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Jeremiah 35

The Rechabites’ obedience to their ancestor exposes Judah’s refusal to heed YHWH despite his repeated calls to return.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, YHWH sends Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into a room in the temple and offer them wine. They refuse, explaining that their ancestor Jonadab commanded them to abstain from wine and live in tents. They have come into Jerusalem because invading armies threaten them. YHWH then contrasts their obedience to their ancestor with Judah’s refusal to hear his prophets. Judgment is announced against Judah, while the Rechabites receive a promise of an enduring place before God.

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1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the LORD’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.”
4and I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; 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, neither you nor your children, forever.
7You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’
8We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;
9and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;
10but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’”
13“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says the LORD.
14“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.
15I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.
16The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.”’
17“Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”
18Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’
19therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”
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Key verses
Jeremiah 35:14YHWH contrasts a family’s lasting obedience to Jonadab with Judah’s refusal to listen to his own words.
Jeremiah 35:15The prophets’ repeated calls to abandon evil and other gods show what Judah has refused to hear.
Jeremiah 35:4The named temple rooms place the encounter near Judah’s officials, giving the enacted lesson a concrete setting.
Where this chapter reaches

2 Kings identifies Jonadab son of Rechab as an associate of Jehu, connecting the Rechabites’ ancestor with an earlier account in Israel’s history. Proverbs and Ephesians share the theme of heeding parental instruction, while Isaiah shares the prophetic charge that God’s people refuse to listen.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What stands out to you in the contrast between the Rechabites’ response and Judah’s response?

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How does the call to amend conduct in verse 15 shape your understanding of listening to God?

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Questions people ask about Jeremiah 35

Who were the Rechabites in Jeremiah 35?

The Rechabites were a family whose ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab had commanded them to avoid wine, houses, and farming, and to live in tents. They report that their households have kept these commands. Their presence in Jerusalem is explained by their flight from invading armies.

Does Jeremiah 35 forbid drinking wine?

The prohibition against wine is Jonadab’s command to his descendants. The chapter records their obedience to that family rule and uses it to expose Judah’s refusal to obey God. It does not give a general command that every reader must abstain from wine or live in tents.

What does the promise to the Rechabites in Jeremiah 35:19 mean?

God promises that Jonadab will always have a descendant to stand before him. The wording points to an enduring family line with a place in God’s presence and service. The chapter does not explain how this promise will unfold or assign the Rechabites a specific temple office.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).