Verse 1

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

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.

Verse 2

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.

Rechabites — These Rechabites had their name from Rechab their father, descended from Hemath, a Kenite, who is also called Hobab, Judges 4:11, or Jethro the father in law of Moses.

Verse 4

And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:

Igdaliah — A prophet.

The princes — The chamber were the princes were wont to meet.

Verse 6

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

Jonadab — Jonadab of whom we read, 2 Kings 10:15, was the father, that is the progenitor of the Rechabites, at three hundred years distance.

Verse 7

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.

That ye may live — Jonadab cautions his sons by a thrifty, sober, laborious life, to which they had been bred, in keeping flocks, to avoid any thing which might expose them to the envy or hatred of the people amongst whom they were come to sojourn.

Verse 10

But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

Tents — Moveable habitations, which they could with little labour remove to feed their flocks.

Verse 19

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

For ever — For ever here signifies the ever of the Jewish state, or church.