But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came
up into the land
Into the land of Judea to invade it, which was in the reign of Jehoiakim, in the fourth year of it, after he had served him three years, and rebelled against him; (See Gill on Jeremiah 35:1); that we said, come, and let us go to Jerusalem;
they said one to another, let us not stay here to be destroyed by a foreign enemy; but let us go to Jerusalem, a fortified city, where we may be safe: for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the
Syrians;
for Nebuchadnezzar's army in this expedition consisted of Chaldeans and Syrians, and of other nations, ( 2 Kings 24:2 ) ; so we dwell at Jerusalem;
for the present. It seems as though this was quickly after Nebuchadnezzar's incursion, and when he was but just departed; so that their fears had not wholly subsided; and they, as yet, had not returned to their tents, and former manner of living: hence it appears that the Rechabites did not look upon this command of their father as equal to a divine precept, which must be always obeyed; but that in case of necessity it might be dispensed with, and especially when in danger of life, and when human prudence required it; and in which case the lawgiver himself would have dispensed with it, had he been on the spot.