Jeremiah 35:18

Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have kept all his commandments and have done all that he charged you to do,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses the Rechabites, delivering a divine declaration from Yahweh of Hosts immediately after pronouncing judgment on Judah for ignoring His repeated warnings.

The words — כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-'amar) means "thus says," a standard prophetic formula marking divine origin, while וּלְבֵית הָרֵכָבִים (u./le./Veit ha./re.kha.Vim) literally identifies the audience as the house of the Rechabites.

The thread — The principle of obedience to ancestral instruction parallels the parental honor commands in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16, and is later referenced in Ephesians 6:1 regarding children obeying parents.

Why it lands — The text records that the Rechabites' strict compliance with Jonadab's commands stands as a concrete counterpoint to Judah's disobedience, requiring the reader to confront their own failure to follow explicit divine instruction.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּלְבֵ֨יתu./le./Veitand/ to/ [the] house of הָרֵכָבִ֜יםha./re.kha.Vimthe/ Rechabites אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe said יִרְמְיָ֗הוּyir.me.Ya.huJeremiah כֹּֽה־koh-thus אָמַ֞ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahweh צְבָאוֹת֙tze.va.'Otof hosts אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael יַ֚עַןYa.'anbecause אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat שְׁמַעְתֶּ֔םshe.ma'.Temyou have listened עַל־'al-to מִצְוַ֖תmitz.Vat[the] commandment of יְהוֹנָדָ֣בye.ho.na.DavJonadab אֲבִיכֶ֑ם'a.vi./Khemancestor/ your וַֽתִּשְׁמְרוּ֙va./tish.me.Ruand/ you have kept אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all מִצְוֹתָ֔יוmitz.vo.Ta/vcommandments/ his וַֽתַּעֲשׂ֔וּva./ta.'a.Suand/ you have done כְּכֹ֥לke./Kholaccording to/ all אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-that צִוָּ֖הtzi.Vahhe commanded אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ס'et./Khem<obj.>/ you

King James Version

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:

Cross-references

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

People named

JeremiahJonadab