Jeremiah 32:6
And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Original Language Analysis
יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ
And Jeremiah
H3414
יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ
And Jeremiah
Strong's:
H3414
Word #:
2 of 7
jirmejah, the name of eight or nine israelites
הָיָ֥ה
H1961
הָיָ֥ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
3 of 7
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
דְּבַר
The word
H1697
דְּבַר
The word
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
4 of 7
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
Historical Context
This occurred in 588 BC during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (the tenth year of Zedekiah, eighteenth of Nebuchadnezzar). The city would fall within two years, and Zedekiah would be captured trying to escape. Jeremiah had been imprisoned for prophesying these events (vv. 2-5). In this context, purchasing land seemed foolish—like buying stock in a company going bankrupt. Yet faith acts on God's promises, not present appearances.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's precise prediction of Hanamel's visit demonstrate divine sovereignty over even mundane personal decisions?
- What does it mean to act in faith when circumstances seem to contradict God's promises?
- How should we respond when God calls us to actions that seem foolish or counterintuitive from a worldly perspective?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse introduces one of Scripture's most dramatic enacted prophecies. Jeremiah, imprisoned by King Zedekiah for prophesying Jerusalem's fall, receives God's word that his cousin Hanamel will offer to sell him a field in Anathoth. The precise prediction demonstrates divine foreknowledge and prepares Jeremiah for the coming transaction. When it unfolds exactly as God said, Jeremiah recognizes God's sovereign orchestration of events.
The phrase 'the word of the LORD came unto me' is the prophetic formula Jeremiah uses throughout his book. It emphasizes that his message originates not from his own imagination but from divine revelation. This distinguishes true prophets from false ones—the true prophet speaks what God has revealed, while false prophets speak from their own hearts (23:16). Jeremiah's consistent faithfulness to God's word, even when it brought him suffering, validates his prophetic credentials.
This passage models faith in God's promises despite contrary circumstances. Jerusalem is under siege, Jeremiah is in prison, Babylon's victory is certain—yet God commands him to purchase land as testimony that 'houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land' (v. 15). This is faith: acting on God's word even when present reality seems to contradict it. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' Jeremiah's field purchase embodied this definition.