Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;
So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor, in everything he commanded us. We don't drink wine at all—not us, our wives, our sons, or our daughters.
The Rechabites are explaining how they have faithfully followed their ancestor's command not to drink wine for generations.
📚 Historical Context
The Rechabites were a nomadic clan who descended from Jonadab (also called Jehonadab), who lived during the time of King Jehu around 840 BC. Their ancestor had commanded them to live simply—never drinking wine, never building houses, and never farming—to maintain their nomadic lifestyle and avoid the corrupting influences of settled city life. Jeremiah used their faithfulness to their ancestor's commands as an object lesson to shame the people of Judah, who repeatedly broke God's commands.
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