הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' בִּימֵי יְהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר׃

The message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, king of Judah, saying:

הָלוֹךְ אֶל־בֵּית הָרֵכָבִים וְדִבַּרְתָּ אוֹתָם וַהֲבִאוֹתָם בֵּית ה' אֶל־אַחַת הַלְּשָׁכוֹת וְהִשְׁקִיתָ אוֹתָם יָיִן

Go to the house of the Rekhavites, the descendants of the righteous Yonadav son of Rekhav, and speak to them, and you shall bring them to the House of the Lord, to one of the chambers adjacent to the Temple. Perhaps it was easy for Jeremiah, a priest, to gain access to one of these chambers. And there you shall give them wine to drink. The scene of a prophet offering wine to the Rekhavites in the Temple would certainly arouse wonder among the people, and this event would be publicized.

וָאֶקַּח אֶת־יַאֲזַנְיָה בֶן־יִרְמְיָהוּ בֶּן־חֲבַצִּנְיָה וְאֶת־אֶחָיו וְאֶת־כָּל־בָּנָיו וְאֵת כָּל־בֵּית הָרֵכָבִים

I took Yaazanya, son of Yirmiyahu, son of Havatzinya, who was apparently the central figure in this family, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the entire house of the Rekhavites.

וָאָבִא אֹתָם בֵּית ה' אֶל־לִשְׁכַּת בְּנֵי חָנָן בֶּן־יִגְדַּלְיָהוּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־אֵצֶל לִשְׁכַּת הַשָּׂרִים אֲשֶׁר מִמַּעַל לְלִשְׁכַּת מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ בֶן־שַׁלֻּם שֹׁמֵר הַסַּף

I brought them to the House of the Lord, to the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Yigdalyahu, the man of God, a prophet or renowned holy man. This is the chamber that was near the Chamber of the Princes, which was perhaps a waiting room for dignitaries who came to visit the Temple, that was above the chamber of Maaseyahu son of Shalum, the gatekeeper, who was responsible for guarding the Temple and its vessels. These chambers do not appear in the description of the Temple of Solomon. Presumably, additional chambers, which were not necessarily designated for the priesthood, were constructed throughout the generations for various purposes.

וָאֶתֵּן לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי בֵית־הָרֵכָבִים גְּבִעִים מְלֵאִים יַיִן וְכֹסוֹת וָאֹמַר אֲלֵיהֶם שְׁתוּ־יָיִן

I placed before the members of the house of the Rekhavites goblets full of wine, and cups, and I said to them: Drink wine.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נִשְׁתֶּה־יָּיִן כִּי יוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב אָבִינוּ צִוָּה עָלֵינוּ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִשְׁתּוּ־יַיִן אַתֶּם וּבְנֵיכֶם עַד־עוֹלָם

They said: We will not drink wine, as Yonadav son of Rekhav, our father, the patriarch of our family, commanded us, saying: You shall not drink wine, you and your sons, forever.

ובַיִת לֹא־תִבְנוּ וְזֶרַע לֹא־תִזְרָעוּ וְכֶרֶם לֹא־תִטָּעוּ וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כִּי בָּאֳהָלִים תֵּשְׁבוּ כָּל־יְמֵיכֶם לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּ יָמִים רַבִּים עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם גָּרִים שָׁם

Moreover, a house you shall not build, and seed you shall not sow, and a vineyard you shall not plant, and you will have none of any kind of houses or vineyards; rather, in tents you shall live all your days, so that you will live many days on the land where you reside. Yonadav instructed his descendants not to establish any permanent residence. Consequently, they did not build permanent homes and they did not engage in agriculture. Apparently, they lived in the field as nomadic shepherds, or possibly were engaged in other professions like carpentry or metalworking. Some suggest that they engaged primarily in Torah study, as indicated by the verse: “The families of scribes…These are the Kenites who came from Hamat, father of the house of Rekhav.”

וַנִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב אָבִינוּ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ לְבִלְתִּי שְׁתוֹת־יַיִן כָּל־יָמֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ נָשֵׁינוּ בָּנֵינוּ וּבְנֹתֵינוּ

We heeded the voice of Yonadav son of Rekhav, our father, with regard to everything that he commanded us, to not drink wine all our days: we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;

וּלְבִלְתִּי בְּנוֹת בָּתִּים לְשִׁבְתֵּנוּ וְכֶרֶם וְשָׂדֶה וָזֶרַע לֹא יִהְיֶה־לָּנוּ

and not to build houses for our residence, and vineyard and field and seed will not be for us.

וַנֵּשֶׁב בָּאֳהָלִים וַנִּשְׁמַע וַנַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּנוּ יוֹנָדָב אָבִינוּ

We lived in tents, and we heeded, and we acted in accordance with everything that Yonadav our father commanded us. We rigorously followed the unique traditions of our family, and we observed the directives of our patriarch. In this manner, we will remain in the land for many years.

וַיְהִי בַּעֲלוֹת נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶל־הָאָרֶץ וַנֹּאמֶר בֹּאוּ וְנָבוֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַם מִפְּנֵי חֵיל הַכַּשְׂדִּים וּמִפְּנֵי חֵיל אֲרָם וַנֵּשֶׁב בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

It was with the ascent of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to the land, we said: With the enemy approaching, come, and let us go to Jerusalem in search of safety, because of the army of the Chaldeans and because of the army of the Arameans, who joined the Chaldeans as a coalition force when they ascended upon Judah (see 34:1), and therefore, we dwelled for the time being in Jerusalem.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with Jeremiah, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וּלְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם הֲלוֹא תִקְחוּ מוּסָר לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־דְּבָרַי נְאֻם־ה'

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Will you not accept chastisement to heed My words? – the utterance of the Lord. The above example of the behavior of the house of the Rekhavites is meant as a rebuke for the people. Here, as in many other instances, the prophet describes the performance of symbolic actions to serve as a sign for the masses. Often, those involved in the performance of these symbolic acts became aware of the significance of those actions only later.

הוּקַם אֶת־דִּבְרֵי יְהוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה אֶת־בָּנָיו לְבִלְתִּי שְׁתוֹת־יַיִן — וְלֹא שָׁתוּ עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי שָׁמְעוּ אֵת מִצְוַת אֲבִיהֶם וְאָנֹכִי דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם הַשְׁכֵּם וְדַבֵּר — וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֵלָי

The words of Yonadav son of Rekhav, who commanded his children not to drink wine, were upheld, and they did not drink wine for many generations until this day, because they heeded the commandment of their father; but I spoke to you as a father instructing his children, time and again, and yet, you did not heed Me.

וָאֶשְׁלַח אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִאִים הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ לֵאמֹר שֻׁבוּ־נָא אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וְהֵיטִיבוּ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם וְאַל־תֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם וּשְׁבוּ אֶל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתִּי לָכֶם וְלַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם ולֹא הִטִּיתֶם אֶת־אָזְנְכֶם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֵלָי

I sent to you all My servants the prophets, time and again, saying: Please repent, each man his evil way, and improve your actions, and do not follow other gods to worship them, and if you follow My commands you will dwell in the land that I gave to you and to your fathers. You received this directive when you left Egypt, and the prophets throughout all the generations reinforced the same message, but you did not incline your ear, and you did not heed Me.

— כִּי הֵקִימוּ בְּנֵי יְהוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב אֶת־מִצְוַת אֲבִיהֶם אֲשֶׁר צִוָּם וְהָעָם הַזֶּה לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלָי

This verse reiterates the previous point: For the sons of Yonadav son of Rekhav fulfilled the commandment of their father that he commanded them. They steadfastly observed their traditions, but this people did not heed Me.

לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶל־יְהוּדָה וְאֶל כָּל־יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם יַעַן דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ וָאֶקְרָא לָהֶם וְלֹא עָנוּ

Therefore, so said the Lord, God of hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I spoke in their regard, because I spoke to them and they did not hear, and I called to them and they did not answer.

וּלְבֵית הָרֵכָבִים אָמַר יִרְמְיָהוּ כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַעַן אֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם עַל מִצְוַת יְהוֹנָדָב אֲבִיכֶם וַתִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָיו וַתַּעֲשׂוּ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם —

And to the house of the Rekhavites, Jeremiah said: So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Because you heeded the commandment of Yonadav your father, and you observed all his commandments, and you acted in accordance with everything that he commanded you;

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־יִכָּרֵת אִישׁ לְיוֹנָדָב בֶּן־רֵכָב עֹמֵד לְפָנַי כָּל־הַיָּמִים

therefore, so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: No man shall be cut off for Yonadav son of Rekhav, standing before me in the Temple to perform the service, or standing under My providence all the days. In other words, there will always be someone from Rekhav standing before God; his family is assured of eternal survival. Even if the family will not endure as a distinct unit, its descendants will forever thrive among the people of Israel. In fact, there are references to the Rekhavite family during the Second Temple period. This is their reward for strictly adhering to their family traditions. Although their descendants were not obligated to dwell in tents and refrain from drinking wine, those who accepted these practices upon themselves and observed them over generations deserve to be rewarded, and they will forever stand before God.