What Does Jeremiah 35:14 Mean in the King James?
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The English gives you two words, “obey” and “hearkened”, where the Hebrew repeats one: shama, hearing that becomes response.
THE MEANING
A word can be received so fully that it shapes what a household continues to do; it can also be spoken again and again without being received. This verse addresses you through that contrast: hearing is visible in the response a word takes in your life.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse dissolves the idea that hearing a word repeatedly is the same as receiving it.
THE ROOT
שָׁמְעוּ
shāmeʿū
GROWS FROM
שמע
Hear, listen, heed; in this verse, hearing that results in obedience.
“obey / hearkened” in this verse is shāmeʿū. The word translated “obey” for the sons and “hearkened” for the people comes from the same root. The contrast is not between hearing and obeying, but between a word received into action and a word left unanswered.
ALSO GROWS
shemaʿ: Hear; listen and respond.
שְׁמַע
The familiar call “Hear, O Israel” uses this same root, joining hearing with a response to what is heard.
shemuʿah: Report, tidings; something heard.
שְׁמוּעָה
This branch names the message that reaches the ear; Jeremiah distinguishes the message being spoken from its being received.
THE PATTERN
Scripture treats hearing as reception that becomes visible in response.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.THE THREAD
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.The Hebrew root שמע (shamaʿ), behind “obey” in Jeremiah, also appears behind “obeying” and “to obey” here. Samuel ties hearing the voice of the LORD to the response it produces, opening Jeremiah’s contrast more sharply.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us