Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 35:1-11

"The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of Jehovah, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; and I brought them into the house of Jehovah, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the 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 threshold. And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. 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: 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. And we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters; nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: but we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we dwell at Jerusalem." — Jeremiah 35:1-11 (ASV)

1. Here, he convicts them of their transgression by the example of some obedient men.

First, the test of their obedience is given. Second, the condemnation for disobedience is given, which begins at and the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 35:12).

Regarding the first part—the test—there are three points.

1. First, the Lord gives the command to the prophet to test them: go to the house of the Rechabites. They were devoted to the study of Scripture and therefore abstained from wine. About them we read: the family of scribes dwelling in Jabez, singing and making melody, who dwell in tents. These are the Kennites, who came of Calor, father of the house of Rechab (1 Chronicles 2:55).A more literal translation of this verse from the Hebrew might be rendered as follows: and the families of scribes that dwelled at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kennites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab. The word Chamber refers to something like a room outside the main building. The Lord says, You shall give, to test their obedience, as it says above: I have set you as an assayer over my people; and you shall know, and prove their way (Jeremiah 6:27).
2. Second, the prophet carries out the command. And I took and brought them into the house of the LORD to the treasury (gazophylacium), where the riches of the temple were kept. In Greek, Gaza means “riches,” and phylaxa means “keeping.” He brought them into the chamber of Maaseiah, who received this ministry in the time of David (1 Chronicles 24:3–18), and of the vestibule, meaning the atrium. Because the house in front of the principal chamber, where clothing (vestes) is kept, is called the vestibule, it became the custom to call every atrium a vestibule. He set out Cups, for water, and commanded them, Drink wine, so that he might test their secret practices.The private rites and practices of the Rechabites. As it is written, Eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mixed for you (Proverbs 9:5).
3. Third, their declaration of obedience is given: but they responded.
   1. First, the fatherly command not to drink wine is mentioned: you shall not drink. As it is written, I thought to draw my flesh from wine, that I might turn my mind to wisdom (Ecclesiastes 2:3). A command of poverty was also given, so that concern for temporal things would not interrupt their study of wisdom: And you shall not build a house. As the apostle says, As possessing nothing, and having all things (2 Corinthians 6:10).
   2. Second, their fulfillment of the command is mentioned: we have obeyed, therefore. As it is written, My son, do not forget my law, and let your heart keep my commandments (Proverbs 3:1). They lived In tents, for They pitched their tents in deserted places .
   3. Third, their necessary transgression is excused: but when Nebuchadnezzar came up.