Jeremiah 35:1-17

The Rechabites' Obedience

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of ¹Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

2 "Go to the house of the ²Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the ³chambers, and give them wine to drink."

3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,

4 and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the ⁴man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, which was above * the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, ⁵the doorkeeper.

5 Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, "⁶Drink wine!"

6 But they said, "We will not drink wine, for ⁷Jonadab the son of ⁸Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall ⁹not drink wine, you or your sons, forever *.

7 'You shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed and you shall not plant a vineyard or own one; but in ¹⁰tents you shall dwell all your days, that you may live ¹¹many days in the land where * you ¹²sojourn.'

8 "We have ¹³obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons or our daughters,

9 nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; and we ¹⁴do not have vineyard or field or seed.

10 "We have only ¹⁵dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that ¹⁶Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 "But when ¹⁷Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come and let us ¹⁸go to Jerusalem before * the army of the Chaldeans and before * the army of the Arameans.' So we have dwelt in Jerusalem."

Judah Rebuked

12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

13 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "¹⁹Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?" declares the LORD.

14 "The ²⁰words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. But I have spoken to you ²¹again and again; yet you have ²²not listened to Me.

15 "Also I have sent to you all My ²³servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: '²⁴Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and ²⁵do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will ²⁶dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not ²⁷inclined your ear or listened to Me.

16 'Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have ²⁸observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.' "'

17 "Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, ²⁹I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I ³⁰spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.' "

Jeremiah 35:1-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 35

In this chapter the disobedience of the people of the Jews unto God is aggravated by the obedience of the Rechabites to their father; and the one are threatened with the judgments of God upon them, and the other have a promise of the divine blessing. The time of this prophecy is observed; Jer 35:1; an order to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers of the temple, which was done accordingly, Jer 35:2-4; wine is set before them to drink; which they refuse; alleging the command of their father to the contrary, Jer 35:5-7; which they had carefully and constantly obeyed in every part of it, excepting that which respects their dwelling in tents; for which they give a reason, Jer 35:8-11; by this instance of filial obedience to parents, the disobedience of the Jews towards their Father, which is in heaven, is aggravated; who, though he gave them laws and commandments, and sent his prophets to put them in mind of them, and exhort them to obedience, yet hearkened not to them, Jer 35:12-15; wherefore the Lord threatens to bring all the evil on them he had pronounced, Jer 35:16,17; and promises the sons of Rechab that there should be always some of them that should minister unto him, Jer 35:18,19.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 23:34-36; 2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chronicles 36:5-7; Jeremiah 1:3; Jeremiah 27:20; Daniel 1:1
• 2. 2 Kings 10:15; 1 Chronicles 2:55
• 3. 1 Kings 6:5, 8; 1 Chronicles 9:26, 33
• 4. Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; 1 Kings 12:22; 2 Kings 1:9-13
• 5. 1 Chronicles 9:18
• 6. Amos 2:12
• 7. 2 Kings 10:15, 23
• 8. 1 Chronicles 2:55
• 9. Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:2-4; Judges 13:7, 14; Luke 1:15
• 10. Genesis 25:27; Hebrews 11:9
• 11. Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2, 3
• 12. Genesis 36:7
• 13. Proverbs 1:8, 9; Proverbs 4:1, 2, 10; Proverbs 6:20; Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20
• 14. Psalms 37:16; Jeremiah 35:7; 1 Timothy 6:6
• 15. Jeremiah 35:7
• 16. Jeremiah 35:6
• 17. 2 Kings 24:1, 2; Daniel 1:1, 2
• 18. Jeremiah 4:5-7; Jeremiah 8:14
• 19. Isaiah 28:9-12; Jeremiah 5:3; Jeremiah 6:8-10; Jeremiah 32:33
• 20. Jeremiah 35:6-10
• 21. 2 Chronicles 36:15; Jeremiah 7:13, 25; Jeremiah 11:7; Jeremiah 25:3, 4
• 22. Isaiah 30:9; Isaiah 50:2
• 23. Jeremiah 7:25; Jeremiah 25:4; Jeremiah 26:5; Jeremiah 29:19; Jeremiah 32:33
• 24. Isaiah 1:16, 17; Jeremiah 4:1; Jeremiah 18:11; Jeremiah 25:5; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Acts 26:20
• 25. Deuteronomy 6:14; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 13:10; Jeremiah 25:6
• 26. Jeremiah 7:7; Jeremiah 25:5, 6
• 27. Jeremiah 7:24, 26; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 17:23; Jeremiah 34:14
• 28. Jeremiah 35:14; Malachi 1:6
• 29. Joshua 23:15; Jeremiah 19:3, 15; Jeremiah 21:4-10; Micah 3:12
• 30. Proverbs 1:24, 25; Isaiah 65:12; Isaiah 66:4; Jer 7:13, 26, 27; Jeremiah 26:5; Luke 13:34, 35; Romans 10:21

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "sons"
• [b]. Lit "rising early and speaking"
• [c]. Lit "rising early and speaking"