Jeremiah Chapter 35

“The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, etc.] Not as following the former prophecies; for they must be delivered seventeen years after this. The prophecies of Jeremiah are not put together in their proper time in which they were delivered. The preceding prophecies were delivered in the “tenth” and “eleventh” years of Zedekiah’s reign: but this in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; in what part of his reign is not certain; but it must be after Nebuchadnezzar had invaded the land, (<243511>Jeremiah 35:11); very probably in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, after he had been the king of…”

“PROPHECY IN THE REIGN OF JEHOIAKIM, WHEN THE CHALDEANS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SYRIANS AND MOABITES, INVADED JUDEA. (Jer. 35:1-19) Rechabites--a nomadic tribe belonging to the Kenites of Hemath (Ch1 2:55), of the family of Jethro, or Hobab, Moses' father-in-law (Exo 18:9, &c.; Num 10:29-32; Jdg 1:16). They came into Canaan with the Israelites, but, in order to preserve their independence, chose a life in tents without a fixed habitation (Sa1 15:6). Besides the branch of them associated with Judah and extending to Amalek, there was another section at Kadesh, in Naphtali (Jdg 4:11, Jdg 4:17). They seem to have…”

“The house - The family. The Rechabites - The Rechabites were a nomadic tribe not of Jewish but of Kenite race, and connected with the Amalekites Numbers 24:21; 1 Samuel 15:6, from whom however they had separated themselves, and made a close alliance with the tribe of Judah Judges 1:16, on whose southern borders they took up their dwelling 1 Samuel 27:10. While, however, the main body of the Kenites gradually adopted settled habits, and dwelt in cities 1 Samuel 30:29, the Rechabites persisted in leading the free desert life, and in this determination they were finally confirmed by the influence and authority of…”

“The word - This is another evidence that the prophecies of this book are not left us in that order wherein they were delivered; for those which we had in the two or three foregoing chapters being in the time of Zedekiah, must needs be ten or eleven years after this. Jeremiah 35:2”

“35:1–36:32 These two chapters look back two decades to the time when Jehoiakim was on the throne. 35:1-19 The Recabites’ obedience to their ancestor contrasted sharply with the Israelites’ rebellion against the Lord their God. 35:1 This incident took place during Jehoiakim’s reign, when the Babylonian army first attacked Jerusalem (605 BC; see 35:11).”

“am 3397, bc 607 The word: This discourse was probably delivered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign, when the king of Babylon made war against him. in the: Jer 1:3, Jer 22:13-19, Jer 25:1, Jer 26:1, Jer 36:1, Jer 36:9, Jer 36:29, Jer 46:2; Kg2 23:35, Kg2 24:1-6; Ch2 36:5-8; Dan 1:1 Jeremiah 35:2”

“Jeremiah's dealings with the Rechabites - Jer 35:2. Jeremiah is to go to the house, i.e., the family, of the Rechabites, speak with them, and bring them into tone of the chambers of the temple, and set before them wine to drink. בּית , Jer 35:2, Jer 35:3, Jer 35:18, is exchanged for בּני בית־הרכבים, Jer 35:5, from which it is apparent that "the house of the Rechabites" does not mean their dwelling-place, but the family, called in Ch1 2:55 בּית־רכב. According to this passage, the Rechabites were a branch of the Kenites, i.e., descendants of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses ( Jdg 1:16), who had gone to Canaan…”