Jeremiah 32:6-15

6 Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me:
7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 1'Buy my field that is at 2Anathoth, 3for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.'
8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in 4the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Buy my field that is at 5Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 "And I bought the field at 6Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and 7weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.
10 8I signed the deed, 9sealed it, 10got witnesses, and 11weighed the money on scales.
11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy.
12 And I gave the deed of purchase to 12Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of 13the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in 14the court of the guard.
13 I charged 15Baruch in their presence, saying,
14 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time.
15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and 16fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.'

Jeremiah 32:6-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 32

This chapter contains an account of Jeremiah's imprisonment, and the cause of it; of his buying a field of his uncle's son, and the design of it; of his prayer to God, and of the answer returned to him. The time of his imprisonment, the place where, and the reasons of it, are observed in Jer 32:1-5; that his uncle's son would come and offer the sale of a field to him was told him by the Lord, which he did accordingly, Jer 32:6,7; of whom he bought the field, paid the money, had the purchase confirmed in a legal way, before witnesses, Jer 32:8-12; and the writings of it he committed to Baruch, to put in an earthen vessel, where they were to continue some time as a pledge of houses, fields, and vineyards, being possessed again after the captivity, Jer 32:13-15; then follows a prayer of his to the Lord, in which he addresses him as the Maker of all things; as the Lord God omnipotent; as a God of great grace and mercy, as well as strict justice; as a God of wisdom, counsel, and might, and an omniscient and righteous Being, Jer 32:16-19; and recounts the wonderful things he had done for the people of Israel, Jer 32:20-22; and observes the ingratitude and disobedience of that people, which were the cause of the present siege of the city, which should surely be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, Jer 32:23-25; to which prayer an answer is returned, Jer 32:26; in which the Lord describes himself as the God of all flesh, and as able to do what he pleases, Jer 32:27; and confirms the delivery of the city of Jerusalem unto the Chaldeans, Jer 32:28,29; and assigns the causes of it, the backslidings, disobedience, and dreadful idolatry of the people, Jer 32:30-35; and, notwithstanding, promises a restoration of them to their own land again, Jer 32:36,37; when an opportunity is taken to insert the covenant of grace, and the special articles and peculiar promises of it, for the comfort of the spiritual Israel of God, whether Jews or Gentiles, Jer 32:38-40; and the chapter is concluded with a fresh assurance of the return of the captivity, and of the punctual performance of the promise of it; when fields should be bought in every part of the land, in like manner as Jeremiah had bought his, Jer 32:41-44.

Cross References 16

  • 1. ver. 25
  • 2. Jeremiah 1:1; Jeremiah 29:27; Joshua 21:18
  • 3. Leviticus 25:25; [Ruth 4:4]
  • 4. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 5. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 6. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 7. Genesis 23:16; Zechariah 11:12; [Matthew 26:15]
  • 8. ver. 44
  • 9. Esther 3:12
  • 10. ver. 25
  • 11. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 12. Jeremiah 36:4, 8, 10, 14, 26, 32; Jeremiah 43:3, 6; Jeremiah 45:1-3
  • 13. [Isaiah 8:2]
  • 14. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 15. [See ver. 12 above]
  • 16. ver. 43
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.