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Jeremiah 32

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The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

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For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.

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For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

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And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

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And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

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And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

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Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

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So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

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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.

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And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

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So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:

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And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

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And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

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Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

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For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

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Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying,

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Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

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Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name,

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Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

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Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;

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And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;

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And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;

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And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:

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Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

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And thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

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Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,

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Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

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Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it:

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And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.

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For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord.

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For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face,

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Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

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But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.

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And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

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And now therefore thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;

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Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:

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And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

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And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

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And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

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Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

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For thus saith the Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

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And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

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Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.

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Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah purchases a field in Anathoth despite imminent Babylonian siege and Jerusalem's fall, a sign-act communicating hope that after judgment and exile, the land will again be worth purchasing and restoring as YHWH brings the people back to plant vineyards and settle the land, establishing that territorial restoration is integral to covenantal renewal. The prophet's prayer acknowledging YHWH's great power in creation and history, recalling the exodus deliverance and YHWH's covenant with Abraham to give the land to his descendants, provides the theological foundation for hope in restoration: the God who performed the first exodus can perform a second exodus restoring exiles to the land. YHWH's response promises that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be possessed in the land, that the scattered people will be gathered, and that YHWH will rejoice in doing them good with all the divine heart, establishing that covenantal restoration is not grudging but reflects YHWH's genuine desire for the people's renewal. The chapter's interweaving of prophetic sign-act with extended prayer demonstrates how Jeremiah's personal hope for restoration (investing in future land ownership despite judgment) becomes emblematic of corporate hope that judgment is not final and that YHWH's covenant commitment survives exile and death.

Jeremiah 32:1

The superscription dates the prophecy to 'the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah,' corresponding to 587 BCE when the Babylonian siege was underway. Theologically, this timing demonstrates that the promise of restoration comes in the midst of military collapse.

Jeremiah 32:2

The note that 'the king's soldiers had shut him up in the court of the guard' places Jeremiah under arrest during the siege. His confinement symbolizes both his isolation and his powerlessness before the unfolding disaster. Imprisonment paradoxically positions Jeremiah to receive a prophecy of restoration.

Jeremiah 32:3

King Zedekiah had imprisoned Jeremiah 'because he said, Why do you prophesy.' The king's refusal to acknowledge God's word precipitated imprisonment. This demonstrates the tragic resistance of leadership to divine truth.

Jeremiah 32:4

The prophecy that Zedekiah 'shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans' proved historically accurate. Theologically, this assertion of certain judgment demonstrates that prophecy declares the inevitable.

Jeremiah 32:5

The prophecy that Zedekiah 'shall be taken to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him' juxtaposes judgment (captivity) with the promise of future visitation. Judgment is not the final word; restoration is promised even to those who refused to hear.

Jeremiah 32:6

Jeremiah's statement 'The word of the LORD came to me' introduces a crucial symbolic action—God commands the prophet to purchase a field. The timing during the siege makes the command absurd from a human perspective. This demonstrates faith as a demonstration against reality.

Jeremiah 32:7

The command specifies 'Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you' with precise detail. The specificity demonstrates divine foreknowledge and the certainty of the coming transaction.

Jeremiah 32:8

The arrival of Hanamel 'exactly as the LORD had said' confirms the prophecy's accuracy. The kinship obligation (redemption law) provides the legal mechanism for the transaction.

Jeremiah 32:9

The specific financial transaction—'I weighed out for him the money, seventeen shekels of silver'—documents the purchase in precise, legal terms. This indicates that this is a genuine transaction, not mere symbolism.

Jeremiah 32:10

The description of 'writing out the deed, sealing it, getting witnesses' details legal procedures ensuring the transaction's validity. The careful documentation suggests that this purchase is meant to be a lasting, legally binding sign of restoration.

Jeremiah 32:11

The taking of 'the deed of purchase, the sealed copy' with witnesses establishes legal documentation for future reference. The dual copies provide redundancy, ensuring that the transaction remains valid.

Jeremiah 32:12

The handing of 'the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah' places the document with the prophet's trusted scribe. Baruch's role as witness and keeper of the deed suggests that he will carry this testimony to future generations.

Jeremiah 32:13

The statement 'In the presence of Hanamel my cousin, and the witnesses' emphasizes the publicness of the transaction. This is not a private, secret act but one performed before multiple witnesses.

Jeremiah 32:14

Jeremiah's command 'Take these deeds...and put them in an earthenware vessel' preserves the documents for posterity. The deeds are to be kept in a durable container, suggesting this sign of restoration is meant to endure.

Jeremiah 32:15

The reason: 'For thus says the LORD of hosts...Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land' explicitly connects the personal transaction to the universal promise of restoration.

Jeremiah 32:16

The statement 'After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch...I prayed to the LORD' shifts to Jeremiah's personal struggle. The prophet, having performed the symbolic action, now confronts the apparent contradiction between the sign and reality.

Jeremiah 32:17

Jeremiah's prayer begins 'Ah, LORD God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth.' The invocation of God's power over creation establishes the foundation for trust in restoration.

Jeremiah 32:18

The affirmation that God 'shows steadfast love to thousands' balances mercy and judgment in God's character. Theologically, God's justice encompasses both merciful covenant love and appropriate judgment.

Jeremiah 32:19

The statement 'Great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways' affirms God's omniscience and just judgment. The divine vision encompasses all human action.

Jeremiah 32:20

The reference to God's 'signs and wonders in the land of Egypt' grounds the current prayer in Israel's historical experience of divine action. Past acts establish confidence in future action.

Jeremiah 32:21

The recollection that God 'brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders' recalls the definitive act of covenant establishment. This historical narrative becomes the foundation for faith in God's future restoration.

Jeremiah 32:22

The acknowledgment 'And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers' affirms God's fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise. The gift of the land was God's first restoration.

Jeremiah 32:23

Jeremiah's confession 'And they entered and took possession of it, but they did not obey your voice' acknowledges Israel's failure to maintain covenant fidelity. The people inherited the gift but rejected the giver.

Jeremiah 32:24

The observation 'Behold, the siege mounds have been cast up against the city' faces the immediate reality of judgment in progress. The prophet purchases land while the siege unfolds—an act of absurd faith.

Jeremiah 32:25

Jeremiah's question expresses the prophet's puzzlement. Why perform a sign of restoration while judgment is being executed? This question models faith's wrestling with contradiction.

Jeremiah 32:26

God's response 'I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?' reasserts divine omnipotence as the answer to Jeremiah's question.

Jeremiah 32:27

The declaration 'I will give this city into the hands of the Chaldeans' confirms the judgment that seems to contradict the restoration promise. Judgment and restoration are both affirmed as sequential moments.

Jeremiah 32:28

The promise specifies that judgment targets precisely those who committed idolatry. The precision of judgment suggests that it is morally intelligible.

Jeremiah 32:29

The statement that Israel 'has done only what is evil in my sight from their youth' summarizes the consistent pattern of rebellion that provoked judgment.

Jeremiah 32:30

The confession 'The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth' extends the indictment across both kingdoms and generations.

Jeremiah 32:31

The affirmation 'This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built until now' singles out Jerusalem for special indictment.

Jeremiah 32:32

The reason given grounds Jerusalem's judgment in the city's role in perpetuating national sin. The leadership centered in Jerusalem fostered rather than corrected Israel's idolatry.

Jeremiah 32:33

The statement 'They have turned to me the back and not the face' expresses Israel's fundamental rejection of God's relationship using bodily orientation metaphor.

Jeremiah 32:34

The indictment 'And though I persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, they would not listen' establishes that God made repeated efforts to call Israel to repentance.

Jeremiah 32:35

The description 'They built the high places of Baal...to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech' details the specific idolatry—child sacrifice, the ultimate abomination.

Jeremiah 32:36

The shift begins: 'Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city.' This restatement of judgment establishes the foundation for the promise that follows.

Jeremiah 32:37

God's promise 'Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them' reverses the dispersion judgment, promising comprehensive restoration.

Jeremiah 32:38

The covenant formula 'And they shall be my people, and I will be their God' marks the culmination of restoration—the fundamental relationship is restored.

Jeremiah 32:39

The promise 'I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever' indicates that restoration includes spiritual renewal.

Jeremiah 32:40

The promise 'And I will make an everlasting covenant with them' asserts that the renewed covenant will be inviolable.

Jeremiah 32:41

God's affirmation 'I will rejoice in doing them good' reveals that God takes delight in restoration. The divine 'rejoicing' suggests that restoration reflects God's own nature.

Jeremiah 32:42

The promise 'Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good' establishes a parallelism.

Jeremiah 32:43

The image 'Fields shall be bought in this land of which you say, It is desolate' pictures the future return to normal economic activity.

Jeremiah 32:44

The conclusion specifies that the entire land will experience restoration. The detailed list of geographical regions emphasizes the comprehensiveness of restoration.