Jeremiah 35 10

Jeremiah 35:10 kjv

But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Jeremiah 35:10 nkjv

But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Jeremiah 35:10 niv

We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us.

Jeremiah 35:10 esv

but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Jeremiah 35:10 nlt

We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor.

Jeremiah 35 verses

Jeremiah 35 10 meaning

Jeremiah 35:10 portrays the steadfast obedience of the Rechabite clan to the centuries-old commands of their ancestor, Jonadab. Despite the prophet Jeremiah's test, they reaffirm their commitment to live simply in tents, abstaining from wine, building, and farming. This verse specifically states their continuous dwelling in tents and their comprehensive obedience to Jonadab's instructions, contrasting sharply with the widespread disobedience of Judah to God's covenant commands.

Jeremiah 35 10 Context

Jeremiah 35 recounts an object lesson designed by God for the people of Judah. The prophet Jeremiah is commanded to bring the Rechabites into a room in the Temple and offer them wine. The Rechabites, however, firmly refuse, citing the long-standing command of their ancestor, Jonadab (Jehonadab), who had lived centuries before (during the time of Jehu, c. 840 BC). Jonadab had instructed his descendants not to drink wine, build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards, but to live in tents all their lives. This was a unique commitment, likely intended to preserve a nomadic, uncorrupted lifestyle, free from the entanglements and idolatry associated with settled agricultural communities in Canaan. Their strict adherence to this ancestral vow, passed down through generations, served as a powerful indictment against Judah. God then uses their unwavering obedience to a human ancestor's command to shame Judah, who consistently disobeyed the divine commands of the Almighty God, their Heavenly Father, despite God's repeated warnings and prophetic appeals.

Jeremiah 35 10 Word analysis

• But (וַנֵּשֶׁב - wanneshev): The Hebrew waw connective ("and") is here translated as "but" to mark a contrast. While Jeremiah invites them to settle down and drink wine, their response asserts the continuity of their current, commanded lifestyle, creating a stark difference between the presented option and their lived reality.

• we have lived (נָשַׁב - nashav): A form of "to sit, dwell, inhabit." The use of the imperfect (which functions here with waw consecutive as a perfective in a past narrative sequence) implies a continuous, sustained action over time, highlighting their long-standing commitment.

• in tents (בָּאֳהָלִים - ba'ohalim): Hebrew bā (in) + ohalim (tents, plural of אֹהֶל - ohel). Living in tents was not merely a dwelling choice; it was central to their identity and an active rejection of settled, land-based culture often associated with idolatry and materialism in ancient Israel. It symbolized separation, simplicity, and reliance, reflecting a commitment to their ancestral distinctiveness.

• and have obeyed (וַנִּשְׁמַע - wannishma): Hebrew waw + shama ("to hear, listen, obey"). This verb signifies not just hearing the command but actively heeding it, demonstrating volitional submission to Jonadab's words.

• and done (וַנַּעַשׂ - wannaaś): Hebrew waw + asa ("to do, make, perform"). This goes beyond mental assent or passive hearing; it highlights their active execution and implementation of the command in their daily lives, manifesting their obedience through tangible actions.

• everything (לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר - lekhol asher): "According to all that which." This emphasizes the completeness and comprehensiveness of their obedience, implying no partiality or selective adherence. They fulfilled the entirety of the instructions.

• Jonadab our father (יְהוֹנָדָב אָבִינוּ - Yehonadav avinu): Yehonadav (meaning "Yahweh is noble" or "Yahweh is willing") refers to the progenitor of the clan (2 Kgs 10:15). "Our father" (avinu) highlights the deep reverence, authority, and ancestral link, which they held as foundational to their identity and tradition. His command carried the weight of a covenant for them.

• commanded us (צִוָּנוּ - tsivvanu): Hebrew tsavah ("to command, appoint, order"). This term denotes a definitive and authoritative instruction. For the Rechabites, Jonadab's directives were not suggestions but binding mandates, equivalent to law for their clan.

• "we have lived in tents and have obeyed": This phrase highlights a two-fold aspect of their faithfulness: the consistent practice of a particular lifestyle (dwelling in tents) and the active, responsive listening to a specific command. It signifies an embodied obedience.

• "have obeyed and done everything that Jonadab our father commanded us": This group of words encapsulates the essence of their disciplined fidelity. It indicates that their obedience was not superficial; it was thorough, extending to "everything" Jonadab instructed, demonstrating perfect alignment of hearing and action with their ancestral authority.

Jeremiah 35 10 Bonus section

The Rechabites' dedication might have been a means to preserve an ancient, 'purer' nomadic ideal, perhaps harking back to Israel's wilderness experience where their identity was strongly tied to God alone, without the temptations of settled agricultural life associated with Canaanite fertility cults. Their refusal of wine specifically could also echo the Nazarite vow, indicating a desire for distinct consecration and separation, making their lifestyle a form of protest against the moral and religious decline of their contemporaries. Their example teaches that authentic devotion is demonstrated through sustained obedience to an acknowledged authority, foreshadowing the Christian call to be in the world but not of the world, prioritizing spiritual purity and adherence to Christ's commands over cultural conformity.

Jeremiah 35 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 35:10 serves as a powerful biblical illustration of faithful adherence to a generational command. The Rechabites, a small and distinct group, were committed to a life of simplicity, rejecting the settled, agrarian, and often idolatrous customs prevalent in Judah. Their ancestor Jonadab had prescribed a way of life centuries earlier, focusing on not owning land, not planting vineyards, not building houses, and abstaining from wine—all symbolized by their consistent dwelling in tents.

This verse specifically showcases their unwavering fidelity to these commands. They had not only heard but actively "obeyed and done everything" Jonadab commanded. Their lifestyle was an active counter-culture to the material pursuits and compromised faith of Judah. God highlights this profound, unbroken chain of obedience from a human "father" to indict the chosen people of Judah for their abject failure to obey their divine "Father" and Creator, despite having explicit divine laws and numerous prophets like Jeremiah. The Rechabites, through their simple yet resolute faith, offered a living example of what loyal obedience looks like, emphasizing that faithfulness is indeed possible even amidst a compromising society. This acts as a perpetual call for believers to cultivate consistent obedience, not merely in grand declarations but in daily life, demonstrating their fidelity to God's word above all else.