Jeremiah 35:7
in Jeremiah 35Nor 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.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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.
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 35
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe sons of Jonadab, we are told, drank neither wine nor strong drink and dwelled in tents pitched wherever night overtook them. According to the Psalter, they were the first to undergo captivity; for, when the Chaldaeans began to ravage Judah, they were compelled to take refuge in cities.Others may think what they like and follow each his own bent. But to me a town is a prison and solitude paradise. Why do we long for the bustle of cities, we whose very name speaks of loneliness?
This site's exposition
We do not drink wine,” they
on Jeremiah 35:6-12
The Rechabites answer with their history: “our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab” forbade them wine, houses, fields, and vineyards. They have kept it whole, living “in tents” as he commanded. Their stay in Jerusalem is a wartime refuge, taken “to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.”
This site's exposition
you must live in tents all your lives
Each command kept the house of Jonadab free to wander: no house to build, no seed to sow, no vineyard to plant. Barnes explains that wine belongs to a settled life, since a vineyard takes years to grow. The promise of long life echoes the fifth commandment.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Two things are worth marveling at: the law given by the father and the obedience rendered by the children and descendants. For they loved a life free from care and possessions and—what is most unexpected—put little stock in their property, even though they had children, …
The Reformation1 voice
It must be first observed, that the order of time in which the prophecies were written has not been retained. In history the regular succession of days and years ought to be preserved, but in prophetic writings this is not so necessary, as I have already reminded you.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Note, Those are in the best frame to meet sufferings who are mortified to the world and life a life of self-denial. (6.) That in general they might learn to live by rule and under discipline. It is good for us all to do so, and to teach our children to do so.
Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
tents-- (Jud 4:17). live many days--according to the promise connected with the fifth commandment (Ex 20:12; Eph 6:2, 3). strangers--They were not of the stock of Jacob, but sojourners in Israel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבַ֣יִת | uvayit | and a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִבְנ֗וּ | tivnu | you must build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| וְזֶ֤רַע | vezera' | and seed | H2233 → | 229 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִזְרָ֙עוּ֙ | tizrau | you must sow | H2232 → | 56 times |
| וְכֶ֣רֶם | vekherem | and a vineyard | H3754 → | 92 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִטָּ֔עוּ | titau | you must plant | H5193 → | 58 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִֽהְיֶ֖ה | yihyeh | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָכֶ֑ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָּאֳהָלִ֤ים | boohalim | in tents | H168 → | 345 times |
| תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ | teshevu | you will dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵיכֶ֔ם | yemeikhem | days your | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לְמַ֨עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּֽחְי֜וּ | tichyu | you may live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| יָמִ֤ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רַבִּים֙ | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֣י | penei | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאֲדָמָ֔ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֖ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| גָּרִ֥ים | garim | [are] sojourning | H1481 → | 97 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וּבַ֣יִתand a house
uvayitH1004 →2046 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִבְנ֗וּyou must build
tivnuH1129 →376 times
וְזֶ֤רַעand seed
vezera'H2233 →229 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִזְרָ֙עוּ֙you must sow
tizrauH2232 →56 times
וְכֶ֣רֶםand a vineyard
vekheremH3754 →92 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִטָּ֔עוּyou must plant
titauH5193 →58 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִֽהְיֶ֖הit will belong
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
לָכֶ֑םto <the> you
lakhem
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בָּאֳהָלִ֤יםin tents
boohalimH168 →345 times
תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙you will dwell
teshevuH3427 →1079 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יְמֵיכֶ֔םdays your
yemeikhemH3117 →2304 times
לְמַ֨עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּֽחְי֜וּyou may live
tichyuH2421 →282 times
יָמִ֤יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
רַבִּים֙many
rabimH7227 →454 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֣י[the] surface of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאֲדָמָ֔הthe ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֖םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
גָּרִ֥ים[are] sojourning
garimH1481 →97 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
- Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the…
- Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Proverbs 23:22–25
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Through
Genesis 25:27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.
it leads to
- Genesis 21:20
And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.
- Hebrews 11:9
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.
- Genesis 28:10–11
Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.
- Genesis 21:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 125.7-8; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON JEREMIAH 7:35.6-7.
