Jeremiah 35:2

2 "Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the temple of the Lord to offer them a drink of wine."

Jeremiah 35:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 35:2

Go unto the house of the Rechabites
Or "family" F3; these are the same with the Kenites, who descended from Hobab or Jethro, Moses's father in law, ( Judges 1:16 ) ( 4:11 ) ( 1 Chronicles 2:55 ) ; these, as their ancestors, became proselytes to Israel, and always continued with them, though a distinct people from them; these here had their name from Rechab, a famous man in his time among those people: and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord;
into the temple; for they were worshippers of the true God, though foreigners and uncircumcised persons; and so might be admitted into places belonging to the temple: into one of the chambers;
of the temple, where there were many; some for the sanhedrim to sit in; others for the priests to lay up their garments and the vessels of the sanctuary in; and others for the prophets and their disciples to converse in together about religious matters: and give them wine to drink;
set it before them, and invite them to drink of it, and thereby try their steady obedience to their father's commands. Now this family was brought to the temple either in vision, as it seemed to the prophet; or really, which latter is most probable; and that for this reason, that this affair might be transacted publicly, and many might he witnesses of it, and take the rebuke given by it; and, as some think, to reproach the priests for their intemperance.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (tyb la) "ad familiam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Jeremiah 35:2 In-Context

1 [This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
2 "Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the temple of the Lord to offer them a drink of wine."
3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons-the entire house of the Rechabites-
4 and I brought them into the temple of the Lord to a chamber [occupied by] the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God, who had a chamber near the officials' chamber, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.
5 I set jars filled with wine and some cups before the sons of the house of the Rechabites and said to them, "Drink wine!"
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