Jeremiah 35

Chapter 35 of Jeremiah is placed after chapter 34, which deals with the reign of Zedekiah, but it narrates events from the earlier reign of Jehoiakim. Following chapter 34's portrayal of Judah breaking its promise to free its slaves, this chapter contrasts Judah with the Rechabites, who kept their ancestor's command to the end.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 In the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, God commands Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers of the temple and give them wine to drink.
• Verses 3–5 Jeremiah brings Jaazaniah and the whole house of the Rechabites into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, sets before them bowls full of wine and cups, and urges them to drink.
• Verses 6–11 The Rechabites answer that they will not drink, because their ancestor Jonadab commanded them to drink no wine, to build no houses, to sow no seed, to have no vineyards, and to live in tents all their days. They explain that they are staying in Jerusalem only because Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and they fled from the armies of the Chaldeans and the Syrians.
• Verses 12–17 God contrasts the Rechabites, who kept a human command, with Judah, which did not listen even though He sent prophets again and again, and He pronounces disaster on Judah and Jerusalem.
• Verses 18–19 Jeremiah delivers to the Rechabites God's promise that the descendants of Jonadab shall never lack a man to stand before Him.

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 35:14 "I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me." This sentence summarizes the contrast that runs through the whole chapter.
• Jeremiah 35:19 "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." This is a rare promise of blessing given in the midst of declarations of judgment.

People and Places

• Jeremiah: Brings the Rechabites into the temple, tests them, and delivers God's word.
• Jehoiakim: The son of Josiah and the king of Judah at the time of these events. His father, Josiah, is mentioned only by name in verse 1.
• The Rechabites: A group who abstained from wine and lived in tents in obedience to Jonadab's command. 1 Chronicles 2:55 associates them with the Kenites.
• Jonadab: The son of Rechab and the ancestor of the Rechabites. He is generally identified with the Jehonadab who joined Jehu in eradicating Baal worship in 2 Kings 10.
• Jaazaniah: The grandson of Habaziniah and the representative of the Rechabites. His father, Jeremiah, is a different person from the prophet Jeremiah.
• Hanan and Maaseiah: Men named in the description of the temple chamber's location.
• Nebuchadnezzar: The king of Babylon who invaded Judah.
• Temple in Jerusalem: Called "the house of the LORD" in the text; the place where the events occur.

Points for Reflection

• The chapter's focus lies less on the Rechabites' rule of life itself than on the contrast in hearing and obedience. That God Himself had Jeremiah offer the wine also shows that the scene was a test designed to reveal the Rechabites' faithfulness. For this reason, some read the chapter as grounds for abstinence from alcohol, while others read it as a figurative scene that holds up the Rechabites, who were faithful even to a human command, as an example (see Alcohol and Tobacco).
• The text does not explain why Jonadab gave this command. Some interpret it as an effort to keep distance from the settled culture of Canaan, but this is an inference.
• Interpreters differ on whether "a man to stand before me" in verse 19 refers to service in the temple or simply to the continuation of the family line.
• The New Testament does not directly quote this chapter.