthly-minded but because faithful presence requires full engagement with our present context. The early church expected Christ's imminent return yet still organized communities, appointed elders, wrote letters for future generations, and commanded believers to marry and raise children (1 Corinthians 7; Ephesians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3).

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Historical & Cultural Context

The instruction to arrange marriages for children 'that they may bear sons and daughters' ensured the Jewish community would continue. Ezra and Nehemiah later addressed the problem of intermarriage with pagans (Ezra 9-10; Nehemiah 13:23-27), showing both the challenge and the importance of maintaining covenant identity through marriage. The exilic community that followed Jeremiah's instructions preserved Jewish faith and identity, making the return possible.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does this command to multiply and arrange marriages demonstrate faith in God's future purposes despite present difficulties?
  2. What does it mean to embrace life fully—marriage, children, future planning—while living as exiles awaiting our true home?
  3. In what ways might despair or end-times speculation tempt us to disengage from ordinary life rather than faithfully living in the present?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 19 words
וּקְח֨וּ1 of 19

“Take”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

נָשִׁ֗ים2 of 19

“wives”

H802

a woman

וְתֵלַ֖דְנָה3 of 19

“and beget”

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

בָּנִ֣ים4 of 19

“and daughters”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

וּבָנ֑וֹת5 of 19

“and daughters”

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

וּקְח֨וּ6 of 19

“Take”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

בָּנִ֣ים7 of 19

“and daughters”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

נָשִׁ֗ים8 of 19

“wives”

H802

a woman

וְאֶת9 of 19
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

וּבָנ֑וֹת10 of 19

“and daughters”

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

תְּנ֣וּ11 of 19

“and give”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים12 of 19

“to husbands”

H582

properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified h0120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively)

וְתֵלַ֖דְנָה13 of 19

“and beget”

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

בָּנִ֣ים14 of 19

“and daughters”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

וּבָנ֑וֹת15 of 19

“and daughters”

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

וּרְבוּ16 of 19

“that ye may be increased”

H7235

to increase (in whatever respect)

שָׁ֖ם17 of 19
H8033

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence

וְאַל18 of 19
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּמְעָֽטוּ׃19 of 19

“there and not diminished”

H4591

properly, to pare off, i.e., lessen; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 29:6 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 29:6 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 24:3-4Genesis 28:1-4Genesis 24:51Genesis 21:21Judges 12:9Genesis 29:19

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