Jeremiah 35:7

Obedience

⁵ Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”

⁶ “We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.

Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’

⁸ And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.

⁹ Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’
KJV: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
WEB: You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’
ASV: neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any; but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land wherein ye sojourn.
DARBY: neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor shall ye have [any]; but all your days ye shall dwell in tents, that ye may live many days in the land where ye sojourn.
BLB: And you⁺ shall not build a house, and you⁺ shall not sow seed, and you⁺ shall not plant a vineyard and not will one be unto you⁺. But in tents you⁺ shall dwell all your⁺ days, that you⁺ may live many days in the land where you⁺ [are] sojourning there.

ÅB: og dere skal ikke bygge hus og ikke så korn og ikke plante vingård eller eie noe slikt; men i telt skal dere bo alle deres dager, så dere kan leve lenge i det land dere bor i som fremmede.
OTB: Dere skal ikke bygge hus, så noe såkorn eller plante vingårder, eller eie noen; men dere må bo i telt alle deres dager, så dere kan leve lenge i det landet hvor dere er vandrere.’
B1930: og I skal ikke bygge hus og ikke så korn og ikke plante vingård eller eie noget sådant; men i telt skal I bo alle eders dager, så I kan leve lenge i det land I bor i som fremmede.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 35:10
But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
Read in context
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Read in context
Ephesians 6:2–3
“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),
Read in context
Leviticus 23:42–43
You are to dwell in booths for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must dwell in booths,
Read in context
Genesis 25:27
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
Read in context
Nehemiah 8:14–16
And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
Read in context
Hebrews 11:9–13
By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Read in context
1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
Read in context