Jeremiah 35:9

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

Jeremiah 35:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 35:9

Nor build houses for us to dwell in
This explains that part of the charge more fully, which respects building of houses; which did not restrain them from building houses for others, if any of them were masters of that art; which is not very likely, since they were wholly brought up in the field as shepherds; but it forbad them building any for themselves, and making use of them by dwelling in them: neither have we vineyard, nor field, or seed;
any piece of ground planted with vines, or field sown with corn, or any seed to sow with; so exactly conformable were they to the prescriptions of their ancestor. Diodorus Siculus ^F7 reports of the Nabatheans, a people of Arabia, descended from Nebaioth, see ( Isaiah 60:7 ) ; that they have several laws which are much the same with those enjoined the Rechabites; for he says,

``it is a law with them not to sow corn, nor to plant any plant that bears fruit, nor to make use of wine, nor to build houses; and whosoever is found doing any of these things is, reckoned worthy of death; and the reason of their having such a law is, because they think that those who possess such things are easily compelled by men in power to do whatever is commanded them, for the sake of the enjoyment of them.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 730. Ed. Rhod.

Jeremiah 35:9 In-Context

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.

11 "But Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, marched into this land. Then we said, 'Come. We must go to Jerusalem. There we can escape the armies of Babylonia and Aram.' So we have remained in Jerusalem."