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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 35:1-11

This chapter is of an earlier date than many of those before; for what is contained in it was said and done in the days of Jehoiakim (Jer. 35:1); but then it must be in the latter part of his reign, for it was after the king of Babylon with his army came up into the land (Jer. 35:11), which seems to refer to the invasion mentioned 2 Kgs. 24:2; which was upon occasion of Jehoiakim's rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar. After the judgments of God had broken in upon this rebellious people he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:1

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord ,.... Not as following the former prophecies; for they must be delivered seventeen years after this. The prophecies of Jeremiah are not put together in their proper time in which they were delivered. The preceding prophecies were delivered in the "tenth" and "eleventh" years of Zedekiah's reign: but this in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah ; in what part of his reign is not certain; but it must be after Nebuchadnezzar... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:2

Go unto the house of the Rechabites ,.... Or "family" F3 אל בית "ad familiam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; these are the same with the Kenites, who descended from Hobab or Jethro, Moses's father in law, Judges 1:16 ; these, as their ancestors, became proselytes to Israel, and always continued with them, though a distinct people from them; these here had their name from Rechab, a famous man in his time among those people: and speak unto them, and bring them into the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:3

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah ,.... Who was, no doubt, the most famous and leading man in this family: and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites ; the several branches of the family, especially the males; the women perhaps only excepted; whom it might not be so decent to gather together on such an occasion, to drink wine; or at least offer it to them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:4

And I brought them into the house of the Lord ,.... Into the temple, as he was ordered; that is, he invited them thither, and they came along with him, having, no doubt, a respect for him as a prophet; and the rather, as it is highly probable he came in the name of the Lord to them: into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God ; a prophet, as the Targum and Syriac version; and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it. This must be understood of Hanan, and not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:5

And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups ,.... Which the prophet might have out of the chambers where these vessels were, and particularly from Maaseiah, if he was a keeper of them, as before observed. The number of men gathered together was probably very large; and therefore pots, or large vessels of wine, were prepared, and set before them, and cups, lesser vessels, to drink out of: and I said unto them, drink ye wine ; he invited them to it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:6

But they said, we will drink no wine ,.... Or "we do not drink wine" F5 לא נשתה יין "non hibimus vinum", Vatablus, Schmidt. ; we are not used to it; we never do drink any; it is not lawful for us to do it; nor will we, let who will solicit us: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father ; not their immediate father, but their progenitor; perhaps the same Jonadab is meant who lived in the times of Jehu, and rode with him in his chariot; by which it appears he was a man of note... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:7

Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard , nor have any ,.... That is, they were not to build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards, for themselves, for their own profit and advantage; nor possess either of these through purchase or gift: all this was enjoined them, partly because they were strangers in the land of Israel, as is suggested in the latter part of the verse, and so were to have no inheritance in it; and partly because the pastoral life was what their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:8

Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father ,.... The above was the charge he gave them; and this, in every article of it, they had carefully and constantly kept, though it had been for the space of three hundred years, or thereabout; as follows: in all he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters ; which was the first of the precepts he gave them: and which they were now tempted to disregard, but were resolved to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 35:9

Nor build houses for us to dwell in ,.... This explains that part of the charge more fully, which respects building of houses; which did not restrain them from building houses for others, if any of them were masters of that art; which is not very likely, since they were wholly brought up in the field as shepherds; but it forbad them building any for themselves, and making use of them by dwelling in them: neither have we vineyard, nor field, or seed ; any piece of ground planted with... read more

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