Jeremiah 35:6-19

6 But they said, "We will not drink wine, for ¹Jonadab the son of ²Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall ³not 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 ⁴tents you shall dwell all your days, that you may live ⁵many days in the land where * you ⁶sojourn.'

8 "We have ⁷obeyed 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 ⁸do not have vineyard or field or seed.

10 "We have only ⁹dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that ¹⁰Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 "But when ¹¹Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come and let us ¹²go 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, "¹³Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?" declares the LORD.

14 "The ¹⁴words 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 ¹⁵again and again; yet you have ¹⁶not listened to Me.

15 "Also I have sent to you all My ¹⁷servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: '¹⁸Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and ¹⁹do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will ²⁰dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not ²¹inclined your ear or listened to Me.

16 'Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have ²²observed 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, ²³I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I ²⁴spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.' "

18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because * you have ²⁵obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you;

19 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Jonadab the son of Rechab ²⁶shall not lack a man to ²⁷stand before Me always *.""'

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Jeremiah 35:6-19 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 27

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

Footnotes 3

[a]. Lit "rising early and speaking"
[b]. Lit "rising early and speaking"
[c]. Lit "all the days"