Jeremiah 35:11
in Jeremiah 35So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land, we said: ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 35
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The Syrians - The Septuagint substitutes Assyrians for Syrians, but marauding bands of the Aramaeans are probably meant.
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
the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans
Chaldean and Aramean raiders came in the days of Jehoiakim, and Henry links them to 2 Kings 24:2, after Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Barnes takes the Arameans as raiding bands. Henry holds that a strict rule must yield to necessity.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Note, The rules of a strict discipline must not be made too strict, but so as to admit of a dispensation when the necessity of a case calls for it, which therefore, in making vows of that nature, it is wisdom to provide expressly for, that the way may be made the more clear, and we may not afterwards be forced to say, It was an error, Eccles.
), which seems to refer to the invasion mentioned 2 Kings xxiv. 2 , which was upon occasion of Jehoiakim's rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar. After the judgments of God had broken in upon this rebellious people he continued to deal with them by his prophets to turn them from sin, that his wrath might turn away from the.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Necessity sets aside all other laws. This is the Rechabites' excuse for their seeming disobedience to Jonadab in temporarily settling in a city. Herein was seen the prescient wisdom of Jonadab's commands; they could at a moment's notice migrate, having no land possessions to tie them.
But - when Nebuchadnezzar - came up - If at present we appear to be acting contrary in any respect to our institutions, in being found in the city, necessity alone has induced us to take this temporary step. We have sought the shelter of the city for the preservation of our lives; so now we dwell at Jerusalem.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And it came to pass when Nebuchadrezzar..came up Perforce we came to the city. Therefore, we are now dwelling in houses.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בַּעֲל֨וֹת | baalot | when came up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר | nevukhadretzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶל֮ | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָרֶץ֒ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַנֹּ֗אמֶר | vanomer | and we said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בֹּ֚אוּ | bou | come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְנָב֣וֹא | venavo' | so we may go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| מִפְּנֵי֙ | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| חֵ֣יל | cheil | [the] army of | H2428 → | 246 times |
| הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים | hakasdim | the Chaldeans | H3778 → | 80 times |
| וּמִפְּנֵ֖י | umipenei | and from before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| חֵ֣יל | cheil | [the] army of | H2428 → | 246 times |
| אֲרָ֑ם | ʾaram | Aram | H758 → | |
| וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב | vaneshev | and we have dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בַּעֲל֨וֹתwhen came up
baalotH5927 →890 times
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadretzarH5019 →60 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶל֮Babylon
bavelH894 →262 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָרֶץ֒the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַנֹּ֗אמֶרand we said
vanomerH559 →5305 times
בֹּ֚אוּcome
bouH935 →2568 times
וְנָב֣וֹאso we may go
venavo'H935 →2568 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
מִפְּנֵי֙<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
חֵ֣יל[the] army of
cheilH2428 →246 times
הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔יםthe Chaldeans
hakasdimH3778 →80 times
וּמִפְּנֵ֖יand from before
umipeneiH6440 →2123 times
חֵ֣יל[the] army of
cheilH2428 →246 times
אֲרָ֑םAram
ʾaramH758 →
וַנֵּ֖שֶׁבand we have dwelt
vaneshevH3427 →1079 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Jeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink,…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout…
- Jeremiah 9:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
- Lamentations 3:19
Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
- Psalms 69:21
They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
- Deuteronomy 29:18
Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure…
- Jeremiah 23:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
