U Y1 32:1-44. The 1st 'word". Restoration of the Land. [In prison.] 10th year of Zedekiah. Y2 33:1-26. The 2nd "word". Restoration of the People. [In prison.]
Y1 Z1 1-5. Question to Zedekiah.
Z2 6-44. Answer of Jeremiah.
478 B.C.
Jeremiah 32)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD (this chapter commences an historical part of the book, describing the incidents of the 2 years preceding the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. See v.2) in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. (Another contact between Biblical and secular history. See chapter 25)
2 For then the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison (to which Jeremiah had access. Cp. vv.8,12, and 33:1), which was in the king of Judah's house.
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up (1 of the 11 rulers who were offended with God's messengers. See Ex. 10:28), saying, "Wherefore 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 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; (He should go to Babylon [34:3]. Yet Ezek. [12:13] declared that he should not "see" Babylon. Both statements were true; for we read Zedekiah did "see" the king of Babylon at Riblah, but his eyes being put out there [2 Kings 25:6,7], he never saw Babylon, though he was led there. See 52:10,11.)
5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, says the LORD: though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not prosper.' ' "
Z2 A 6-14. Symbol. Purchase of the field.
B 15. Signification. Repossession.
A 16-35. Symbol. Purchase of the field.
B 36-44. Signification.
A q 6,7. The word of Yahaveh. Coming.
r 8-. The field. Request.
q -8. The word of Yahaveh. Known.
r 9-14. The field. Compliance.
6 And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
7 'Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum your uncle (i.e. Shallum, not Hanameel, who was Jeremiah's cousin. See next verse) shall come to you saying, 'Buy you my field that is in Anathoth (according to Num. 35:5, this would be within 2,000 of Anathoth): for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.' ' " (See Lev. 25:24,25,32. Cp. Ruth 4:6.)
8 So Hanameel mine 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 (= victory, spirit + order) shekels of silver.
10 And I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and 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 (see v.7), 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 that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all Judah that 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 which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel (we are earthen vessels), that they may continue many days.' (I.e the 70 years, or which 52 years had yet to run [deducting 18 years from the 4th of Jehoiakim to the 10th of Zedekiah].)
15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 'Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.' "
A C 16,17. Prayer. Omnipotence.
D s 18-23. Past mercies. Remembered.
t 24,25. Invasion.
C 26,27. Prayer. Answered. Omnipotence.
D t 28,29. Invasion.
s 30-35. Future judgments. Foretold.
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 (Adonai Yehovah)! behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and stretched out arm (see Gen. 1. Cp. 27:5), and there is nothing too hard for You: (See Gen. 18:14.)
18 You show grace to thousands (see Ex. 20:6; 34;7. Deut. 5:9,10), and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their sons after them (see Ex. 34:6,7): the Great, the Mighty God (see Deut. 10:17), the LORD 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 every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: (Both good and bad.)
20 Which have set signs (example, the Great Pyramid) and wonders (see Ex. 7:3. Deut. 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 13:1,2; 26:8; 28:46; 29:3; 34:11.) in the land of Egypt, even to this day, and in Israel, and among mankind; and has made You a name (see Ex. 9:16), as at this day;
21 And have brought forth Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand (see Ex. 9:6. See 27:5), and with a stretched out arm, and with great tumult;
22 And has given them this land, which You did swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; (See Ex. 3:8,17. See 11:5.)
23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not your voice, neither walked in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do (compare U.S.A. today): therefore You have caused all this tumult to come upon them:
24 Behold the mounts (erections of earth raised by the enemies to overtop the walls. Cp. 6:6, and 33:4), they are come to 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 (in the last days, famine for truth), and of the pestilence: and what You have spoken is come to pass; and, behold, You see it.
26 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
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:
30 For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have only done evil before Me from their youth: for the sons of Israel have only provoked Me to anger with the work of their hands, says the LORD.
36 And now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof you say, 'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;'
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries (even from the U.S.A. Has not happened yet, this will be in the millennium), where I have driven them in My anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath (see Deut. 30:3); and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: (= to settle down. See Lev. 23:43. Cp. Ezek. 36:11,33. Hos. 11:11. Zech. 10:6.)
42 For thus says the LORD; 'Like as I have brought all this great tumult upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof you say, 'It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'
25 And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, 'Buy you the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' " (An expression of surprise at the command to buy the field under such circumstances)
27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh (see Num. 16:22): is there any thing too hard for Me? (Answer, NO!)
29 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 to Baal (cp. 19:13), and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. (See Deut. 4:24; 9:18; 31:29; 32:21)
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; that I should remove it from before my face,
32 Because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and of the sons 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.
33 And they have turned to Me the back (turned their back to the altar), and not the face: though I taught them (see 31:34. Isa. 54:1), rising up early and teaching them (see 7:13), yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
34 But they set their abominations in the house ("Easter", not Passover, which it is suppose to be. "Easter" is an incorrect translation from the original Greek texts), upon which My name is called, 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 (see Lev. 18:21); which I commanded them not, neither came it into My mind (cp. 7:31; 19:5), that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
B u 36. City.
v 37-41. Its restoration.
u 42. People.
v 43,44. Their repossession.
38 And they shall be My people, and I will be their God:
39 And I will give them one heart (= mind), and one way (Christ), that they may revere (love) Me all the days, for the good of them, and of their sons after them:
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them (see Gen. 9:16), that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My love in their hearts, that they may not depart from Me. (This must refer to the millennial days: for Israel did not depart; and that is why the nation is still "scattered", and not yet "gathered". Israel today in Palestine, is only the tribe of Judah, not all of the scattered tribes of Israel.)
41 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.' (See Deut. 30:9)
44 Mankind 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 hill country, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity (put for captives) to return, says the LORD.' "