Jeremiah 16:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If during the impending captivity the prophet is directed not to marry, to avoid the sorrows of the flesh and the anguish stemming from the suffering of his wife and children, how much more urgent is the Apostle’s instruction that because the time is brief and the end draws near, those who are married should conduct themselves as if they were not married (1 Cor. 7)! Thus, it is unnecessary to address the new heretic (Jovinian), who we have shown embraces the notion that bigamy and triple marriages arise not from the divine law but from indulgence. It is one thing to perform what is inherently good, and another to exercise indulgence, as that may lead us to worse outcomes. The Apostle himself provides reasons for encouraging young widows to remarry, noting, Some have turned aside after Satan (1 Tim. 5:15). Yet, the proponent of moderation and unceasing chastity, who arrogantly claims equality with God, endorses third and fourth marriages, which I hesitate to call marriages at all, rather likening them to a lifeline in times of distress, an last refuge for those shipwrecked by passion—as if granting permission for his followers to endure the tempests of desire into old age. The rationale behind the prophet's prohibition on marriage is clear: during the impending siege, many will perish from plagues, the sword, and famine, resulting in such an overwhelming number of dead that traditional burial will be impossible, and the bodies will lie as dung, a feast for scavengers. Furthermore, it should be noted that prolonged illness and weakness also signify God's wrath. This is evident in the case of Joram, the son of Jehoshaphat, who succumbed to a lengthy illness (2 Chronicles 21), and the Apostle teaches that those who desecrate the sanctified are often afflicted with prolonged sickness, leading to their decline and demise (1 Corinthians 11:30).