Jeremiah 32:12
in Jeremiah 32and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement and all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and I delivered the deed of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the guard.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Jeremiah 32
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Baruch--Jeremiah's amanuensis and agent (Jer 36:4, &c.). before all--In sales everything clandestine was avoided; publicity was required. So here, in the court of prison, where Jeremiah was confined, there were soldiers and others, who had free access to him, present (Jer 38:1).
This site's exposition
according to the law and custom, and that which was open
on Jeremiah 32:11-15
Jeremiah takes both copies of the deed, the sealed evidence according to the law and custom, and that which was open, and hands them to Baruch before witnesses in the prison court, a purchase documented with more formality than the desperate hour would seem to require. The instruction to put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days looks past the coming destruction to a reader decades removed, the deed preserved precisely because the field will be unreachable for a generation. The stated purpose closes the unit, houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land, the sign act's whole meaning given in one sentence.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 12.) And I gave the book of possession to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Anameel my cousin, and in the sight of the witnesses who were written in the book of purchase; in the sight of all the Jews who were sitting in the prison courtyard.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Baruch - This Baruch (chap. xlvi, 4, 26,) was a scribe, and an attendant upon Jeremiah. Witnesses - He made this purchase with all the usual formalities; he signed and sealed it before witnesses, and delivered it to Baruch to keep, in the presence of all the Jews.
He prays with admiration of God's majesty and works; and represents his own conflict, ver. 16-25. God confirms the captivity for their sins, ver. 26-35. but promises a gracious return, ver. 36-44.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-26/36-anchored-1-15
And I gave the evidence of the purchase,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
in the presence of Hanamel my uncle And until now, he calls him “my uncle’s son.” Perhaps there were two. Otherwise, I do not know what it means. Some are inclined to say that Hanamel was both Jeremiah’s uncle and his uncle’s son; e.g.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֶתֵּ֞ן | vaeten | and I gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַסֵּ֣פֶר | hasefer | the document | H5612 → | 186 times |
| הַמִּקְנָ֗ה | hamiknah | the purchase | H4736 → | 15 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בָּר֣וּךְ | barukh | Baruch | H1263 → | 26 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נֵרִיָּה֮ | neriyah | Neriah | H5374 → | 10 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מַחְסֵיָה֒ | machseyah | Mahseiah | H4271 → | |
| לְעֵינֵי֙ | leeinei | to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| חֲנַמְאֵ֣ל | chanamel | Hanamel | H2601 → | 4 times |
| דֹּדִ֔י | dodi | uncle my | H1730 → | 61 times |
| וּלְעֵינֵי֙ | uleeinei | and to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הָֽעֵדִ֔ים | haedim | the witnesses | H5707 → | 70 times |
| הַכֹּתְבִ֖ים | hakotevim | who wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| בְּסֵ֣פֶר | besefer | on [the] document of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| הַמִּקְנָ֑ה | hamiknah | the purchase | H4736 → | 15 times |
| לְעֵינֵי֙ | leeinei | to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים | haiyoshevim | who were sitting | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּחֲצַ֥ר | bachatzar | in [the] courtyard of | H2691 → | 191 times |
| הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃ | hamatarah | the guard | H4307 → | 16 times |
וָאֶתֵּ֞ןand I gave
vaetenH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַסֵּ֣פֶרthe document
haseferH5612 →186 times
הַמִּקְנָ֗הthe purchase
hamiknahH4736 →15 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בָּר֣וּךְBaruch
barukhH1263 →26 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נֵרִיָּה֮Neriah
neriyahH5374 →10 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
מַחְסֵיָה֒Mahseiah
machseyahH4271 →
לְעֵינֵי֙to [the] eyes of
leeineiH5869 →887 times
חֲנַמְאֵ֣לHanamel
chanamelH2601 →4 times
דֹּדִ֔יuncle my
dodiH1730 →61 times
וּלְעֵינֵי֙and to [the] eyes of
uleeineiH5869 →887 times
הָֽעֵדִ֔יםthe witnesses
haedimH5707 →70 times
הַכֹּתְבִ֖יםwho wrote
hakotevimH3789 →224 times
בְּסֵ֣פֶרon [the] document of
beseferH5612 →186 times
הַמִּקְנָ֑הthe purchase
hamiknahH4736 →15 times
לְעֵינֵי֙to [the] eyes of
leeineiH5869 →887 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֔יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖יםwho were sitting
haiyoshevimH3427 →1079 times
בַּחֲצַ֥רin [the] courtyard of
bachatzarH2691 →191 times
הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃the guard
hamatarahH4307 →16 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 36:26Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 19:1–3
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- 1 Kings 19:10
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- 1 Kings 17:3
“Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
- Psalms 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- 1 Kings 19:14
“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am…
- 1 Kings 19:1–3
Through
Jeremiah 51:59This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the quartermaster Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 36:4
So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and at the dictation of Jeremiah, Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words that the LORD had spoken to Jeremiah.
- Jeremiah 36:4
Through
Jeremiah 32:16After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:
it leads to
- Philippians 4:6–7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
- Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live…
- Philippians 4:6–7
Where this verse is studied
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.