Jeremiah 32:6-25

Jeremiah Is Commanded By YHWH To Demonstrate His Confidence In The Future Of Judah By Buying Land From His Cousin Hanamel On The Death Of His Uncle. But Even Jeremiah Is Puzzled By It And It Drives Him To Prayer (Jeremiah 32:6).

There is no reason to doubt that Hanamel had taken shelter in Jerusalem and pessimistically saw no future for the land in Anathoth. Among the wealthy (and the family appears to have been comparatively wealthy) it was only those favoured by the Babylonians (and that would include Jeremiah) who could have any hopes of future possession of land. This may have been one reason for passing the land on to Jeremiah. Furthermore in the desperate situation of the siege he may have needed money at hand in order to buy food. Thus it would no doubt have been seen by him as a rather good move to sell it to Jeremiah before he lost it totally to the Babylonians. The price may well, therefore, have been a bargain one, with Jeremiah having the right of redemption because Hanamel had no sons.

It was seen as important in Israel/Judah to keep family land within the wider family (compare the situation in Ruth 3:9; Ruth 4:1; also Leviticus 25:24 ff.). When it was being sold it must therefore be offered within the family, a custom exemplified here.

Jeremiah 32:6

‘And Jeremiah said, The word of YHWH came to me, saying,'

We have once again one of Jeremiah's distinctive markers indicating a new passage. And once again it is intended to remind us that all that Jeremiah spoke was the word that came to him direct from YHWH. The passage may be divided up into:

1. Details of the property transaction (Jeremiah 32:7).

2. Jeremiah's prayer in regard to it once he had completed it (Jeremiah 32:16 onwards).