1The Word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of Jehovah, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink. 3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites. 4And I brought them into the house of Jehovah, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was near the room of the rulers, above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door. 5And I set pots full of wine, and cups, before the sons of the house of the Rechabites. And I said to them, Drink wine! 6But they said, We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons forever. 7Nor shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall live in tents, so that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn. 8So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he has commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; 9nor to build houses for us to live in. Nor do we have vineyard, nor field, nor seed. 10But we have lived in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11But it came to pass when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of Syria. So we are living at Jerusalem. 12Then came the Word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, 13Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction to heed My Words? says Jehovah. 14The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are done. For to this day they do not drink, but obey their father's commandment. But I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not heeded Me. 15I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Turn back now each man from his evil way, and do good, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers. But you have not extended your ear, nor heeded Me. 16Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have done the commandment of their father, which He commanded them; but this people has not heeded Me; 17therefore thus says Jehovah the God of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have spoken against them. Because I have spoken to them, but they have not given heed; and I have called to them, but they have not answered. 18And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his precepts, and have done according to all that he has commanded you; 19therefore thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 PROPHECY IN THE REIGN OF JEHOIAKIM, WHEN THE CHALDEANS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SYRIANS AND MOABITES, INVADED JUDEA. (Jer. 35:1-19)
Rechabites--a nomadic tribe belonging to the Kenites of Hemath (
1Chr 2:55), of the family of Jethro, or Hobab, Moses' father-in-law (
Exod 18:9, &c.;
Num 10:29-
Num 10:32;
Judg 1:16). They came into Canaan with the Israelites, but, in order to preserve their independence, chose a life in tents without a fixed habitation (
1Sam 15:6). Besides the branch of them associated with Judah and extending to Amalek, there was another section at Kadesh, in Naphtali (
Judg 4:11,
Judg 4:17). They seem to have been proselytes of the gate, Jonadab, son of Rechab, whose charge not to drink wine they so strictly obeyed, was zealous for God (
2Kgs 10:15-23). The Nabatheans of Arabia observed the same rules [DIODORUS SICULUS, 19.94].
bring . . . into . . . house of . . . Lord--because there were suitable witnesses at hand there from among the priests and chief men, as also because he had the power immediately to address the people assembled there (
Jer 35:13). It may have been also as a reproof of the priests, who drank wine freely, though commanded to refrain from it when in the discharge of their duties [CALVIN].
chambers--which were round about the temple, applied to various uses, for example, to contain the vestments, sacred vessels, &c.
3 Jaazaniah--the elder and chief of the clan.
4 man of God--a prophet (
Deut 33:1;
1Sam 2:27;
1Kgs 12:22;
2Kgs 4:7), also "a servant of God" in general (
1Tim 6:11), one not his own, but God's; one who has parted with all right in himself to give himself wholly to God (
2Tim 3:17). He was so reverenced that none would call in question what was transacted in his chamber.
keeper of the door--Hebrew, "of the vessel." Probably the office meant is that of the priest who kept in charge the capitation money paid for the use of the temple and the votive offerings, such as silver vessels, &c. There were seven such keepers [GROTIUS]. Compare
2Kgs 12:9;
2Kgs 25:18;
1Chr 9:18-19, which support English Version.
I said . . . Drink--Jeremiah does not say, The Lord saith, Drink: for then they would have been bound to obey. Contrast the case in 1Ki. 13:7-26.
6 Jonadab . . . our father--that is, forefather and director, three hundred years before (
2Kgs 10:15). They were called Rechabites, not Jonadabites, having received their name from Rechab the father, previously to their adopting the injunctions of Jonadab his son. This case affords no justification for slavish deference to the religious opinions of the Christian fathers: for Jonadab's injunction only affected matters of the present life; moreover, it was not binding on their consciences, for they deemed it not unlawful to go to Jerusalem in the invasion (
Jer 35:11). What is praised here is not the father's injunction, but the obedience of the sons [CALVIN].
7 tents-- (
Judg 4:17).
live many days--according to the promise connected with the fifth commandment (
Exod 20:12;
Eph 6:2-
Eph 6:3).
strangers--They were not of the stock of Jacob, but sojourners in Israel. Types of the children of God, pilgrims on earth, looking for heaven as their home: having little to lose, so that losing times cost them little alarm; sitting loose to what they have (
Heb 10:34;
Heb 11:9-
Heb 11:10,
Heb 11:13-
Heb 11:16).
8 all that he . . . charged us . . . all our days, we . . . wives . . . sons . . . daughters--unreserved obedience in all particulars, at all times, and on the part of all, without exception: in these respects Israel's obedience to God was wanting. Contrast
1Sam 15:20-21;
Ps 78:34-
Ps 78:37,
Ps 78:41,
Ps 78:56-
Ps 78:57.
11 Chaldeans . . . Syrians--when Jehoiakim revolted from Nebuchadnezzar (
2Kgs 24:1-2). Necessity sets aside all other laws. This is the Rechabites' excuse for their seeming disobedience to Jonadab in temporarily settling in a city. Herein was seen the prescient wisdom of Jonadab's commands; they could at a moment's notice migrate, having no land possessions to tie them.
14 obey . . . father's commandment: notwithstanding I-- (
Mal 1:6).
rising early and speaking--God Himself speaking late and early by His various ways of providence and grace.
15 In
Jer 35:15 and in
2Chr 36:15, a distinct mode of address is alluded to, namely, God sending His servants. (
Jer 18:11;
Jer 25:5-
Jer 25:6). I enjoined nothing unreasonable, but simply to serve Me, and I attached to the command a gracious promise, but in vain. If Jonadab's commands, which were arbitrary and not moral obligations in themselves, were obeyed, much more ought Mine, which are in themselves right.
17 because I have spoken . . . not heard . . . I . . . called . . . not answered-- (
Pro 1:24;
Isa 65:12).
19 not want a man to stand before me--There shall always be left representatives of the clan to worship Me (
Jer 15:1,
Jer 15:19); or, "before Me" means simple existence, for all things in existence are in God's sight (
Ps 89:36). The Rechabites returned from the captivity. WOLFF found traces of them in Arabia.