TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
Complete Jewish Bible
"ADONAI-Tzva'ot the God of Isra'el says to go to the men of Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and say: 'Won't you ever learn to listen to my words?' says ADONAI.
Berean Standard Bible
“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: ‘Will you not accept discipline and obey My words?’ declares the LORD.
American Standard Version
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Go, and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith Jehovah.
World English Bible Messianic
Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: 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.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Goe, and tell the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, Will ye not receiue doctrine to obey my wordes, saith the Lord?
Young's Literal Translation
`Go, and thou hast said to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Do ye not receive instruction? --to hearken unto My words--an affirmation of Jehovah.
In the KJVVerse 19,837 of 31,102
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Commentary on Jeremiah 35 verses 12–19
12 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
The trial of the Rechabites' constancy was intended but for a sign; now here we have the application of it.
I. The Rechabites' observance of their father's charge to them is made use of as an aggravation of the disobedience of the Jews to God. Let them see it and be ashamed. The prophet asks them, in God's name, "Will you not at length receive instruction? Jer 35:13. Will nothing affect you? Will nothing fasten upon you? Will nothing prevail to discover sin and duty to you? You see how obedient the Rechabites are to their father's commandment (Jer 35:14); but you have not inclined your ear to me" (Jer 35:15), though one might much more reasonably expect that the people of God should have obeyed him than that the sons of Jonadab should have obeyed him; and the aggravation is very high, for, 1. The Rechabites were obedient to one who was but a man like themselves, who had but the wisdom and power of a man, and was only the father of their flesh; but the Jews were disobedient to an infinite and eternal God, who had an absolute authority over them, as the Father of their spirits. 2. Jonadab was long since dead, and was ignorant of them, and could neither take cognizance of their disobedience to his orders nor give correction for it; but God lives for ever, to see how his laws are observed, and is in a readiness to revenge all disobedience. 3. The Rechabites were never put in mind of their obligations to their father; but God often sent his prophets to his people, to put them in mind of their duty to him, and yet they would not do it. This is insisted on here as a great aggravation of their disobedience: "I have myself spoken to you, rising early and speaking by the written word and the dictates and admonitions of conscience (Jer 35:14); nay, I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, men like yourselves, whose terrors shall not make you afraid, rising up early and sending them (Jer 35:15), and yet all in vain." 4. Jonadab never did that for his seed which God had done for his people. He left them a charge, but left them no estate to bear the charge; but God had given his people a good land, and promised them that, if they would be obedient, they should still dwell in it, so that they were bound both in gratitude and interest to be obedient, and yet they would not hear, they would not hearken. 5. God did not tie up his people to so much hardship, and to such instances of mortification, as Jonadab obliged his seed to; and yet Jonadab's orders were obeyed and God's were not.
II. Judgments are threatened, as often before, against Judah and Jerusalem, for their disobedience thus aggravated. The Rechabites shall rise up in judgment against them, and shall condemn them; for they very punctually performed the commandment of their father, and continued and persevered in their obedience to it (Jer 35:16); but this people, this rebellious and gainsaying people, have not hearkened unto me; and therefore (Jer 35:17), because they have not obeyed the precepts of the word, God will perform the threatenings of it: "I will bring upon them, by the Chaldean army, all the evil pronounced against them both in the law and in the prophets, for I have spoken to them, I have called to them - spoken in a still small voice to those that were near and called aloud to those that were at a distance, tried all ways and means to convince and reduce them - spoken by my word, called by my providence, both to the same purport, and yet all to no purpose; they have not heard nor answered."
III. Mercy is here promised to the family of the Rechabites for their steady and unanimous adherence to the laws of their house. Though it was only for the shaming of Israel that their constancy was tried, yet, being unshaken, it was found unto praise, and honour, and glory; and God takes occasion from it to tell them that he had favours in reserve for them (Jer 35:18, Jer 35:19) and that they should have the comfort of them. 1. That the family shall continue as long as any of the families of Israel, among whom they were strangers and sojourners. it shall never want a man to inherit what they had, though they had no inheritance to leave. Note, Sometimes those that have the smallest estates have the most numerous progeny; but he that sends mouths will be sure to send meat. 2. That religion shall continue in the family: "He shall not want a man to stand before me, to serve me." Though they are neither priests nor levites, nor appear to have had any post in the temple service, yet in a constant course of regular devotion, they stand before God, to minister to him. Note, (1.) The greatest blessing that can be entailed upon a family is to have the worship of God kept up in it from generation to generation. (2.) Temperance, self-denial, and mortification to the world, do very much befriend the exercises of piety, and help to transmit the observance of them to posterity. The more dead we are to the delights of sense the better we are disposed for the service of God; but nothing is more fatal to the entail of religion in a family than pride and luxury.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–19. Public domain.
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IrenaeusAD 202
AGAINST HERESIES 4:36.5
The Lord clearly shows all that there is one King and Lord, the Father of all, of whom he had previously said, “Neither will you swear by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.” He had from the beginning prepared the marriage for his Son and used, with the utmost kindness, to call, by the instrumentality of his servants, the people of the former dispensation to the wedding feast. When they would not obey, he still invited them by sending out other servants. Yet even then they did not obey him but even stoned and killed those who brought them the message of invitation. He accordingly sent forth his armies and destroyed them and burned down their city. But he called together from all the highways, that is, from all nations, guests to the marriage feast of his Son, as also he says by Jeremiah: “I have sent also to you my servants the prophets to say, Return now, everyone, from his very evil way, and amend your doings.” And again he says by the same prophet: “I have also sent to you my servants the prophets throughout the day and before the light. Yet they did not obey me or incline their ears to me. And you shall speak this word to them: This is a people that does not obey the voice of the Lord or receive correction. Faith has perished from their mouth.” The Lord, therefore, who has called us everywhere by the apostles, is he who called those of old by the prophets, as appears by the words of the Lord. Although they preached to various nations, the prophets were not from one God and the apostles from another, but, proceeding from one and the same, some of them announced the Lord, others preached the Father. Others again foretold the advent of the Son of God, while yet others declared him as already present to those who then were far off.
JeromeAD 420
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN
[Daniel 7:1] "In the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel beheld a dream. And a vision of his head upon his bed. And when he wrote the dream down, he comprehended it in a few words and gave a brief summary of it, saying..." This section which we now undertake to explain, and also the subsequent section which we are going to discuss, is historically prior to the two previous sections. For this present section and that which follows it are recorded to have taken place in the first and third years of the reign of King Belshazzar (Jeremiah 39) [Jerome's citation of Jeremiah 39 seems quite pointless in this connection]. But the section which we read previously to the one just preceding this, is recorded to have taken place in the last year, indeed on the final day, of Belshaz-zar's reign. And we meet this phenomenon not only in Daniel but also in Jeremiah [cf. Jeremiah 35 and Jeremiah 34] and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 17), as we shall be able to show, if life spares us that long. But in the earlier portion of the book, the historical order has been followed, namely the events which occurred in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar, and Darius or Cyrus. But in the passages now before us an account is given of various visions which were beheld on particular occasions and of which only the prophet himself was aware, and which therefore lacked any importance as signs or revelations so far as the barbarian nations were concerned. But they were written down only that a record of the things beheld might be preserved for posterity.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
ON JEREMIAH 7:35.6-7
Two things are worth marveling at: the law given by the father and the obedience rendered by the children and descendants. For they loved a life free from care and possessions and—what is most unexpected—put little stock in their property, even though they had children, because they made themselves dependent on the divine hope as far as they were concerned. But if these people embraced the consummate philosophy during the time of the law (which had no perfection because of the weakness of those who were given the law), what sort of people would they have been if they had heard the law of the gospel? But the God of all commands the prophet to tell all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “These people refuse to drink wine because they keep the commandment of their father, but you do not conduct yourselves according to my laws, although you receive the teachings of the prophets day and night. For this reason, I will bring on you all kinds of calamities, but the best of good things are promised to the offspring of Rechab, who keep the command of their father.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 35:13 delivers a profound divine indictment against the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, sharply contrasting their persistent spiritual disobedience with the unwavering generational fidelity of the nomadic Rechabites. Through the prophet Jeremiah, the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, poses a poignant rhetorical question designed to expose the depth of His covenant people's spiritual failure: if a human clan can maintain absolute allegiance to an ancestral command for centuries, why can God's own chosen nation not receive His instruction and genuinely hearken to His divine words? This verse serves as a powerful call to accountability, a lament over Israel's stubbornness, and a stark reminder of the consequences of rejecting divine appeals.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Jeremiah 35:13 functions as the climactic divine pronouncement following an elaborate object lesson orchestrated by God in Jeremiah chapter 35. The preceding verses meticulously detail God's command to Jeremiah: to bring the Rechabite family into a temple chamber and offer them wine. The Rechabites, descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab (whose loyalty was noted centuries earlier in 2 Kings 10:15-23), steadfastly refuse the wine. They explain their ancestral vow to abstain from wine, live in tents, and refrain from planting vineyards or owning land—a vow they had meticulously kept for generations. Their unwavering adherence to this human command provides the immediate, compelling backdrop for God's rhetorical question in verse 13, which serves as a devastating rebuke to Judah's consistent and willful failure to obey His divine commands. The chapter concludes with God's promise of enduring blessing upon the Rechabites for their exemplary obedience and a severe pronouncement of judgment upon Judah for their profound disobedience.
Historical & Cultural Context: This prophetic utterance is situated within the tumultuous reign of King Jehoiakim (c. 609-598 BC), a period characterized by profound spiritual apostasy, political intrigue, and the looming threat of Babylonian invasion. Judah found itself precariously positioned between the geopolitical ambitions of the nascent Babylonian Empire and the declining power of Egypt. Culturally, the nation had largely abandoned the covenant stipulations of the Mosaic Law, engaging in widespread idolatry, social injustice, and syncretistic worship practices, despite the relentless warnings of prophets like Jeremiah. The Rechabites, in stark contrast, represented an ancient, counter-cultural commitment to a simple, ascetic, and nomadic lifestyle. Their deliberate rejection of settled, agricultural practices was a conscious effort to avoid the temptations of wealth, land ownership, and the idolatry often associated with Canaanite agricultural deities. Their distinct way of life, rooted in a vow of separation and purity, made them a uniquely powerful and tangible example of unwavering commitment in a society rife with spiritual compromise and covenant unfaithfulness.
Key Themes: The overarching theme powerfully underscored by this verse and the surrounding narrative is the critical importance of Obedience to God's Word. The unyielding fidelity of the Rechabites to a human command serves as a stark and shaming contrast to Judah's profound and persistent disregard for the divine commands of the Almighty. This dramatic juxtaposition highlights the pervasive theme of Covenant Faithfulness and Unfaithfulness, illustrating how God's chosen covenant people, Israel, repeatedly violated their sacred vows, while a seemingly peripheral group demonstrated exemplary loyalty. Furthermore, the verse profoundly reveals God's Divine Patience and Persistent Warning, as He continues to send His prophets and provide vivid object lessons, even when judgment is imminent, consistently offering opportunities for repentance and return (as seen throughout the book, for example, in Jeremiah 7:25-26). The majestic title "LORD of hosts, the God of Israel" also powerfully asserts God's Sovereignty and Authority, reminding Judah of the immense weight, gravity, and unchallengeable nature of His instruction and their covenant obligations.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 35:13 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its divine message with maximum impact. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, "Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words?" This question is not posed to solicit information but to make a forceful, condemning assertion and to shame the audience by highlighting their obvious, inexcusable, and illogical failure. It underscores the profound absurdity of their disobedience when viewed against the backdrop of the Rechabites' unwavering fidelity. This leads directly to the powerful use of Contrast, where the unwavering obedience of the Rechabites to a human command (as detailed in the broader narrative of Jeremiah 35) is set in stark opposition to the persistent, willful disobedience of God's covenant people to His divine commands. This contrast serves as a devastating indictment, amplifying Judah's culpability. The verse also prominently features Divine Oracle, signaled by the repetitive and authoritative phrases "Thus saith the LORD of hosts" and "saith the LORD." These formulaic expressions lend immense authority, solemnity, and finality to the pronouncement, emphasizing that this is not merely Jeremiah's human observation or opinion, but the direct, unalterable word of the sovereign God Himself.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 35:13 profoundly highlights the persistent tension between divine command and human will, a central theological theme woven throughout biblical history. God, in His sovereign authority and unwavering covenant faithfulness, continually calls His people to a life of responsive obedience, which is framed as "receiving instruction" and "hearkening to His words." This divine call is not an arbitrary demand but an invitation to life, flourishing, and true shalom within the covenant relationship. Judah's stubborn refusal to obey reveals a deeper spiritual malady: a hardened heart that consistently prioritizes self-will, idolatry, and worldly alliances over divine wisdom and covenant loyalty. The verse underscores that true faith is intrinsically demonstrated through responsive obedience, not merely through ritualistic adherence, intellectual assent, or superficial religious practice. It also implicitly foreshadows the dire need for a new covenant, one where God's law is not merely an external code but is internally written on the heart, enabling genuine and lasting obedience that Israel, in its fallen state, was unable to maintain.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 35:13 serves as a timeless and convicting mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to honestly and humbly assess the depth of our own obedience to God's revealed Word. In a world saturated with a cacophony of competing voices, ideologies, and demands, are we truly "receiving instruction" from the Lord—allowing His truth to penetrate our hearts, challenge our assumptions, and transform our lives—or are we more readily swayed by cultural norms, personal preferences, the latest trends, or even well-intentioned human traditions? The steadfastness of the Rechabites, though directed by a human command, stands as a powerful and convicting reminder that consistent, intentional, and generational obedience to a perceived authority is both possible and profoundly honored by God. This verse calls us to move beyond a mere intellectual understanding of Scripture to a place of active, responsive "hearkening," where our lives are genuinely shaped and directed by divine wisdom. It prompts us to critically examine if there are areas in our lives where we exhibit greater diligence in following human expectations or self-imposed rules than we do in submitting to God's clear, divine imperatives, urging us to re-prioritize God's voice and His Word above all others.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who were the Rechabites, and why are they significant in Jeremiah 35?
Answer: The Rechabites were a distinct, non-Israelite nomadic clan, descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab, who lived centuries before the prophet Jeremiah. They were renowned for their unwavering and generational adherence to an ancestral vow that strictly prohibited them from drinking wine, building houses, planting vineyards, or owning land, committing them to a simple, tent-dwelling existence. In Jeremiah chapter 35, God strategically uses their exemplary, unwavering obedience to a human command as a powerful object lesson. Their remarkable fidelity stands in stark and shaming contrast to the persistent disobedience and profound covenant unfaithfulness of the people of Judah and Jerusalem, highlighting Judah's inexcusable failure to obey the commands of the Almighty God Himself, despite His repeated warnings and appeals.
What does the title "LORD of hosts, the God of Israel" signify in this verse?
Answer: This composite divine title, "LORD of hosts (YHWH Sabaoth), the God of Israel," carries immense theological weight and significance. "LORD of hosts" emphasizes God's supreme sovereignty, omnipotence, and His command over all heavenly armies and creation. It underscores His absolute authority and the undeniable, unchallengeable weight of His words and decrees. "The God of Israel" simultaneously highlights His unique, intimate, and covenantal relationship with Israel, reminding them of His faithfulness to them as His chosen people and their corresponding, solemn obligation to Him. Together, these majestic titles magnify the gravity and solemnity of the divine message conveyed in Jeremiah 35:13, underscoring that the instruction and rebuke come from the all-powerful, covenant-keeping, and righteous God of their nation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 35:13, with its poignant lament over Israel's persistent failure to "receive instruction to hearken to my words," finds its ultimate and glorious Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and perfect work of Jesus. While Old Testament Israel consistently stumbled and failed to obey God's commands, Jesus perfectly embodied, fulfilled, and exemplified divine instruction. He is the very Word of God made flesh, the complete embodiment of God's will, wisdom, and truth. Unlike Israel, who stubbornly refused to listen and obey, Jesus perfectly "hearkened" to His Father, declaring with absolute fidelity, "I always do what pleases him." His perfect, unwavering obedience, even to the point of sacrificial death on the cross (Philippians 2:8), stands in stark and redemptive contrast to humanity's pervasive rebellion and disobedience. Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant promised by Jeremiah, where God's law is no longer merely an external set of commands but is inwardly written on the hearts of believers by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:10). Thus, what Israel could not achieve by human effort—consistent and heartfelt obedience—is now made supernaturally possible for all who are united with Christ, as they are empowered by His Spirit to truly "receive instruction" and "hearken to His words," not out of legalistic compulsion, but out of a transformed heart of love, gratitude, and devotion for their Savior.