Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 32:26-44

"Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: and the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah. For this city hath been to me a provocation of mine anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 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. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. And now therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith Jehovah: Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe the deeds, and seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill-country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 32:26-44 (ASV)

The answer is divided into two parts:

1. In Jeremiah 32:26-35, the sins of Judah are shown to be the cause of her punishment.
2. In Jeremiah 32:36-44, this punishment was not for Judah’s destruction, but for her amendment.

(Jeremiah 32:28) I will give – Or, I am giving.

(Jeremiah 32:30) From their youth – God’s mighty deeds for Israel began in Egypt (Jeremiah 32:20), and so did Israel’s sin.

These verses (Jeremiah 32:34–35) are repeated from Jeremiah 7:30-31, but with two important variations. Baal is substituted for Tophet, and the wording is "to Molech" instead of "in the fire." Molech the king and Baal the lord are different names of the sun-god, but in altered relations.

Molech is the sun as the mighty fire, which in passing through the signs of the Zodiac burns up its own children. It is an old Canaanite worship, carried by the Phoenicians to all their colonies, and firmly established in Palestine at the time when the Israelites conquered the country.

(Jeremiah 32:39) One heart, and one way – . Under the new covenant they will with one accord walk in the one narrow path of right-doing (Matthew 7:14). Forever, that is, every day, constantly.

(Jeremiah 32:40) God’s new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) is, on God’s side, I will not turn away from them to do them good (that is, I will never cease from doing them good). On their side, I will put My fear in their hearts that they do not depart from Me. In these two conditions consists the certainty of the eternal duration of the covenant (Matthew 28:20).

(Jeremiah 32:41) Assuredly – literally, in truth, that is, in reality. It refers to God’s firm purpose, rather than to the safety and security of the people. The new covenant is one of grace, indicated by God’s rejoicing over His people, and planting them with His whole heart.

(Jeremiah 32:43) Fields – literally, The field, the open unenclosed country (Jeremiah 4:17). In Jeremiah 32:44, fields refers to the several portions of it which belonged to individuals, and of which the boundaries were shown by landmarks.

(Jeremiah 32:44) Subscribe evidences – . In order to bring the certainty of the return from exile more vividly before the mind, the prophet enumerates the several subdivisions of the territory of the kings of Judah.