Jeremiah 35:2

2 “Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD ’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some 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 This is the message the LORD gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:
2 “Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD ’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”
3 So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families.
4 I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.
5 I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,
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