King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 35:4 Mean?

Jeremiah 35:4 in the King James Version says “And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God,...” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 35 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a 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 door: door: Heb. threshold, or, vessel”

Jeremiah 35:4 · KJV

Context

2

Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.

3

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

4

And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a 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 door: door: Heb. threshold, or, vessel

5

And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.

6

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:

Read Jeremiah 35 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God—the specific location matters: the chamber (lishkah) of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, identified as ish ha-Elohim ("man of God"). This phrase typically designates prophets (1 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 13:1; 2 Kings 4:7). Jeremiah conducts his enacted parable in a prophet's chamber, adding divine authority to the demonstration. The Rechabites were tested in the very house of God, in a prophet's room—maximum sacred context.

Which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door—the architectural details aren't random. Jeremiah positions the test near the princes' chamber (the political leaders) and above the temple doorkeeper's chamber (religious officials). The demonstration occurred where both political and religious leadership were present to witness. When the Rechabites refuse wine, it condemns both these groups simultaneously—the princes who violated covenant politically, the priests who failed to enforce it religiously.

Maaseiah the doorkeeper (shomer ha-saf) held an important temple position—controlling access to sacred space (2 Kings 12:9; 22:4). Yet those who guarded God's house physically failed to guard His covenant spiritually. The irony is sharp: Rechabites faithfully guarded human tradition; temple officials faithlessly ignored divine law. Jesus later drove money-changers from these same temple precincts (John 2:13-17), condemning similar covenant violations. Sacred buildings don't guarantee sacred behavior—the Rechabites' obedience in tents surpassed Judah's disobedience in the temple.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The temple chamber system provided working space for temple officials, storage for equipment and tithes, and meeting rooms. Jeremiah's access to these chambers indicates his prophetic authority—he could summon people into sacred space for God's purposes. The mention of specific names (Hanan, Igdaliah, Maaseiah, Shallum) grounds the narrative in verifiable history; these were known Jerusalem figures during Jehoiakim's reign. The proximity to princes' and doorkeeper's chambers ensured maximum visibility for the enacted parable.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does performing this test in God's house itself (the temple) intensify the judgment on those who claimed to worship there while violating covenant?
  2. Why might outward religious roles (doorkeeper, priest, prince) create false security regarding one's actual spiritual condition?
  3. In what ways can sacred spaces or religious positions become substitutes for actual obedience to God's commands?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 24 words
וָאָבִ֤א1 of 24

“And I brought”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֹתָם֙2 of 24
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

בֵּ֣ית3 of 24

“them into the house”

H1004

a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

יְהוָ֔ה4 of 24

“of the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֶל5 of 24
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת6 of 24

“into the chamber”

H3957

a room in a building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging)

בֶן7 of 24

“of the sons”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

חָנָ֥ן8 of 24

“of Hanan”

H2605

chanan, the name of seven israelites

בֶן9 of 24

“of the sons”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

יִגְדַּלְיָ֖הוּ10 of 24

“of Igdaliah”

H3012

jigdaljah, an israelite

אִ֣ישׁ11 of 24

“a man”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים12 of 24

“of God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

אֲשֶׁר13 of 24
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

אֵ֙צֶל֙14 of 24

“which was by”

H681

a side; (as a preposition) near

לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת15 of 24

“into the chamber”

H3957

a room in a building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging)

הַשָּׂרִ֔ים16 of 24

“of the princes”

H8269

a head person (of any rank or class)

אֲשֶׁ֣ר17 of 24
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

מִמַּ֗עַל18 of 24

“which was above”

H4605

properly,the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc

לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת19 of 24

“into the chamber”

H3957

a room in a building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging)

מַעֲשֵׂיָ֥הוּ20 of 24

“of Maaseiah”

H4641

maasejah, the name of sixteen israelites

בֶן21 of 24

“of the sons”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

שַׁלֻּ֖ם22 of 24

“of Shallum”

H7967

shallum, the name of fourteen israelites

שֹׁמֵ֥ר23 of 24

“the keeper”

H8104

properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc

הַסַּֽף׃24 of 24

“of the door”

H5592

a vestibule (as a limit); also a dish (for holding blood or wine)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 35:4 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 35:4 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 33:12 Kings 12:92 Chronicles 8:14Joshua 14:62 Kings 1:11-132 Kings 25:18

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