Jeremiah 35:13
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD.
Original Language Analysis
כֹּֽה
H3541
כֹּֽה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
1 of 20
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָֽה׃
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָֽה׃
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 20
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
צְבָאוֹת֙
of hosts
H6635
צְבָאוֹת֙
of hosts
Strong's:
H6635
Word #:
4 of 20
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
the God
H430
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
the God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
5 of 20
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 20
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
הָלֹ֤ךְ
Go
H1980
הָלֹ֤ךְ
Go
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
7 of 20
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
לְאִ֣ישׁ
the men
H376
לְאִ֣ישׁ
the men
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
9 of 20
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
10 of 20
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבֵ֖י
and the inhabitants
H3427
וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבֵ֖י
and the inhabitants
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
11 of 20
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
of Jerusalem
H3389
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
of Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
12 of 20
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
הֲל֨וֹא
H3808
הֲל֨וֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
13 of 20
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
תִקְח֥וּ
Will ye not receive
H3947
תִקְח֥וּ
Will ye not receive
Strong's:
H3947
Word #:
14 of 20
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
מוּסָ֛ר
instruction
H4148
מוּסָ֛ר
instruction
Strong's:
H4148
Word #:
15 of 20
properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint
לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ
to hearken
H8085
לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ
to hearken
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
16 of 20
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
Cross References
Jeremiah 32:33And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.Jeremiah 5:3O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Historical Context
Jeremiah's ministry (627-586 BC) spanned the reigns of Judah's last five kings, a period of terminal apostasy. Despite forty years of preaching, multiple prophetic signs, and now the Rechabite object lesson, Judah refused instruction. This verse captures the pathos of God's persistent appeals to a people determined to self-destruct.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'instruction' (musar) is God offering you through current circumstances or biblical truth that you're refusing to receive?
- How does the Rechabites' example function as a mirror exposing areas where your obedience falls short of even non-Israelites' faithfulness?
- Why do religious people (like Judah) often resist instruction more stubbornly than irreligious people, having more knowledge but less obedience?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? (הֲלוֹא תִקְחוּ מוּסָר לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־דְּבָרָי halo tiqchu musar lishmo'a el-d'varai)—The rhetorical question drips with divine exasperation. Musar (instruction/discipline) appears throughout Proverbs as wisdom's corrective teaching. Hearken (שָׁמַע shama') again emphasizes obedient hearing, not mere auditory reception.
Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—The prophetic commission targets both political leadership ('men of Judah') and general population ('inhabitants of Jerusalem'). God commands Jeremiah to use the Rechabites as a sermon illustration, turning their living obedience into a mirror reflecting Judah's spiritual bankruptcy. The question isn't whether Judah CAN learn from the Rechabites, but whether they WILL—the tragedy being that God knows the answer (v. 17).