TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
The words H1697 of Jonadab H3082 the son H1121 of Rechab H7394, that he commanded H6680 his sons H1121 not to drink H8354 wine H3196, are performed H6965; for unto this day H3117 they drink H8354 none, but obey H8085 their father's H1 commandment H4687: notwithstanding I have spoken H1696 unto you, rising early H7925 and speaking H1696; but ye hearkened H8085 not unto me.
Complete Jewish Bible
'The words of Yonadav the son of Rekhav which he ordered his offspring, not to drink wine, are obeyed; so to this day they don't drink any; because they heed their ancestor's order. But I have spoken to you, spoken frequently, and you have not listened to me.
Berean Standard Bible
The words of Jonadab son of Rechab have been carried out. He commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this very day because they have obeyed the command of their forefather. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not obeyed Me!
American Standard Version
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and unto this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment. But I have spoken unto you, rising up early and speaking; and ye have not hearkened unto me.
World English Bible Messianic
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.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The commandement of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that hee commanded his sonnes, that they should drinke no wine, is surely kept: for vnto this day they drinke none, but obey their fathers commandement: notwithstanding I haue spoken vnto you, rising earely, and speaking, but ye would not obey me.
Young's Literal Translation
Performed have been the words of Jonadab son of Rechab, when he commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk unto this day, for they have obeyed the command of their father; and I--I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, and ye have not hearkened unto Me.
In the KJVVerse 19,838 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 35:14 delivers a profound divine indictment against the people of Judah, starkly contrasting their persistent disobedience with the unwavering, generational faithfulness of the Rechabites. God highlights how the Rechabites have meticulously upheld a human command from their ancestor Jonadab to abstain from wine, demonstrating steadfast loyalty. In severe contrast, Judah has consistently ignored and rebelled against the divine commands of the Almighty, despite His diligent, repeated, and earnest appeals conveyed through His prophets. This verse serves as a powerful and poignant illustration of Judah's spiritual rebellion and the profound gravity of neglecting God's revealed will.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 35:14 is rich in literary devices that powerfully amplify its message and heighten its impact. The most prominent is Contrast, where the unwavering, generational obedience of the Rechabites to a human command is meticulously set in stark opposition to the persistent, rebellious disobedience of Judah to the divine commands of Yahweh. This contrast is designed to shame Judah and highlight the profound gravity of their spiritual negligence and covenant infidelity. Irony is also powerfully at play: a nomadic, non-Israelite clan (the Rechabites, though associated with Israel, maintained distinct customs) demonstrates greater fidelity to their ancestral law than God's chosen people, Israel, do to their sacred divine covenant. The phrase "rising early and speaking" is a potent Idiom, frequently employed in prophetic literature to vividly depict God's tireless, earnest, and proactive efforts to communicate with His people, emphasizing His immense patience and profound desire for their repentance. Furthermore, the verse employs Repetition of the concept of "obeying" or "hearkening" (using forms of shâmaʻ) to underscore the central theme of submission to authority, whether human or divine, and to highlight Judah's catastrophic failure in this regard.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 35:14 profoundly illustrates the theological principle of obedience as the absolute cornerstone of a covenant relationship with God. The Rechabites' unwavering fidelity to a human command, maintained for centuries, serves as a powerful and undeniable indictment of Judah's consistent and willful disobedience to the living God. This highlights that God's expectations for His people are not arbitrary or burdensome, but are deeply rooted in His holy character and their solemn covenant obligations. The verse also powerfully underscores God's immense patience and persistent pursuit of His people, even in their rebellion, through the diligent and tireless ministry of His prophets. Ultimately, it reveals that the issue is not God's lack of communication or His unwillingness to guide, but rather humanity's hardened hearts and their stubborn unwillingness to "hearken" to His voice, leading inevitably to just judgment.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 35:14 stands as a timeless and piercing challenge, urging every believer to deeply examine the depth and consistency of their own obedience to God. The Rechabites, by their unwavering commitment to an ancestral vow, expose the often-superficial and conditional nature of our own spiritual commitments. If a human command, passed down through generations, could elicit such profound and generational faithfulness, how much more should the divine commands of the omnipotent Creator of the universe inspire our unreserved devotion and absolute submission? This verse calls us to move beyond mere intellectual assent to God's Word and into active, consistent, and sacrificial obedience, even when it means going against prevailing cultural norms, personal preferences, or deeply ingrained habits. It serves as a sobering reminder that while God's patience is profound and His grace abounds, His call to obedience is serious, persistent, and ultimately non-negotiable. We are invited to reflect deeply on whether we are truly listening to His voice, or if, like Judah, we are selectively hearing, rationalizing, or hardening our hearts to His repeated invitations to repentance, righteousness, and abundant life. The faithfulness of the Rechabites serves not only as an inspiring example but also as a sobering mirror, prompting us to align our lives fully and unreservedly with the revealed will of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who were the Rechabites and why was their obedience so significant?
Answer: The Rechabites were a distinct, nomadic clan descended from Jonadab (also called Jehonadab), who lived centuries before Jeremiah's time. Their significance lies in their unwavering, generational obedience to a specific set of ancestral commands, which included abstaining from wine, not building houses, and living exclusively in tents. In Jeremiah 35, God uses their steadfast fidelity to a human command as a powerful object lesson and a stark contrast to the persistent disobedience of the people of Judah to God's divine commands. Their faithfulness, maintained for over 250 years, highlighted Judah's profound spiritual failure and deep-seated rebellion against the Lord.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 35:14, while a powerful indictment of Judah's profound disobedience, finds its ultimate and glorious Christ-centered fulfillment in the perfect, unblemished obedience of Jesus Christ. Unlike Judah, who "hearkened not" to God's diligent and persistent appeals, Jesus perfectly embodied the spirit of absolute obedience, declaring, "I always do what pleases him" (John 8:29). He did not merely hear God's "words" but perfectly "performed" them, even to the point of His agonizing death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Where the Rechabites obeyed a human command for generations, Christ obeyed the divine will of His Father in every single detail, fulfilling all righteousness (Matthew 3:15) and perfectly demonstrating what true covenant faithfulness looks like. His life of perfect obedience stands as the ultimate "performance" of God's will, providing the righteousness that fallen humanity so desperately lacked. Furthermore, through His atoning sacrifice and the indwelling of His Spirit, Christ enables all those who believe in Him to receive a new heart and a new spirit, empowering them to genuinely "hearken" to God's voice and walk in His statutes, thereby fulfilling the glorious promise of the New Covenant where God's law is written on their hearts and His Spirit enables their obedience (Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27). Thus, the failure of Judah highlighted in Jeremiah 35:14 points forward to the perfect obedience of Christ, which both condemns sin and provides the means for true, Spirit-empowered obedience for all who are in Him.