Jeremiah 35:10
But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
Original Language Analysis
וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב
But we have dwelt in
H3427
וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב
But we have dwelt in
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
1 of 9
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
וַנִּשְׁמַ֣ע
and have obeyed
H8085
וַנִּשְׁמַ֣ע
and have obeyed
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
3 of 9
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
וַנַּ֔עַשׂ
and done
H6213
וַנַּ֔עַשׂ
and done
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
4 of 9
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
כְּכֹ֥ל
H3605
כְּכֹ֥ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
5 of 9
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
6 of 9
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
Historical Context
Jeremiah uses the Rechabites as a living object lesson during the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC), when covenant unfaithfulness reached its apex. The same generation that burned Jeremiah's scroll (chapter 36) witnessed the Rechabites' unyielding fidelity—a damning contrast that intensified Judah's guilt.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you obey God selectively (choosing comfortable commands while ignoring costly ones), or comprehensively like the Rechabites who kept 'all' of Jonadab's commands?
- What does your level of obedience to Scripture reveal about whether you truly believe God is alive and speaking, or merely a historical religious figure?
- How does the Rechabites' tent-dwelling embody the New Testament call to 'seek those things which are above' (Colossians 3:1-2) rather than earthly security?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
But we have dwelt in tents (בָּאֳהָלִים יָשַׁבְנוּ ba'ohalim yashavnu)—The verb יָשַׁב (yashav, to dwell/sit) paradoxically describes stable habitation in unstable structures. And have obeyed, and done according to all (וַנִּשְׁמַע וַנַּעַשׂ vanishma' vana'as)—This dual formula ('we obeyed and we did') echoes Israel's covenant response at Sinai: na'aseh v'nishma ("we will do and we will hear," Exodus 24:7), which Israel broke but the Rechabites kept.
The comprehensive obedience—according to ALL that Jonadab our father commanded—tolerates no selective compliance, no interpretive loopholes, no situational ethics. This wholehearted submission to ancestral authority becomes the standard by which God judges Judah's half-hearted covenant compliance. If Rechabites obey a dead ancestor completely, how inexcusable is Judah's disobedience to the living God who speaks continually through prophets?