Jeremiah, being imprisoned by Zedekiah for his prophecy, 1-5, buys Hanameel's field, 6-12. Baruch must preserve the evidences as tokens of the people's return, 13-15. Jeremiah in his prayer complains to God, 16-25. God confirms the captivity for their sins, 26-35; and promises a gracious return, 36-44.
1 A word came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house, 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had confined him, saying, "Why do you prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. 4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from 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. 5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall be until I visit him," says the LORD. "Though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not prosper"'?"
6 And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 7 'Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum your uncle shall come to you, saying, "Buy for yourself my field that is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it."' 8 So Hanameel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison, according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Buy my field, I pray you, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is yours and the redemption is yours. Buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
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. 10 And I signed the contract and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom and that which was open, 12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel my uncle's son and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both that which is sealed and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel so that they may remain many days." 15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."'
16 "Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying, 17 'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, you have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and out-stretched arm, and there is nothing too hard for you. 18 You show loving-kindness to thousands and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The Great, the Mighty God, YAHWEH of Hosts, is his name, 19 Great in counsel and mighty in work. For your eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give each according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. 20 You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, and in Israel, and among other men, and have made yourself a name, as at this day. 21 You have brought forth your people Israel from the land of Egypt with signs, with wonders, with a strong hand, with an out-stretched arm, and with great terror. 22 You have given them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey, 23 And they came in and possessed it, but they did not obey your voice, nor walk in your law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do; therefore, you have caused all this evil to come upon them. 24 Behold the siege-mounds, they have come to the city to take it, and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, who fight against it, because of the sword, of the famine, and of the pestilence. And what you have spoken has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25 And you have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy yourself the field for money and take witnesses," for 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 God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" 28 Therefore, thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. 29 And the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink-offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done evil only before me from their youth, for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands," says the LORD. 31 "For this city has been to me as a provocation of my anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even to this day so that I should remove it from before my face, 32 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, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned the back to me and not the face. Though I taught them, rising early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name to defile it. 35 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 to Molech, which I did not command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination to cause Judah to sin.
36 "And now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, of which you say, 'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence': 37 'Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in my anger, in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place and cause them to dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one way so that they may fear me forever, for the good of them and of their children after them. 40 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 so that they shall not depart from me. 41 Indeed, 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.' 42 For thus says the LORD: 'As I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, of which you say, "It is desolate without man or beast. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." 44 Men shall buy fields for money, sign evidences and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, for I will cause their captivity to return,' says the LORD."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Jeremiah, Chapter 32[➚]