Bible Strands
Jeremiah 35:8
And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Rechabites report to Jeremiah and the Judahite leadership, confirming their multi-generational compliance with Jonadab’s ancestral restrictions. Their statement functions as a concrete counterexample to the nation’s failure to heed prophetic warning.
The words — The passage centers on וַ/נִּשְמַ֗ע (va./nish.ma') = "and we have listened" and בְּ/ק֨וֹל (be./kol) = "to the voice of," framing obedience as active auditory reception rather than passive agreement.
The thread — This motif of heeding paternal instruction recurs in Proverbs 1:8 and Proverbs 4:1, where listening to a father’s teaching is linked to gaining understanding. The New Testament applies the same structural principle in Colossians 3:20, tying obedience to parental authority directly to divine approval.
Why it lands — The text demands measurable compliance with explicit commands, leaving no room for selective adherence or cultural compromise. It requires the reader to evaluate faithfulness by concrete actions rather than stated intentions.
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
King James Version
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;
Cross-references
- Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- Proverbs 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
- Proverbs 4:1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
- Proverbs 4:10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
- Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
- Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.