Charles Ellicott Commentary Jeremiah 37:12

"then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people." — Jeremiah 37:12 (ASV)

Then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem... —The prophet’s motive in leaving the city may well have been his fear that the answer he had sent would anger the king, and lead, as it actually did, to an order for his arrest. The fact that the Chaldeans had raised the siege gave him freedom to leave.

To separate himself from there in the midst of the people. —More accurately, to take a share from there in the midst of the people. This probably gives the apparent reason for his journey. As a priest belonging to Anathoth, he had property (like that which he afterwards bought from his uncle, Jeremiah 32:8) in the land of Benjamin, and he now went to look after it, either by plowing and sowing, or to receive his share of its produce during his stay in Jerusalem.

If, as seems probable from Jeremiah 34:8-16, this was a Sabbatical year, the former option (plowing and sowing), assuming the siege had been lifted after the year ended, would be the more likely alternative. This would also better explain the addition of the clause “in the midst of the people,” as in Ruth 4:2 and Ruth 4:9, showing that there was nothing secret in his actions.

Other meanings that have been given to the words, “to buy bread,” “to till a field,” “to separate a field,” “to conciliate,” “to divide the spoil,” are less satisfactory. At such a time, all landowners would have been eager to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the departure of the Chaldean army to transact any business connected with their land.