Jeremiah 35:1-11 · Bible study
Jeremiah 35:1-11 Commentary: The Rechabites' Faithful Obedience
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The Rechabites' obedience to their ancestor's command contrasts Judah's disobedience to God. Study the historical context and theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Rechabites' unwavering obedience to Jonadab's commands becomes a living indictment of Judah's disobedience to God's word.
- Key words: Rechabites, Kenite, Jonadab, wine, tents, obedience, voice, command.
- Main debate: The chapter's placement in the Jehoiakim period among Zedekiah-era narratives; most see thematic contrast as the reason.
- Theological theme: Faithful covenant loyalty is measured not by heritage but by hearing and doing, even from those outside the covenant.
- Best use: A vivid sermon illustration of the nature of faith that obeys God's voice without compromise or excuses.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
2“Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the house of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.”
3So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—
4and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.
5Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6“We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.
7Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’
8And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.
9Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.
10But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
11So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land, we said: ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh 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 Yahweh’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.”
3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4and I brought them into Yahweh’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.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
1The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
2Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
6But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
7Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
8Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;
9Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar 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 the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of Jehovah, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4and I brought them into the house of Jehovah, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
6But they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons, for ever:
7neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any; but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land wherein ye sojourn.
8And we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;
9nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10but we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar 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 the Syrians; so we dwell at Jerusalem.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1The word that hath been unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, saying:
2`Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and thou hast spoken with them, and brought them into the house of Jehovah, unto one of the chambers, and caused them to drink wine.'
3And I take Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and all the house of the Rechabites,
4and bring them into the house of Jehovah, unto the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God, that is near to the chamber of the princes, that is above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold;
5and I put before the sons of the house of the Rechabites goblets full of wine, and cups, and I say unto them, Drink ye wine.
6And they say, `We do not drink wine: for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, charged us, saying, Ye do not drink wine, ye and your sons--unto the age;
7and a house ye do not build, and seed ye do not sow, and a vineyard ye do not plant, nor have ye any; for in tents do ye dwell all your days, that ye may live many days on the face of the ground whither ye are sojourning.
8`And we hearken to the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, to all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;
9nor to build houses for our dwelling; and vineyard, and field, and seed, we have none;
10and we dwell in tents, and we hearken, and we do according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us;
11and it cometh to pass, in the coming up of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon unto the land, that we say, Come, and we enter Jerusalem, because of the force of the Chaldeans, and because of the force of Aram--and we dwell in Jerusalem.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying,
2Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them into the house of Jehovah, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3And I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites,
4and I brought them into the house of Jehovah, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink wine.
6And they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, ye nor your sons for ever;
7neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor shall ye have [any]; but all your days ye shall dwell in tents, that ye may live many days in the land where ye sojourn.
8And we have hearkened unto 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, and our daughters,
9and not to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed;
10but we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11And it came to pass when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come and let us go into Jerusalem because of the army of the Chaldeans, and because of the army of Syria; and we dwell at Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, saying:
2Go to the house of the Rechabites: and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers of the treasures, and thou shalt give them wine to drink.
3And I took Jezonias the son of Jeremiah the son of Habsanias, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites.
4And I brought them into the house of the Lord, to the treasure house of the sons of Hanan, the son of Jegedelias the man of God, which was by the treasure house of the princes, above the treasure of Maasias the son of Sellum, who was keeper of the entry.
5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups: and I said to them: Drink ye wine.
6And they answered : We will not drink wine: because Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying: You shall drink no wine, neither you, nor your children, for ever:
7Neither shall ye build houses, nor sow reed, nor plant vineyards, nor have any: but you shall dwell in tents all your days, that you may live many days upon the face of the earth, in which you are strangers.
8Therefore we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all things that he commanded us: so as to drink no wine all our days: neither we, nor our wives, nor our sons, nor our daughters:
9Nor to build houses to dwell in, nor to have vineyard, or field, or seed:
10But we have dwelt in tents, and have been obedient according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11But when Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came up to our land, we said: Come, let us go into Jerusalem from the face of the army of the Chaldeans, and from the face of the army of Syria: and we have remained in Jerusalem.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 35:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage functions as a living parable. The Rechabites, a Kenite nomadic clan descended from Jethro, had observed the commands of their ancestor Jonadab for nearly three centuries: no wine, no houses, no farming, only tent-dwelling (Jer 35:6-7). When Jeremiah tests them by setting wine before them in the temple, they refuse, citing their vow. The contrast is sharp: these non-Israelite foreigners show steadfast obedience to a human father, while Judah, God's covenant people, repeatedly disobeys their divine Father. Calvin stresses that this is a deliberate indictment. Barnes notes that wine symbolized settled life; the Rechabites' rejection of it signified their pilgrim identity. Matthew Henry calls it 'a sermon without words.' The passage also addresses a potential objection: the Rechabites now live in Jerusalem, not tents. They explain that the Babylonian invasion forced them to seek shelter, an exception justified by necessity, not a violation of principle. This sets up God's word of judgment and blessing in the remainder of the chapter.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The Rechabites' faithful obedience to their ancestor's commands is a deliberate contrast to Judah's persistent disobedience to God, serving as a clear call to hear and obey.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the Rechabites | They were a Kenite nomadic clan descended from Jethro, closely associated with Israel but not part of the covenant people by birth. | Some commentators emphasize their foreign origin to highlight the contrast with Israel; others note they became proselytes and thus were part of the religious community. |
| Purpose of Jonadab's commands | The commands were intended to preserve a simple, nomadic lifestyle distinct from Canaanite settled culture and to avoid corruption or envy. | Some see them as a practical measure for survival and thrift (Wesley); others view them as a religious vow to maintain identity as sojourners before God (Keil). |
| Chronological placement | The event occurs during Jehoiakim's reign, earlier than the surrounding chapters from Zedekiah's reign. | Calvin and others say the Holy Spirit arranged prophecies thematically rather than chronologically; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown agree but stress the contrast as the key reason for placement. |
| Lesson on wine | The point is about obedience, not alcohol. The Rechabites' specific vow is not binding on Christians. | Some Christians have drawn inspiration from this passage for abstinence as a spiritual discipline; others emphasize the historical particularity of the command and resist universalizing it. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Rechabites were a branch of the Kenites, themselves descendants of Hobab (Jethro), Moses' father-in-law (Num 10:29-32; Jdg 1:16; 1 Chr 2:55). They had migrated with Israel into Canaan but maintained a separate, nomadic lifestyle. Jonadab son of Rechab, a contemporary of King Jehu (2 Ki 10:15-16), had bound his descendants by certain rules: abstain from wine, do not build houses, do not sow seed or plant vineyards, but live in tents (Jer 35:6-7). These rules likely served both a practical and a spiritual purpose. Practically, they preserved the Rechabites from the envy of settled populations (so Wesley and Gill) and kept them mobile in a region frequently crossed by armies. Spiritually, they reinforced their identity as sojourners, people whose ultimate security was in God, not in land or possessions.
By Jeremiah's time, some 300 years later, the Rechabites still observed these rules. The historical setting of this chapter is the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC), a king who 'did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight' (2 Chr 36:5) and who taxed heavily to pay tribute to Pharaoh (2 Ki 23:35). Nebuchadnezzar had begun his campaigns, and marauding bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites were raiding Judah (2 Ki 24:2). This pressure drove the normally tent-dwelling Rechabites to take refuge within Jerusalem's walls.
Jeremiah's test takes place in the temple precincts, specifically in a chamber associated with Hanan, a 'man of God,' and near the room of the princes. The detailed description of the location (v.4) suggests an eyewitness account. Cambridge Bible calls this 'contemporary with the events it describes.' The public setting ensured maximum exposure for the object lesson God intended: the faithful obedience of these outsiders would condemn the rebellion of God's own people. Chronologically, this event belongs earlier in Jeremiah's ministry. Its placement here, after chapters 32-34 set in Zedekiah's final days, is deliberate: the contrast between the Rechabites' fidelity and Judah's infidelity reaches its peak as Jerusalem's fall approaches.
Textual Notes
None of the consulted sources note any significant textual variants for Jeremiah 35:1-11. The Hebrew text is well preserved across manuscripts, with only minor orthographic variations in proper names (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar vs. Nebuchadrezzar) that do not affect interpretation.
Reception History
The passage has been used in Christian preaching for centuries as a compelling illustration of faithful obedience. Reformation interpreters such as Calvin emphasized the contrast with Israel's disobedience. Modern scholarship explores the historical background of the Kenite nomads and the thematic logic behind the chapter's chronological disruption. The story continues to serve as a vivid call to hear and obey God's voice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Obedience That Endures. The Rechabites kept Jonadab's commands for 300 years, encompassing every area of life (vv.8-10). Their obedience was comprehensive, not selective.
- Obedience That Contrasts. These non-Israelites showed greater loyalty to a human ancestor than Judah showed to God (vv.12-17). The gap is shocking.
- Obedience That Adapts to Necessity. The move to Jerusalem (v.11) was not a violation but a wise temporary measure. God honors faithful flexibility in extreme circumstances.
Five-point outline
- The Setup: God's word comes to Jeremiah (vv.1-2).
- The Test: Jeremiah sets wine before the Rechabites (v.5).
- The Stand: 'We will drink no wine' (v.6).
- The Reason: Jonadab commanded us (vv.6-7).
- The Exception: The Babylonian crisis forced us to seek shelter (v.11).
Illustration hooks
- A family whose ancestors passed down a set of values or practices, and the current generation holds to them even when it costs something.
- A team that follows a coach's instructions to the letter while another team ignores the game plan, and the difference in results is clear.
- The discipline of a group like the Amish or Mennonites, whose simple lifestyle stands out as a countercultural witness.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible include a story about a seemingly obscure nomadic tribe?
- Does this passage teach that Christians should avoid alcohol or make lifelong vows?
- How do we know when a temporary exception to a commitment is faithful rather than compromised?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 35 is a masterclass in contrast: the faithful obedience of a family of outsiders shames the rebellion of God's own people. As you study these eleven verses together, let the simplicity of the Rechabites' response challenge and encourage your own walk with God.
Discussion questions
- Read the passage aloud. What details about the Rechabites' lifestyle and their response to Jeremiah stand out to you?
- Why do you think God instructed Jeremiah to test the Rechabites specifically with wine? What did wine represent for settled culture?
- The Rechabites had only a human command from centuries ago. How does their faithfulness highlight the greater privilege (and greater accountability) of those who have God's written word?
- In verse 11, the Rechabites explain why they are living in Jerusalem. Was this a compromise or a wise adaptation? How do you decide when a temporary exception is faithful?
- What would it mean for you today to 'obey the voice' of your heavenly Father with the thoroughness the Rechabites showed?
- God promises to bless the Rechabites (vv.18-19). What does this tell us about how God views faithful obedience, even to human traditions that point to Him?
- Is there an area where God is calling you to simple, ongoing, unglamorous obedience this week?
Close your time by praying together: Father, give us the same steady, humble obedience that the Rechabites showed. Help us to hear Your voice and follow it, not selectively but every day. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 23:35 | Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh. |
| II Kings 24:1 | In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. |
| II Kings 24:6 | So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. |
| II Chronicles 36:5 | Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in Yahweh his God’s sight. |
| II Chronicles 36:8 | Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. |
| Jeremiah 1:3 | It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. |
| Jeremiah 22:13 | “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and doesn’t give him his hire; |
| Jeremiah 22:19 | He will be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees the Rechabites' three family rules—no wine, no houses, only tents—as carrying deeper spiritual meaning beyond mere custom. For him, these precepts teach temperance, detachment from earthly possessions, and the pilgrim mindset of those who seek a heavenly country, making their obedience a living rebuke to Israel's unfaithfulness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the Rechabites were a nomadic Kenite tribe who deliberately kept their desert lifestyle, unlike other Kenites who settled in cities. Jonadab, their founder, imposed this rule to preserve moral purity and freedom, and their strict obedience became a lesson for Judah. Wine symbolizes settled life, while nomads drink milk.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses the deliberate contrast: the Rechabites obeyed their dead father's command to abstain from wine even in the Temple chambers where priests were permitted to drink, exposing how inexcusable the Jews were for disobeying God's far lighter commands. Their lifelong, self-denying obedience shamed the Jews' stubborn rebellion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the Rechabites had faithfully obeyed their ancestor Jonadab's commands against wine, houses, and farming for centuries. Yet he notes their obedience was not absolute: when Nebuchadnezzar invaded, they prudently moved to Jerusalem for safety, showing they understood a human command could yield to necessity without being abandoned.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws the contrast sharply: the Rechabites obeyed their human father's commands on matters of this life alone, while Judah disobeyed God their Father in matters of eternal consequence. What God condemns is not the father's rule but the sons' disobedience—and the Rechabites' total, enduring obedience stands as a rebuke to Israel's pattern of partial, temporary loyalty.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that Jonadab's rules for the Rechabites—abstaining from wine, houses, and farming—were a deliberate strategy to preserve their nomadic simplicity and shield them from the corrupting influences of settled life. This background sharpens the contrast with Judah's disobedience to God's clearer commands.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that Jonadab’s commands against wine, houses, and farming were not arbitrary. They aimed to preserve the Rechabites’ nomadic lifestyle and shield them from the spiritual dangers of settled agriculture. The wine ban in particular was meant to prevent them from being tempted to settle down.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the stark contrast between the Rechabites' faithful obedience to their father Jonadab's centuries-old command and Judah's refusal to heed God's urgent warnings through the prophets. Their steady devotion shames a people who had every reason to obey their divine Father.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the prophecies in this book are not in chronological order; this chapter about the Rechabites actually precedes the events of the previous chapters. He explains that Jonadab, their ancestor, instructed them to live in tents and pursue a sober, laborious life to avoid provoking envy or hatred from the people among whom they sojourned.