Jeremiah 35:2

2 "Go visit the Recabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in God's Temple. And serve them 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 The Message that Jeremiah received from God ten years earlier, during the time of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Israel:
2 "Go visit the Recabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in God's Temple. And serve them wine."
3 So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with all his brothers and sons - the whole community of the Recabites as it turned out -
4 and brought them to God's Temple and to the meeting room of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the meeting room of the Temple officials and just over the apartment of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who was in charge of Temple affairs.
5 Then I set out chalices and pitchers of wine for the Recabites and said, "A toast! Drink up!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.