Jeremiah 32:11

11 and I took the book asealed of possession, and [the] askings and [the] answerings of the seller and [the] buyer, and [the] covenants, and [the] seals withoutforth. (and I took both copies of the deed of purchase, the sealed one, as by law and custom, and the unsealed one;)

Jeremiah 32:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 32:11

So I took the evidence of the purchase
The deed of purchase, the book or bill of sale, the instrument of the bargain, as before mentioned: [both] that which is sealed, [according] to the law and custom;
which was both sealed by the buyer and seller, and was sealed up, and not to be looked into by everyone, only when there might be a necessity; this was the original copy: and that which was open;
the counter part or copy of the former, which though signed and sealed as the other, yet not sealed up, but was open and exposed to view; either for the relations to see what was done, as some; or for the judges, as others, to ratify and make authentic: or, as is most probable, this copy was laid up in some public register, to have recourse unto upon any occasion; however it was, it was according to the laws and customs of those times, which Jeremiah carefully attended to: or, as others, it lay open for the witnesses to sign; so there are three distinct things; first the written contract; then that as signed and sealed by buyer and seller, according to law; and then as signed, but not sealed, by the witnesses.

Jeremiah 32:11 In-Context

9 And I bought the field, which is in Anathoth, of Hanameel, the son of my father's brother (And so I bought the field, which is in Anathoth, from Hanameel, the son of my uncle). And I paid to him silver, seven staters, and ten pieces of silver;
10 and I wrote (it up) in a book, and I sealed (it), and I gave (it to) witnesses. And I weighed silver in a balance; (and I signed, and sealed, the deed of purchase, and I had it witnessed, and copied. And I weighed out the silver on a balance;)
11 and I took the book asealed of possession, and [the] askings and [the] answerings of the seller and [the] buyer, and [the] covenants, and [the] seals withoutforth. (and I took both copies of the deed of purchase, the sealed one, as by law and custom, and the unsealed one;)
12 And I gave the book of possession to Baruch, the son of Neriah, son of Maaseiah, before the eyes of Hanameel, the son of my father's brother, and before the eyes of (the) witnesses that were written in the book of [the] buying, (and) before the eyes of all (the) Jews, that sat in the porch of the prison. (and I gave the copies of the deed of purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel, the son of my uncle, and in the sight of the witnesses who were named on the copies of the deed of purchase, and in the sight of all the Jews, who sat in the courtyard of the prison.)
13 And I commanded to Baruch before them, and I said,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.