Jeremiah 32:10

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

And I subscribed {H3789} the evidence {H5612}, and sealed {H2856} it, and took {H5749} witnesses {H5707}, and weighed {H8254} him the money {H3701} in the balances {H3976}.

Complete Jewish Bible

I signed on the purchase contract, sealed it, called witnesses and weighed out the money for him on a balance scale.

Berean Standard Bible

I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.

American Standard Version

And I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and called witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 32:10 meticulously details the prophet Jeremiah's adherence to ancient Israelite legal procedures during the purchase of a field from his cousin Hanamel. This seemingly ordinary transaction, commanded by God amidst the Babylonian siege and imminent destruction of Jerusalem, served as a profound prophetic act. It was a tangible sign of God's unwavering faithfulness and a powerful promise of future restoration, demonstrating that despite present despair, land would once again be bought and sold in Judah, signifying a future return and renewal of God's covenant with His people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 32 opens with Jeremiah imprisoned in the court of the guard during the tenth year of Zedekiah's reign, while the Babylonian army besieges Jerusalem. This is a period of intense national crisis and despair, with the city's fall and exile seemingly inevitable. In this dire situation, God gives Jeremiah a seemingly illogical command: to buy a field in Anathoth, his ancestral home, from his cousin Hanamel. The narrative immediately preceding verse 10 describes Hanamel's arrival and the explicit divine instruction to purchase the land as a sign that "houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land" ([Jeremiah 32:15](/jeremiah/32-15 "Jeremiah 32:15 - Promise of Future Possession")). Verse 10, therefore, is the practical execution of this divine command, highlighting Jeremiah's meticulous obedience and the legal integrity of the prophetic act. The detailed legal steps underscore the certainty and binding nature of God's promise, even when human circumstances appear to contradict it.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is Jerusalem under siege by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, a time when land ownership would appear utterly meaningless. Yet, the purchase of property held immense significance in ancient Israel, tied to tribal inheritance, family lineage, and the very covenant promises of God concerning the land. The meticulous legal process described in verse 10 reflects established ancient Near Eastern and Israelite customs for property transactions. Deeds were written, often in duplicate (one sealed, one open for reference), witnessed by multiple parties, and authenticated with a seal. Money, typically silver, was weighed out on scales, as standardized coinage was not yet common. This public and legally binding procedure ensured the validity of the transaction and protected future claims, even in times of political upheaval. Jeremiah's adherence to these customs, despite the impending exile, underscored the enduring validity of the transaction in God's eyes, even if the physical possession was temporarily suspended.
* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 32:10 contributes significantly to several major themes within the book of Jeremiah and broader biblical theology. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Faithfulness and Hope Amidst Despair**. God's command to purchase land, executed in this verse, is a powerful counter-narrative to the overwhelming hopelessness of the siege. It is a tangible sign that God's covenant promises, particularly concerning the land of Israel, remain intact despite the impending judgment and exile ([Jeremiah 32:15](/jeremiah/32-15 "Jeremiah 32:15 - The Promise of Future Restoration")). Another key theme is **Obedience to God's Word**, even when it seems irrational or contrary to present circumstances. Jeremiah's diligent execution of the purchase, despite his imprisonment and the city's imminent fall, exemplifies profound trust and obedience. Finally, the verse highlights **Legal Integrity and Divine Sovereignty**. The detailed legal process emphasizes the certainty and legitimacy of God's future plans. God's word is not just a vague promise but a legally binding reality, demonstrating His sovereign control over history and His ability to fulfill His promises regardless of human failures or present calamities, a theme echoed throughout [Jeremiah's prophecies](/jeremiah/29 "Jeremiah 29 - God's Plans for Hope and a Future").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Subscribed (Hebrew, _kâthab'_):** This primitive root means "to grave," and by implication, "to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)." In this context, it refers to the act of writing down the deed of purchase, creating a formal, documented record of the transaction. This emphasizes the legal and binding nature of the agreement, ensuring its validity for future reference and claims.
* **Sealed (Hebrew, _châtham'_):** Derived from a primitive root meaning "to close up," specifically "to seal." This action involved pressing a signet ring or other seal into wax or clay on the document. Sealing served as a mark of authenticity, ownership, and finality, making the document legally binding and tamper-proof. It signified the completion and validation of the contract.
* **Weighed (Hebrew, _shâqal'_):** A primitive root meaning "to suspend or poise," especially "in trade." Before the advent of standardized coinage, precious metals like silver (Hebrew, _keçeph'_) served as currency. The act of "weighing" the money in "balances" (Hebrew, _môʼzên'_) ensured the precise amount and purity of the silver exchanged, reflecting the meticulous and honest nature of the transaction. This detail underscores the fairness and transparency of the legal process.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And I subscribed the evidence":** Jeremiah, as the purchaser, personally wrote or oversaw the writing of the deed of purchase, known as the "evidence" or "deed of purchase." This act formally documented the transfer of property, establishing a legal record of the transaction. This was a crucial step in ancient property law, ensuring clarity and preventing disputes.
* **"and sealed [it]":** Following the writing, Jeremiah authenticated the document by sealing it. This involved pressing his personal seal (likely a signet ring) into soft clay or wax attached to the document. The seal served as a legal signature, confirming the authenticity and binding nature of the deed, making it legally unalterable once sealed.
* **"and took witnesses":** To further validate the transaction and provide independent verification, Jeremiah ensured the presence of witnesses. In ancient legal systems, witnesses were essential for public accountability and to testify to the legitimacy of the proceedings, particularly for significant transactions like land purchases. Their presence added an irrefutable layer of legal integrity.
* **"and weighed [him] the money in the balances":** This describes the method of payment. Instead of counting coins, Jeremiah weighed out the agreed-upon amount of silver (the "money") to Hanamel using scales ("balances"). This practice was standard before standardized coinage, ensuring that the exact weight and therefore value of the silver was transferred, preventing fraud and confirming the completion of the payment.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 32:10 is rich in **Legal Language/Verisimilitude**, meticulously detailing the steps of an ancient property transaction. This precise legalistic description lends authenticity and gravity to Jeremiah's actions, emphasizing that this was not a symbolic gesture but a real, binding legal act. The detailed process of subscribing, sealing, taking witnesses, and weighing money underscores the certainty and legitimacy of the transaction, mirroring the certainty of God's promise. Furthermore, the entire act serves as **Symbolism**. Jeremiah's purchase of land in a besieged city symbolizes God's future restoration of Israel to their land, a powerful message of hope against all human odds. The act is also a form of **Prophetic Sign-Act**, where the prophet's physical actions embody and communicate God's message. By engaging in a seemingly absurd transaction, Jeremiah visually and tangibly demonstrates God's unwavering faithfulness and His ultimate plan to bring His people back to their inheritance, even when judgment is imminent.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 32:10 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering faithfulness and His sovereign control over history, even in the darkest of times. The meticulous legal process of the land purchase, commanded by God, serves as a concrete demonstration that God's promises are as binding and certain as any human legal contract, indeed, far more so. It underscores that divine judgment, while severe, is not the final word; rather, it is a precursor to ultimate restoration. This act of faith, performed under the shadow of destruction, foreshadows the new covenant where God's law would be written on hearts, and His people would truly inherit spiritual blessings. It reminds us that God's economy of salvation often operates counter-intuitively to human logic, demanding radical trust in His unseen purposes.

* [Isaiah 55:11](/isaiah/55-11 "Isaiah 55:11 - God's Word Will Not Return Empty")
* [Romans 4:18-21](/romans/4-18-21 "Romans 4:18-21 - Abraham's Faith in God's Promise")
* [Hebrews 11:1](/hebrews/11-1 "Hebrews 11:1 - The Definition of Faith")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 32:10 offers a profound lesson in exercising faith when circumstances seem utterly hopeless. Jeremiah, imprisoned and witnessing the imminent collapse of his nation, is commanded by God to engage in a transaction that, from a human perspective, is absurd and futile. Yet, he obeys meticulously, demonstrating a trust in God's word that transcends immediate reality. For us, this means cultivating a deep-seated conviction in God's promises, even when our personal or collective situations appear dire. It calls us to act in faith, perhaps in ways that defy conventional wisdom, believing that God's ultimate purposes will prevail. This verse also emphasizes the importance of integrity and diligence in our dealings, reflecting God's own meticulousness in fulfilling His word. Our obedience, even in small, seemingly insignificant acts, can become powerful testimonies to God's faithfulness and a beacon of hope to those around us.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life are you being called to trust God's promises despite seemingly impossible circumstances?**
* **How does Jeremiah's meticulous obedience challenge your own approach to God's commands, especially when they seem illogical or difficult?**
* **What practical steps can you take to live with greater integrity and diligence in your daily transactions, reflecting God's character?**

### FAQ

**Why was Jeremiah commanded to buy land when Jerusalem was about to fall?**

Answer: Jeremiah was commanded to buy land as a powerful prophetic sign-act, demonstrating God's unwavering promise of future restoration for Israel. Despite the imminent destruction and exile, God wanted to assure His people that they would eventually return to the land and that life, including the buying and selling of property, would resume ([Jeremiah 32:15](/jeremiah/32-15 "Jeremiah 32:15 - Promise of Future Possession")). It was a tangible symbol of hope and divine faithfulness in a time of profound despair, illustrating that God's plans for His people would ultimately prevail over judgment.

**What is the significance of "sealing" and "weighing the money" in this verse?**

Answer: These actions highlight the meticulous legal integrity of the transaction, which was crucial in ancient Israelite society. "Sealing" (with a signet) authenticated the deed, making it legally binding and tamper-proof, much like a signature today. "Weighing the money" (silver) in balances was the standard method of payment before standardized coinage, ensuring the precise value of the currency exchanged. These details underscore the certainty and legitimacy of the land purchase, reinforcing the idea that God's prophetic promise of future restoration was not a vague hope but a certain, legally assured reality, as firm and trustworthy as any human contract ([Jeremiah 32:14](/jeremiah/32-14 "Jeremiah 32:14 - The Preservation of the Deeds")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 32:10, with its focus on the purchase of land as a sign of future inheritance and restoration, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Jeremiah's act pointed to a physical return to the land of Israel, Christ's work establishes a spiritual inheritance and a new covenant that transcends geographical boundaries. Through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, Jesus "purchased" for us a far greater inheritance—not merely a plot of land, but eternal life and citizenship in the Kingdom of God ([Ephesians 1:11-14](/ephesians/1-11-14 "Ephesians 1:11-14 - Our Inheritance in Christ")). Just as Jeremiah's deed was "sealed" and witnessed, the New Covenant is sealed by the blood of Christ ([Hebrews 9:15](/hebrews/9-15 "Hebrews 9:15 - Christ, Mediator of the New Covenant")) and witnessed by the Holy Spirit, who is given as a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" ([Ephesians 1:14](/ephesians/1-14 "Ephesians 1:14 - The Holy Spirit as a Guarantee")). The meticulous legal process Jeremiah undertook foreshadows the perfect, legally binding work of Christ, who fully satisfied the righteous demands of God's law, securing for us an eternal possession that will never be lost or taken away, even in the face of worldly destruction or despair ([1 Peter 1:3-5](/1_peter/1-3-5 "1 Peter 1:3-5 - An Inheritance That Can Never Perish")). Thus, the hope of future restoration promised in Jeremiah is fully realized in the spiritual reality of redemption and the promise of a new heavens and a new earth through Christ ([Revelation 21:1-4](/revelation/21-1-4 "Revelation 21:1-4 - The New Heaven and New Earth")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 32:44

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.

Jeremiah 32:12

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.

Jeremiah 32:25

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.

Job 14:17

My transgression [is] sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

Deuteronomy 32:34

[Is] not this laid up in store with me, [and] sealed up among my treasures?

Isaiah 44:5

One shall say, I [am] the LORD'S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto the LORD, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.

John 6:27

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.