Jeremiah 32:9

9 so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[a] of silver.

Jeremiah 32:9 in Other Translations

9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

9 "And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.

9 So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it.

9 "So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels.

9 So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out to him the money-17 shekels of silver.

Jeremiah 32:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 32:9

And I bought the field of Hanameel mine uncle's son; that
[was] in Anathoth
The prophet agreed with his cousin to take his field of him, at a certain price hereafter mentioned; which may seem strange in one that was a poor prophet, now a prisoner, and the land just going to be subject to the Chaldeans: but the design of this was to show that there would be a return from captivity, when houses and fields should be bought and sold again, of which this was a pledge: and weighed him the money;
agreed upon, which was reckoned not by tale, but by weight: [even] seventeen shekels of silver;
which, reckoning a shekel at half a crown, were no more than two pounds, two shillings, and sixpence; a small sum of money to make a purchase of a field with; though this may be accounted for by the scarcity of money, the field in the hand of the enemy, there being only his kinsman's life in it, the prophet bought the reversion, being his of right; and, besides, it might be only an orchard or garden that is so called. In the Hebrew text it is, "seven shekels and ten [pieces of] silver": and Kimchi and Ben Melech say, that by "shekels" are meant minas or pounds; and by "pieces of silver", selahs or shekels: and so the Targum renders it,

``seven minas, and ten shekels of silver.''

Now a minah or maneh, according to ( Ezekiel 45:12 ) ; was equal to sixty shekels, and so of the value of seven pounds, ten shillings; seven of these made fifty two pounds, ten shillings; and the other ten shekels being one pound, five shillings, the whole amounted to fifty three pounds, fifteen shillings, which would purchase a considerable field.

Jeremiah 32:9 In-Context

7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

8 “Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ “I knew that this was the word of the LORD;

9 so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.

10 I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales.

11 I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy—

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 37:12
• 2. S Genesis 23:16

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, about 7 ounces or about 200 grams