Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 35

Introduction

Jeremiah 27-29. Certain linguistic peculiarities ( e.g. the incorrect spelling, Nebuchadnezzar) suggest that these three chapters may have circulated as a separate pamphlet, e.g. in Babylon. They deal with the rebuke of false hopes concerning a speedy return from exile.

Jeremiah 30-31. The Future of Israel and Judah.— These two chapters of prophecy, dealing with the future restoration of Israel and Judah, appear to be a later editorial insertion in the narrative scheme of Jeremiah 26-45, placed here perhaps because Jeremiah 32 and Jeremiah 33 contain narratives and prophecies dealing with the same subject ( cf. also Jeremiah 29:10 ff.). In Jeremiah 30 and Jeremiah 31, there are numerous points of contact with Deutero-Isaiah, a fact which, with other features, has suggested to many scholars an exilic or post-exilic date for much that these chapters contain. The contrast with the general “ pessimism” of earlier chapters is very noticeable. On the other hand, the internal evidence for Jeremiah 31:2-6, Jeremiah 31:15-22, Jeremiah 31:31-34 entitles us to regard these sections as Jeremianic.

Jeremiah 40-44. The next five chapters continue the biography of Jeremiah, including connected events, after the capture of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 46-51. The Foreign Prophecies.— These form the third principal division of the Book of Jeremiah. As already seen ( Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 1:10, Jeremiah 25:15), Jeremiah’ s prophetic horizon naturally included the surrounding nations; how far the prophecies that follow are his can be decided only by detailed criticism in each case. They refer, though in somewhat different order, to the several nations enumerated in Jeremiah 25:19-26 (which may be regarded as an introduction to them), except that an oracle on Damascus here replaces the reference to Tyre, Sidon, and the Mediterranean. (The LXX, which places this group of prophecies after Jeremiah 25:13, follows a third order.) It is generally admitted that the long prophecy on Babylon (Jeremiah 50 f.) is not by Jeremiah (see prefatory note). As to Jeremiah 46-49, there is considerable difference of opinion, ranging from Duhm’ s rejection of the whole, through Giesebrecht’ s acceptance of Jeremiah 47 (except towards end), with the nucleus of Jeremiah 46:2-12, Jeremiah 49:7-11, up to Cornill’ s acceptance of most of Jeremiah 46-49 (so also Peake). It is in any case natural to suppose that there are genuine prophecies by Jeremiah which underlie these chapters, though they have been worked over, or incorporated with other non-Jeremianic prophecies ( e.g. Jeremiah 48) by later writers. For details, the larger commentaries must be consulted.

Jeremiah 26-45. These chapters, usually ascribed in the main to Baruch, chiefly narrate selected incidents in the life of Jeremiah, often with connected prophecies; they form a second main section of the book, in contrast with 1– 25, which consist chiefly of prophecies, with little narrative.

Verses 1-19

Jeremiah 35. A Lesson in Obedience from the Rechabites.— These were the descendants of that Jonadab who, in 842, aided Jehu to overthrow the house of Ahab and the cult of Baal of Tyre ( 2 Kings 10:15-23 *); they were connected with the Kenites ( 1 Chronicles 2:55), from whom the worship of Yahweh may have passed to Israel ( cf. Judges 1:16). The incident here described is to be dated c. 598 ( cf. Jeremiah 35:11 with 2 Kings 24:2), i.e. after the events of Jeremiah 36.

Jeremiah 35:1-11 . Jeremiah is told to bring the family (“ house” ) of the Rechabites into one of the rooms ( cf. Jeremiah 36:12, Ezekiel 40:17, etc.) erected round the Temple courts, and to offer them wine, which he does. They reply that it is an ancestral rule with them to drink no wine, and to dwell in tents, having no share in vine-culture, agriculture, or housebuilding ( i.e. they are loyal to the nomadic tradition; the civilisation of Canaan, involving the cult of the Baalim, they regard as an influence corrupting the true worship of the desert God, Yahweh, see pp. 74, 85, 87, 2 Kings 10:15 f.*). The Rechabites explain their (exceptional) presence in Jerusalem as due to flight before the invaders.

Jeremiah 35:2 . The incident takes place in the Temple, in order to give it publicity and solemnity.

Jeremiah 35:4 . the keeper of the door: Jeremiah 52:24, where three of these high officials are named after the second priest.

Jeremiah 35:12-19 . Jeremiah proceeds to contrast the loyal obedience of the Rechabites to the commands of Jonadab with the disobedience of Judah and Jerusalem generally to the commands of Yahweh Himself, given through a line of prophets ( Jeremiah 18:11, Jeremiah 25:5 f.); hence the coming punishment. To the Rechabites is guaranteed the continuance of their line ( Jeremiah 35:19; cf. Jeremiah 33:17) as servants of Yahweh.

Jeremiah 35:14 . I is emphatic.

Jeremiah 35:19 . stand before me: see on Jeremiah 15:19.