1 By the obedience of the Rechabites,
12 Jeremiah condemns the disobedience of the Jews.
18 God blesses the Rechabites for their obedience.

A.M. 3397. B.C. 607. The word. This discourse was probably delivered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign, when the king of Babylon made war against him.

in the. 1:3 22:13-19 25:1 26:1 36:1,9,29 46:2 2Ki 23:35 24:1-6 2Ch 36:5-8 Da 1:1

2 Go 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.

the house. 8 2Ki 10:15,16 1Ch 2:55

into one. 4 1Ki 6:5,6,10 1Ch 9:26 23:28 2Ch 3:9 31:11 Ezr 8:29 Ne 13:5,8,9 Eze 40:7-13,16 41:5-11 42:4-13

3 Then 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;

no reference

4 And 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:

into the chamber. 36:10-12

a man. De 33:1 Jos 14:6 1Sa 2:27 9:6-8 1Ki 12:22 13:1,26 17:18,24 1Ki 20:28 2Ki 1:9,11-13 5:14,20 6:10 7:2,17 8:2-8 23:16,17 2Ch 8:14 25:7-9 1Ti 6:11 2Ti 3:17

the princes. 26:10

the keeper. 52:24 2Ki 12:9 25:18 1Ch 9:18,19,27 2Ch 8:14 Ps 84:10

door. Heb. threshold. or vessel. Eze 43:8

5 And 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.

Drink. 2 Ec 9:7 Am 2:12 2Co 2:9

6 But 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:

Jonadab. 2Ki 10:15 1Ch 2:55

Ye shall. Jonadab, a man of fervent zeal for the pure worship of God, and who lived about three hundred years before this time, had probably practised these rules himself; and having trained up his children to habits of abstemiousness, he enjoined them and their posterity to adhere to them. In these regulations he seems to have had no religious, but merely a prudential view, as is intimated in the reason annexed to them that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. And this would be the natural consequence of observing these rules; for their temperate mode of living would very much contribute to preserve health and prolong life; and they would avoid giving umbrage, or exciting the jealousy or envy of the Jews, who might have been provoked, by their engaging an succeeding in the principal business in which they themselves were engaged, agriculture and vine-dressing to expel them their country; by which they would have been deprived of the religious advantages they enjoyed. In 1 CH 2:55, they are termed scribes, which intimates that they were engaged in some kind of literary employments.

Le 10:9 Nu 6:2-5 Jud 13:7,14 Lu 1:15 1Co 7:26-31

all. 10 Ge 25:27 Le 23:42,43 Ne 8:14-16 Heb 11:9-13 1Pe 2:11

that ye. Ge 36:7 Ex 20:12 1Ch 16:19 Ps 105:12 Eph 6:2,3

7 Neither 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.

no reference

8 Thus 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;

Pr 1:8,9 4:1,2,10 6:20 13:1 Col 3:20

9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:

7 Nu 16:14 2Ki 5:26 Ps 37:16 1Ti 6:6

10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 But 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.

when. 2Ki 24:2 Da 1:1,2

come. 4:5-7 8:14 Mr 13:14 Lu 21:20,21

12 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

no reference

13 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD.

Will. 5:3 6:8-10 9:12 32:33 Ps 32:8,9 Pr 8:10 19:20 Isa 28:9-12 Isa 42:23 Heb 12:25

14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

words. See on ver. 6-10

rising. 7:13,25 11:7 25:3,4 26:5 29:19 32:33 2Ch 36:15,16 Pr 1:20-33

by ye. 7:24,26 Ne 9:26,30 Isa 30:9 50:2

15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

I Have. Lu 10:16 1Th 4:8

return. 3:14 4:14 7:3-5 17:20-23 18:11 25:5 26:13 44:4,5 Isa 1:16-19 Eze 18:30-32 Ho 14:1-4 Zec 1:3,4 Ac 26:20

ye shall dwell. 7:5-7 17:24,25 22:4 25:5,6 De 30:20

ye have. Lu 13:34,35

16 Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me:

14 Isa 1:3 Mal 1:6 Mt 11:28-30 Lu 15:11-13,28-30

17 Therefore thus saith the LORD 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 pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.

Therefore. God having, by the conduct of the Rechabites, convicted the Jews of ingratitude and rebellion, He now proceeds to pass sentence against them.

Behold. See on ch. 11:8 15:3,4 19:7-13 21:4-10 Ge 6:17 Le 26:14 De 28:15 De 29:19-28 31:20,21 32:16-42 Jos 23:15,16 Mic 3:12

because. 7:13,26,27 26:5 32:33 Pr 1:24-31 13:13 16:2 Isa 50:2 65:12 Isa 66:4 Lu 13:34,35 Ro 10:21

18 And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:

Because. Ex 20:12 De 5:16 Eph 6:1-3

19 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

Jonadab, etc. Heb. There shall not a man be cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab to stand, etc. See on ch. 33:17 1Ch 2:55

stand. 15:19 33:17,18 Ps 5:5 Lu 21:36 Jude 24