Jeremiah 32:32

Translation
King James Version
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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KJV (with Strong's)
Because of all the evil H7451 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 and of the children H1121 of Judah H3063, which they have done H6213 to provoke me to anger H3707, they, their kings H4428, their princes H8269, their priests H3548, and their prophets H5030, and the men H376 of Judah H3063, and the inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem H3389.
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Complete Jewish Bible
because of all the evil that the people of Isra'el and the people of Y'hudah have done in order to make me angry - they, their kings, their leaders, their cohanim, their prophets, the men of Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
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Berean Standard Bible
because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.
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American Standard Version
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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World English Bible Messianic
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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Geneva Bible (1599)
Because of all the euill of the children of Israel, and of the children of Iudah, which they haue done to prouoke mee to anger, euen they, their Kings, their Princes, their Priests, and their Prophets, and the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem.
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Young's Literal Translation
Because of all the evil of the sons of Israel, and of the sons of Judah that they have done, so as to provoke Me--they, their kings, their heads, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
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See also
Isaiah 1:4Isaiah 1:6Daniel 9:8Jeremiah 2:26Ezra 9:7Isaiah 1:23Ezekiel 22:6
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In the KJVVerse 19,764 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 32:32 serves as a profound and comprehensive indictment against the persistent and pervasive rebellion of both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It meticulously details the widespread nature of their sin, implicating every stratum of society—from the highest leadership, including kings, princes, priests, and prophets, down to the common men and inhabitants of Jerusalem. This verse underscores that the impending divine judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous and direct consequence of generations of deliberate actions that provoked God's holy anger, revealing the depth of their covenant unfaithfulness and the systemic corruption that permeated the entire nation.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 32:32 is strategically placed within a pivotal chapter that masterfully juxtaposes the certainty of impending judgment with a profound promise of future restoration. The preceding narrative (Jeremiah 32:1-15) recounts Jeremiah's symbolic act of purchasing a field in Anathoth, even as Jerusalem is under the suffocating grip of the Babylonian siege. This divinely commanded transaction serves as a powerful sign of hope, signifying that "houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land" (Jeremiah 32:15). Following this act, Jeremiah expresses his perplexity to God (Jeremiah 32:16-25), wrestling with the tension between God's omnipotence and justice, and the timing of such a hopeful sign amidst severe judgment. God's response, commencing in Jeremiah 32:26, reaffirms the absolute certainty of the judgment due to Israel and Judah's deep-seated sin. Verse 32 specifically articulates the comprehensive and pervasive nature of their offense that necessitated such drastic divine action. The chapter then pivots back to glorious promises of future gathering, renewal, and a new covenant, demonstrating God's unwavering faithfulness even through the crucible of judgment (Jeremiah 32:37-44).
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical setting of Jeremiah 32 is intensely dramatic and critical: Jerusalem is under siege by Nebuchadnezzar's formidable Babylonian army, marking the final, desperate days of the Kingdom of Judah before its catastrophic fall in 586 BC. This period was characterized by profound political instability, rampant spiritual apostasy, and widespread social injustice, despite persistent and urgent warnings from prophets like Jeremiah. Culturally, the people of Judah had largely abandoned the Mosaic covenant, engaging in egregious acts of idolatry, including the horrific practice of child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom, and pervasive social oppression. These actions mirrored the very sins that had led to the Northern Kingdom of Israel's exile centuries earlier (2 Kings 17:7-18). The explicit mention of "kings, princes, priests, and prophets" highlights the catastrophic breakdown of leadership across all societal sectors, indicating a systemic corruption that permeated the nation from its highest echelons to its lowest strata. Jerusalem, as the capital and the revered religious center where the Temple stood, was considered the heart of the nation's spiritual life, making the complicity of its inhabitants particularly poignant and indicative of the nation's profound spiritual sickness.
  • Key Themes: Jeremiah 32:32 powerfully contributes to several overarching theological and narrative themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it emphatically underscores the theme of Divine Justice and Judgment, demonstrating that God's actions are never arbitrary but always a righteous and necessary response to persistent, deliberate, and widespread sin. The depth of the people's "evil" and their active "provoking" of God underscores the absolute necessity of the impending exile as a just and unavoidable consequence. Secondly, the verse highlights Corporate Responsibility and Pervasive Sin, vividly illustrating that sin was not confined to a few isolated individuals but had infected and corrupted every level of society, from the highest echelons of power to the common populace. This collective guilt profoundly explains the corporate nature of the judgment that was to befall the entire nation. Thirdly, it subtly but powerfully reinforces the theme of Covenant Faithfulness and Unfaithfulness. The "evil" committed by Israel and Judah represents a profound and egregious breach of the sacred covenant relationship God had lovingly established with them, where obedience was linked to blessing and disobedience to curses, as meticulously outlined in Deuteronomy 28. Despite this pervasive unfaithfulness, the broader context of Jeremiah 32 still holds out the glorious promise of future Restoration and Hope, demonstrating God's ultimate and unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, even through the painful process of judgment (Jeremiah 32:37-41).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • evil (Hebrew, raʻ', H7451): This word (H7451) denotes something bad or morally corrupt, encompassing a wide range of negative connotations such as adversity, affliction, calamity, distress, harm, mischief, and wickedness. In Jeremiah 32:32, "evil" refers to the comprehensive moral and spiritual depravity of the children of Israel and Judah, signifying their profound departure from God's righteous standards and their engagement in practices contrary to the Mosaic covenant. It is not merely misfortune but a deep-seated, active wickedness that permeated their actions, character, and national life.
  • provoke me to anger (Hebrew, kaʻaç', H3707): The root word (H3707) means "to trouble," and by implication, "to grieve, rage, or be indignant." When used in relation to God, it describes a righteous indignation and deep displeasure arising from being continually wronged, dishonored, or rebelled against. It is not an uncontrolled outburst but a just, holy, and measured response to persistent unfaithfulness, idolatry, and covenant breaking. The phrase "to provoke me to anger" emphasizes the intentionality and direct affront of their actions against God's character, His holy name, and His divine will.
  • inhabitants (Hebrew, yâshab', H3427): This primitive root (H3427) primarily means "to sit down," but by implication, "to dwell" or "to remain." In the context of "inhabitants of Jerusalem," it refers to those who reside or are settled in the city, establishing their home and life there. The explicit inclusion of the "inhabitants" alongside kings, princes, priests, and prophets underscores the widespread nature of the sin, indicating that the corruption was not limited to the ruling or religious elite but extended to the general populace, making the entire community complicit in the national apostasy and deserving of the impending judgment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah": This opening clause establishes the fundamental and overarching reason for God's impending and severe judgment. It attributes the coming calamity directly to the comprehensive moral and spiritual corruption ("evil") that characterized both the Northern Kingdom (Israel, which had long since been exiled by Assyria) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah, which was currently facing the Babylonian siege and imminent exile). This highlights a long and consistent history of unfaithfulness spanning generations across both covenant peoples.
  • "which they have done to provoke me to anger": This crucial phrase clarifies the active and intentional nature of their evil: it was not passive or accidental transgression but deliberate, sustained actions that directly offended and stirred God's righteous indignation. Their deeds were intentional acts of rebellion and defiance that caused profound grief and holy displeasure to their covenant Lord, emphasizing the relational aspect of their sin as a personal affront to God Himself.
  • "they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets": This detailed and exhaustive enumeration underscores the pervasive and systemic nature of the corruption within Judah. It explicitly names the various leadership strata within society, indicating that sin had permeated and corrupted every level of authority—both political (kings, princes, who were responsible for just governance) and religious (priests, who were responsible for teaching the Law and mediating worship; and prophets, who were meant to speak God's truth but often became false). This collective failure of leadership contributed significantly to the nation's spiritual and moral decline.
  • "and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem": This final part of the enumeration extends the indictment beyond the leadership to include the general populace, demonstrating the depth of the nation's depravity. "The men of Judah" refers to the people of the broader territory of the Southern Kingdom, while "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" specifically points to those living in the capital city, the very heart of the nation's religious, political, and cultural life. This comprehensive list definitively shows that the sin was deeply entrenched and widespread, affecting the entire collective body of the nation, making the judgment a just consequence for all.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 32:32 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with striking clarity and impact. Enumeration is prominently used, as the verse meticulously lists various societal groups—"kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." This exhaustive list serves to emphasize the Pervasiveness of sin, demonstrating unequivocally that corruption was not isolated to a few individuals but had permeated every level of society, from the highest leadership to the common people. The repetition of "children of Israel and of the children of Judah" highlights the Corporate Nature of Sin, indicating a shared history of rebellion and unfaithfulness across both kingdoms, leading to a collective judgment. Furthermore, the phrase "to provoke me to anger" is a poignant example of Anthropomorphism, attributing a human emotion (anger) to God. This device makes God's righteous response relatable to human experience and underscores the profound personal offense their actions caused Him, emphasizing His holy indignation rather than a capricious outburst. The verse's stark clarity, directness, and comprehensive indictment also contribute to its powerful Didactic purpose, serving as a clear explanation and solemn warning regarding the inevitable consequences of widespread and persistent unfaithfulness to a holy God.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 32:32 profoundly articulates the theological principle of divine justice in response to human sin. It reveals that God's judgment is not arbitrary, vindictive, or capricious, but rather a righteous, necessary, and sorrowful consequence of persistent rebellion and covenant unfaithfulness. The comprehensive nature of the indictment, touching every societal stratum from the highest rulers to the common citizen, underscores the concept of corporate responsibility, where the collective actions and moral decay of a nation bring about collective consequences. This verse highlights that sin, particularly when it becomes systemic, pervasive, and unrepentant, genuinely grieves and provokes a holy God, necessitating a divine response to uphold His justice, maintain His moral order, and preserve the integrity of His covenant. It serves as a stark reminder that while God is infinitely patient and merciful, His patience has limits, and unrepentant sin will ultimately incur His just wrath, leading to corrective judgment for the sake of ultimate redemption.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 32:32 stands as a timeless and sobering warning, urging us to critically examine the pervasive nature of sin, both individually and corporately. It challenges the common notion that sin is a private matter, revealing its insidious capacity to corrupt entire societies, from the highest echelons of leadership to the common person in the street. This verse compels us to recognize that our actions, especially those that openly defy God's revealed will and violate His moral order, genuinely provoke His righteous anger and holy displeasure. It calls for a deep and honest introspection into the spiritual health of our contemporary communities, our churches, and our nations, prompting us to ask whether we, like ancient Israel and Judah, are allowing unfaithfulness, injustice, and moral decay to fester and become entrenched. The comprehensive indictment serves as a profound reminder that accountability extends to all, regardless of status or position, and that true repentance must begin with a humble acknowledgment of the depth and breadth of our collective and individual failures before a holy and just God.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways might our contemporary society, or even our faith communities, exhibit the kind of pervasive sin described in Jeremiah 32:32, where corruption extends from leadership to the general populace?
  • How does understanding God's "provoked anger" inform our view of His character, moving beyond a simplistic understanding of divine wrath to one of righteous indignation against unfaithfulness and injustice?
  • What specific steps can individuals and communities take to foster a culture of accountability, spiritual integrity, and genuine repentance, rather than allowing sin to become entrenched and systemic?

FAQ

Why does God specify "kings, princes, priests, and prophets" in this indictment?

Answer: God specifies these distinct groups to powerfully emphasize the comprehensive and systemic nature of the sin that had permeated Judah. Kings and princes represent the political leadership, who were responsible for upholding justice, administering the law, and governing the nation righteously. Priests were the spiritual guides, entrusted with teaching the Mosaic Law, mediating worship, and maintaining the purity of the covenant. Prophets, though often God's faithful messengers of truth, could also become corrupt or false, leading the people astray. By meticulously naming each of these influential sectors, God highlights that the corruption was not confined to one isolated area but had infected every level of authority and influence, from the top down. This demonstrates that the nation's spiritual and moral decay was a collective and pervasive failure, not merely the fault of a few individuals, thereby justifying the corporate judgment that was to fall upon all of Jerusalem and Judah.

Does God's "anger" imply a loss of control or a vengeful nature?

Answer: No, God's "anger" (Hebrew, kaʻaç) in this context does not imply a loss of control, a capricious outburst, or a vengeful nature in the human sense. Rather, it signifies His righteous indignation and deep displeasure at persistent, deliberate, and widespread sin. It is a holy and just response to the flagrant violation of His covenant, His character, and His moral order. Unlike human anger, which can often be irrational, selfish, or sinful, God's anger is always perfectly just, controlled, and entirely aligned with His holiness, righteousness, and perfect wisdom. It reflects His unwavering commitment to upholding justice and His profound sorrow over His people's unfaithfulness. This divine emotion underscores the immense seriousness of their actions and the necessity of judgment as a corrective measure, ultimately aimed at leading to repentance and restoration for those who respond in faith, as seen in the broader context of Jeremiah 32.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 32:32, with its stark portrayal of pervasive sin and the resulting divine judgment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "evil" that provoked God's righteous anger, encompassing every level of society from corrupt leadership to the common person, represents the universal human condition of sin that necessitated a perfect and final sacrifice. While the people of Israel and Judah repeatedly failed to keep the covenant, provoking God's wrath through their unfaithfulness, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law and bore the full weight of that divine wrath on the cross. He became the ultimate "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The corporate guilt detailed in Jeremiah 32:32, which led to national exile and the destruction of Jerusalem, is comprehensively addressed by Christ's atoning work, offering a new covenant where individual and corporate sin can be forgiven and reconciliation with God achieved (Hebrews 9:15). Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus inaugurated a new spiritual Israel, composed of all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike, who are called to live in obedience and righteousness, thereby escaping the judgment due to sin and entering into the promise of eternal restoration, communion with God, and a new heavens and new earth (Romans 5:8-9; Revelation 21:1-4).

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Commentary on Jeremiah 32 verses 26–44

We have here God's answer to Jeremiah's prayer, designed to quiet his mind and make him easy; and it is a full discovery of the purposes of God's wrath against the present generation and the purposes of his grace concerning the future generations. Jeremiah knew not how to sing both of mercy and judgment, but God here teaches to sing unto him of both. When we know not how to reconcile one word of God with another we may yet be sure that both are true, both are pure, both shall be made good, and not one iota or tittle of either shall fall to the ground. When Jeremiah was ordered to buy the field in Anathoth he was willing to hope that God was about to revoke the sentence of his wrath and to order the Chaldeans to raise the siege. "No," says God, "the execution of the sentence shall go on; Jerusalem shall be laid in ruins." Note, Assurances of future mercy must not be interpreted as securities from present troubles. But, lest Jeremiah should think that his being ordered to buy this field intimated that all the mercy God had in store for his people, after their return, was only that they should have the possession of their own land again, he further informs him that that was but a type and figure of those spiritual blessings which should then be abundantly bestowed upon them, unspeakably more valuable than fields and vineyards; so that in this word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah, we have first as dreadful threatenings and then as precious promises as perhaps any we have in the Old Testament; life and death, good and evil, are here set before us; let us consider and choose wisely.

I. The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem is here pronounced. The decree has gone forth, and shall not be recalled. 1. God here asserts his own sovereignty and power (Jer 32:27): Behold, I am Jehovah, a self-existent self-sufficient being; I am that I am; I am the God of all flesh, that is, of all mankind, here called flesh because weak and unable to contend with God (Psa 56:4), and because wicked and corrupt and unapt to comply with God. God is the Creator of all, and makes what use he pleases of all. He that is the God of Israel is the God of all flesh and of the spirits of all flesh, and, if Israel were cast off, could raise up a people to his name out of some other nation. If he be the God of all flesh, he may well ask, Is any thing too hard for me? What cannot he do from whom all the powers of men are derived, on whom they depend, and by whom all their actions are directed and governed? Whatever he designs to do, whether in wrath or in mercy, nothing can hinder him nor defeat his designs. 2. He abides by that he had often said of the destruction of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (Jer 32:28): I will give this city into his hand, now that he is grasping at it, and he shall take it and make a prey of it, Jer 32:29. The Chaldeans shall come and set fire to it, shall burn it and all the houses in it, God's house not excepted, nor the king's neither. 3. He assigns the reason for these severe proceedings against the city that had been so much in his favour. It is sin, it is that and nothing else, that ruins it. (1.) They were impudent and daring in sin. They offered incense to Baal, not in corners, as men ashamed or afraid of being discovered, but upon the tops of their houses (Jer 32:29), in defiance of God's justice. (2.) They designed an affront to God herein. They did it to provoke me to anger, Jer 32:29. They have only provoked me to anger with the works of their hands, Jer 32:30. They could not promise themselves any pleasure, profit, or honour out of it, but did it on purpose to offend God. And again (Jer 32:32), All the evil which they have done was to provoke me to anger. They knew he was a jealous God in the matters of his worship, and there they resolved to try his jealousy and dare him to his face. "Jerusalem has been to me a provocation of my anger and fury," Jer 32:31. Their conduct in every thing was provoking. (3.) They began betimes, and had continued all along provoking to God: "They have done evil before me from their youth, ever since they were first formed into a people (Jer 32:30), witness their murmurings and rebellions in the wilderness." And as for Jerusalem, though it was the holy city, it has been a provocation to the holy God from the day that they built it, even to this day, Jer 32:31. O what reason have we to lament the little honour God has from this world, and the great dishonour that is done him, when even in Judah, where he is known and his name is great, and in Salem where his tabernacle is, there was always that found that was a provocation to him! (4.) All orders and degrees of men contributed to the common guilt, and therefore were justly involved in the common ruin. Not only the children of Israel, that had revolted from the temple, but the children of Judah too, that still adhered to it - not only the common people, the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, but those that should have reproved and restrained sin in others were themselves ringleaders in it, their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. (5.) God had again and again called them to repentance, but they turned a deaf ear to his calls, and rudely turned their back on him that called them, though he was their master, to whom they were bound in duty, and their benefactor, to whom they were bound in gratitude and interest, Jer 32:33. "I taught them better manners, with as much care as ever any tender parent taught a child, rising up early, in teaching them, studying to adapt the teaching to their capacities, taking them betimes, when they might have been most pliable, but all in vain; they turned not the face to me, would not so much as look upon me, nay, they turned the back upon me," an expression of the highest contempt. As he called them, like froward children, so they went from him, Hos 11:2. They have not hearkened to receive instruction; they regarded not a word that was said to them, though it was designed for their own good. (6.) There was in their idolatries an impious contempt of God; for (Jer 32:34) they set their abominations (their idols, which they knew to be in the highest degree abominable to God) in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. They had their idols not only in their high places and groves, but even in God's temple. (7.) They were guilty of the most unnatural cruelty to their own children; for they sacrificed them to Moloch, Jer 32:35. Thus because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, but changed his glory into shame, they were justly given up to vile affections and stripped of natural ones, and their glory was turned into shame. And, (8.) What was the consequence of all this? [1.] They caused Judah to sin, Jer 32:35. The whole country was infected with the contagious idolatries and iniquities of Jerusalem. [2.] They brought ruin upon themselves. It was as if they had done it on purpose that God should remove them from before his face (Jer 32:31); they would throw themselves out of his favour.

II. The restoration of Judah and Jerusalem is here promised, Jer 32:36, etc. God will in judgment remember mercy, and there will a time come, a set time, to favour Zion. Observe, 1. The despair to which this people were now at length brought. When the judgment was threatened at a distance they had no fear; when it attacked them they had no hope. They said concerning the city (Jer 32:36), It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, not by any cowardice or ill conduct of ours, but by the sword, famine, and pestilence. Concerning the country they said, with vexation (Jer 32:43), It is desolate, without man or beast; there is no relief, there is no remedy. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Note, Deep security commonly ends in deep despair; whereas those that keep up a holy fear at all times have a good hope to support them in the worst of times. 2. The hope that God gives them of mercy which he had in store for them hereafter. Though their carcases must fall in captivity, yet their children after them shall again see this good land and the goodness of God in it. (1.) They shall be brought up from their captivity and shall come and settle again in this land, Jer 32:37. They had been under God's anger and fury, and great wrath; but now they shall partake of his grace, and love, and great favour. He had dispersed them, and driven them into all countries. Those that fled dispersed themselves; those that fell into the enemies; hands were dispersed by them, in policy, to prevent combinations among them. God's hand was in both. But now God will find them out, and gather them out of all the countries whither they were driven, as he promised in the law (Deu 30:3, Deu 30:4) and the saints had prayed, Psa 106:47; Neh 1:9. He had banished them, but he will bring them again to this place, which they could not but have an affection for. For many years past, while they were in their own land, they were continually exposed, and terrified with the alarms of war; but now I will cause them to dwell safely. Being reformed, and having returned to God, neither their own consciences within nor their enemies without shall be a terror to them. He promises (Jer 32:41): I will plant them in this land assuredly; not only I will certainly do it, but they shall here enjoy a holy a security and repose, and they shall take root here, shall be planted in stability, and not again be unfixed and shaken. (2.) God will renew his covenant with them, a covenant of grace, the blessings of which are spiritual, and such as will work good things in them, to qualify them for the great things God intended to do for them. It is called an everlasting covenant (Jer 32:40), not only because God will be for ever faithful to it, but because the consequences of it will be everlasting. For, doubtless, here the promises look further than to Israel according to the flesh, and are sure to all believers, to every Israelite indeed. Good Christians may apply them to themselves and plead them with God, may claim the benefit of them and take the comfort of them. [1.] God will own them for his, and make over himself to them to be theirs (Jer 32:38): They shall be my people. He will make them his by working in them all the characters and dispositions of his people, and then he will protect, and guide, and govern them as his people. "And, to make them truly, completely, and eternally happy, I will be their God." They shall serve and worship God as theirs and cleave to him only, and he will approve himself theirs. All he is, all he has, shall be engaged and employed for their good. [2.] God will give them a heart to fear him, Jer 32:39. That which he requires of those whom he takes into covenant with him as his people is that they fear him, that they reverence his majesty, dread his wrath, stand in awe of his authority, pay homage to him, and give him the glory due unto his name. Now what God requires of them he here promises to work in them, pursuant to his choice of them as his people. Note, As it is God's prerogative to fashion men's hearts, so it is his promise to his people to fashion theirs aright; and a heart to fear God is indeed a good heart, and well fashioned. It is repeated (Jer 32:40): I will put my fear in their hearts, that is, work in them gracious principles and dispositions, that shall influence and govern their whole conversation. Teachers may put good things into our heads, but it is God only that can put them into our hearts, that can work in us both to will and to do. [3.] He will give them one heart and one way. In order to their walking in one way, he will give them one heart: as the heart is, so will the way be, and both shall be one; that is First, They shall be each of them one with themselves. One heart is the same with a new heart, Eze 11:19. The heart is then one when it is fully determined for God and entirely devoted to God. When the eye is single and God's glory alone aimed at, when our hearts are fixed, trusting in God, and we are uniform and universal in our obedience to him, then the heart is one and way one; and, unless the heart be thus steady, the goings will not be stedfast. From this promise we may take direction and encouragement to pray, with David (Psa 86:11), Unite my heart to fear thy name; for God says, I will give them one heart, that they may fear me. Secondly, They shall be all of them one with each other. All good Christians shall be incorporated into one body; Jews and Gentiles shall become one sheep-fold; and they shall all, as far as they are sanctified, have a disposition to love one another, the gospel they profess having in it the strongest inducements to mutual love, and the Spirit that dwells in them being the Spirit of love. Though they may have different apprehensions about minor things, they shall be all one in the great things of God, being renewed after the same image. Though they may have many paths, they have but one way, that of serious godliness. [4.] He will effectually provide for their perseverance in grace and the perpetuating of the covenant between himself and them. They would have been happy when there were first planted in Canaan, like Adam in paradise, if they had not departed from God. And therefore, now that they are restored to their happiness, they shall be confirmed in it by the preventing of their departures from God, and this will complete their bliss. First, God will never leave nor forsake them: I will not turn away from them to do them good. Earthly princes are fickle, and their greatest favourites have fallen under their frowns; but God's mercy endures for ever. Whom he loves he loves to the end. God may seem to turn from this people (Isa 54:8), but even then he does not turn from doing and designing them good. Secondly, They shall never leave nor forsake him; that is the thing we are in danger of. We have no reason to distrust God's fidelity and constancy, but our own; and therefore it is here promised that God will give them a heart to fear him for ever, all days, to be in his fear every day and all the day long (Pro 23:17), and to continue so to the end of their days. He will put such a principle into their hearts that they shall not depart from him. Even those who have given up their names to God, if they be left to themselves, will depart from him; but the fear of God ruling in the heart, will prevent their departure. That, and nothing else, will do it. If we continue close and faithful to God, it is owing purely to his almighty grace and not to any strength or resolution of our own. [5.] He will entail a blessing upon their seed, will give them grace to fear him, for the good of them and of their children after them. As their departures from God had been to the prejudice of their children, so their adherence to God should be to the advantage of their children. We cannot better consult the good of posterity than by setting up, and keeping up, the fear and worship of God in our families. [6.] He will take a pleasure in their prosperity and will do every thing to advance it (Jer 32:41): I will rejoice over them to do them good. God will certainly do them good because he rejoices over them. They are dear to him; he makes his boast of them, and therefore will not only do them good, but will delight in doing them good. When he punishes them it is with reluctance. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? But, when he restores them, it is with satisfaction; he rejoices in doing them good. We ought therefore to serve him with pleasure and to rejoice in all opportunities of serving him. He is himself a cheerful giver, and therefore loves a cheerful servant. I will plant them (says God) with my whole heart and with my whole soul. He will be intent upon it, and take delight in it; he will make it the business of his providence to settle them again in Canaan, and the various dispensations of providence shall concur to it. All things shall appear at last so to have been working for the good of the church that it will be said, The governor of the world is entirely taken up with the care of his church. [7.] These promises shall as surely be performed as the foregoing threatenings were; and the accomplishment of those, notwithstanding the security of the people, might confirm their expectation of the performance of these, notwithstanding their present despair (Jer 32:42): As I have brought all this great evil upon them, pursuant to the threatenings, and for the glory of divine justice, so I will bring upon them all this good, pursuant to the promise, and for the glory of divine mercy. He that is faithful to his threatenings will much more be so to his promises; and he will comfort his people according to the time that he has afflicted them. The churches shall have rest after the days of adversity. [8.] As an earnest of all this, houses and lands shall again fetch a good price in Judah and Jerusalem, and, though now they are a drug, there shall again be a sufficient number of purchasers (Jer 32:43, Jer 32:44): Fields shall be bought in this land, and people will covet to have lands here rather than any where else. Lands, wherever they lie, will go off, not only in the places about Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah and of Israel, too, whether they lie on mountains, or in valleys, or in the south, in all parts of the country, men shall buy fields, and subscribe evidences. Trade shall revive, for they shall have money enough to buy land with. Husbandry shall revive, for those that have money shall covet to lay it out upon lands. Laws shall again have their due course, for they shall subscribe evidences and seal them. This is mentioned to reconcile Jeremiah to his new purchase. Though he had bought a piece of ground and could not go to see it, yet he must believe that this was the pledge of many a purchase, and those but faint resemblances of the purchased possessions in the heavenly Canaan, reserved for all those who have God's fear in their hearts and do not depart from him.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 26–44. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
AGAINST PRAXEAS 10
Of course nothing is “too hard for the Lord.” But if we choose to apply this principle so extravagantly and harshly in our capricious imaginations, we may then make out God to have done anything we please, on the ground that it was not impossible for him to do it. We must not suppose, however, because he is able to do all things, that he has done what he has not done. But we must inquire whether he has really done it. God could, if he had liked, have furnished humankind with wings to fly with, just as he gave wings to kites. We must not, however, run to the conclusion that he did this because he was able to do it. He might also have extinguished Praxeas and all other heretics at once; it does not follow, however, that he did, simply because he was able. For it was necessary that there should be both kites and heretics; it was necessary also that the Father should be crucified. In one sense there will be something difficult even for God—namely, that which he has not done—not because he could not but because he would not do it. For with God, to be willing is to be able and to be unwilling is to be unable; all that he has willed, however, he has both been able to accomplish and has displayed his ability.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 32.) He says, because of the wickedness of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done, provoking me to anger, they themselves, and their kings, and their leaders, their priests, and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Because he had said before: In my fury and in my indignation this city has been made for me, from the day when they built it until this day, when it is taken away from my sight; and he had shown that there was no one without sin in general, now he enumerates them individually, and includes kings, and leaders, and priests, and prophets, comprehending everything in one statement: The men of Judah, he says, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And he did not say it beautifully: Their kings, and their rulers, and their priests, and their prophets, but because their kings, and their rulers, and their priests, and their prophets have sinned.

And they turned their backs to me, and not their faces. According to what is written elsewhere: And they turned against me the shoulder that was turning away (Zech. 7:11). For the one who prays, bowing down with a bent neck is cast down to the ground; but the one who turns his back, by that bodily gesture indicates his disregard for the one threatening him. And, he says, they were doing this.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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