Jeremiah 35:8

8 "We have done everything Jonadab, the son of Recab, commanded us to do. So we and our wives and our children have never drunk wine.

Jeremiah 35:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 35:8

Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our
father
The above was the charge he gave them; and this, in every article of it, they had carefully and constantly kept, though it had been for the space of three hundred years, or thereabout; as follows: in all he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our
wives, our sons, nor our daughters;
which was the first of the precepts he gave them: and which they were now tempted to disregard, but were resolved to observe it, as they had hitherto done. The rest of the articles follow.

Jeremiah 35:8 In-Context

6 But they replied, "We don't drink wine. That's because Jonadab gave us a command. He was the son of Recab. He was also one of our own people from long ago. He commanded, 'You and your children after you must never drink wine.

7 Also you must never build houses. You must never plant crops or vineyards. You must never have any of those things. Instead, you must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are wandering around.'

8 "We have done everything Jonadab, the son of Recab, commanded us to do. So we and our wives and our children have never drunk wine.

9 We have never built houses to live in. We've never had vineyards, fields or crops.

10 We've always lived in tents. We've completely obeyed everything Jonadab commanded our people of long ago.