Jeremiah 32:20-30

20 who has ¹set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have ²made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

21 'You ³brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror;

22 and gave them this land, which You ⁴swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23 'They ⁵came in and took possession of it, but they ⁶did not obey Your voice or ⁷walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made ⁸all this calamity come upon them.

24 'Behold, the ⁹siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is ¹⁰given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because * of the ¹¹sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has ¹²come to pass; and behold, You see it.

25 'You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses "-although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' "

26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the ¹³God of all flesh; is anything * ¹⁴too difficult for Me?"

28 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to ¹⁵give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it.

29 "The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and ¹⁶set this city on fire and burn it, with the ¹⁷houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.

30 "Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only ¹⁸evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only ¹⁹provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 32:20-30 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

• 1. Psalms 78:43; Psalms 105:27
• 2. Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 63:12, 14; Daniel 9:15
• 3. Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 26:8; 2 Samuel 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21; Psalms 136:11
• 4. Exodus 3:8, 17; Exodus 13:5; Deuteronomy 1:8; Psalms 105:9-11; Jeremiah 11:5
• 5. Psalms 44:2, 3; Psalms 78:54, 55; Jeremiah 2:7
• 6. Nehemiah 9:26; Jeremiah 11:8; Daniel 9:10-14
• 7. Ezra 9:7; Jeremiah 26:4; Jeremiah 44:10
• 8. Lamentations 1:18; Daniel 9:11, 12
• 9. Jeremiah 33:4; Ezekiel 21:22
• 10. Jeremiah 20:5; Jeremiah 21:4-7; Jeremiah 32:5
• 11. Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah 29:17, 18; Jeremiah 32:36; Jeremiah 34:17; Ezekiel 14:21
• 12. Deuteronomy 4:26; Joshua 23:15, 16; Zechariah 1:6
• 13. Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16
• 14. Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26
• 15. 2 Kings 25:11; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21; Jeremiah 19:7-12; Jeremiah 32:3, 24, 36; Jeremiah 34:2, 3
• 16. 2 Chronicles 36:19; Jeremiah 21:10; Jeremiah 37:8, 10; Jeremiah 39:8
• 17. Jeremiah 19:13; Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25; Jeremiah 52:13
• 18. Deuteronomy 9:7-12; Isaiah 63:10; Jeremiah 2:7; Jeremiah 7:22-26
• 19. Jeremiah 8:19; Jeremiah 11:17; Jeremiah 25:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD