Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 32:10-11

"And I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and called witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, [according to] the law and custom, and that which was open:" — Jeremiah 32:10-11 (ASV)

Translate: And I wrote the particulars of the purchase in the deed ... And I took the purchase-deed, both that which was sealed containing the offer and the conditions, and that which was open, and so on.

There were two indentures, one of which was called the purchase-deed and was signed by the purchaser and the witnesses. It was then sealed—not in our sense of appending a seal instead of signatures, but to close it up.

The open deed was probably an exact copy and was intended for common use. If its authenticity was questioned, the sealed copy would have to be produced before the judge. The seal would then be opened, and if its contents agreed with those of the open deed, the decision would be in the buyer’s favor.

By "the offer" is probably meant the specification. The "conditions," literally the "statutes," would be the stipulations and terms of the sale—for example, concerning its restoration at the Year of Jubilee, its price, and so on.

The placing of the deeds in a jar was, of course, intended to preserve them from damp during the long years of the exile.