Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.

JEREMIAH 35:2KJV
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Jeremiah 35:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 35:2 mean?

Jeremiah 35:2 describes God telling the prophet Jeremiah to visit the Rechabite family, speak to them, bring them into a special room in the temple, and offer them wine to drink. This is an instruction for a specific action that sets up a lesson or demonstration involving the Rechabites’ response.

In this verse, God is giving Jeremiah a task as part of a larger message for the people of Judah. The Rechabites were a group known for their strict lifestyle, especially their refusal to drink wine. By bringing them into the temple and offering them wine, Jeremiah is setting the stage for a contrast between the obedience of the Rechabites and the disobedience of the rest of Judah, which will be explained in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 35:2

  • "Go" (הָלַךְ, halakh): This word means to go, walk, or travel. Here, it shows that Jeremiah is being sent on a purposeful mission, not just a casual visit.
  • "House" (בַּיִת, bayit): Used twice, this word refers first to the family or clan of the Rechabites and then to the temple, called "the house of the LORD." The repetition highlights the movement from a private family setting to the public, sacred space of the temple.
  • "Rechabites" (רֵכָבִי, Rekhavi): This identifies a specific group with a unique tradition, which becomes important for the lesson God is about to teach.
  • "Chambers" (לִשְׁכָּה, lishkah): This refers to a room or chamber within the temple complex, suggesting a private or designated space for this encounter, not just any public area.
  • "Wine" (יַיִן, yayin): The offering of wine is central to the test of the Rechabites’ faithfulness to their ancestor’s command.

Why Jeremiah 35:2 matters

  • Jeremiah 35:2 sets up a real-life example that God will use to teach a lesson about faithfulness and obedience, contrasting the Rechabites with the people of Judah.
  • The verse shows that God sometimes uses unusual or dramatic actions—like bringing a group into the temple and offering them wine—to make a point that words alone might not get across.
  • Understanding the setting (the temple, a special room, a specific family) helps the reader see that this is not just a private test but a public demonstration meant to be noticed and remembered.

Where else these words appear

“Rechabites” Hebrew H7397 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 4:12 And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.
  • Jeremiah 35:3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
  • Jeremiah 35:5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.

“chambers” Hebrew H3957 · used in 41 verses

  • 1 Samuel 9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
  • Nehemiah 13:5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
  • Ezekiel 41:10 And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

“drink” Hebrew H8248 · used in 72 verses

  • Genesis 2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
  • Genesis 40:20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

“wine” Hebrew H3196 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
  • 2 Chronicles 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
  • Isaiah 22:13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.