John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 32:6-15

"And Jeremiah said, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanamel mine uncle`s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Jehovah, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of Jehovah. And I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel mine uncle`s son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 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: 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. And I charged Baruch before them, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel; that they may continue many days. For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land." — Jeremiah 32:6-15 (ASV)

The whole of this passage ought to be read together, for the Prophet explains in detail how and by what symbol this prophecy had been confirmed. Now the purpose of the whole is to show that after a long time the Jews would return to their own country, for God would restore them, and their captivity would have an end. God’s design, then, was to give them a hope of deliverance, but they were still admonished to wait patiently for the end of their exile.

Let us now come to the external symbol. The Prophet was commanded to buy a field from his uncle’s son. This appeared strange, because the enemies had taken possession of that part of the country, and none of the Jews could then venture to go out to their own fields.

Since they were deprived of the very sight of their own fields, the Prophet must have appeared to have been out of his mind when he bought a field in the possession of enemies. But in this way, God intended to show that after the Jews had for a time been deprived of the possession of the land, they would again return to it. Then, everyone would recover his own right, and thus everything would become completely their own—that is, after God had shown them mercy.

But in the first place, let us see whether this was, as they say, merely a vision, or a real transaction. Some think that it was shown to Jeremiah by the prophetic Spirit; but it may be easily gathered from the context that the field was actually bought. It is first said, that the word came to Jeremiah; but shortly after it is added, that after his uncle’s son came, Jeremiah was informed that the whole business was directed by God.

God then foretold the Prophet what was to happen: Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum, your uncle, shall come to you, and shall offer to sell his field to you. This is what God said to the Prophet; and up to this point, we might say, that Jeremiah was informed of what was to happen either by a dream or a vision. But when he afterwards adds that Hanameel himself came, and that Jeremiah testifies that he now knew that it was from the Lord, there is no doubt that it is a real narrative.

God then induced Hanameel to come to Jeremiah and to offer him the field for sale, and to ask him to buy it, because he was the next heir and therefore had the right of redemption. We then perceive that it was a communication from above, but the reality was connected with it, for Hanameel came and sold the field before witnesses. All this was necessary, not so much for Jeremiah as for the whole people, and especially for the faithful, for whom this prophecy was particularly designed; for God did not intend this to be a common treasure, but laid it up for His chosen people, as we can gather from the conclusion.

Before Hanameel then came, the Prophet was instructed that nothing was done rashly, but that God had arranged and ordered the whole. He was then commanded to buy the field and, as it were, to throw away his money; for who would not have said that it was the same as to throw it away?

And then we should note a circumstance regarding the time: for the Prophet was then in danger of his life, so of what use was the field to him then? We have also said that he could not have had free access to it, even if he had not been shut up in prison, because he could not have ventured to go out of the city.

It was then a most strange and ridiculous purchase according to human judgment, for Jeremiah squandered his money, and the possession of the field was only imaginary. But yet, as God would have him buy it, he did not spare his money but purchased the field from his uncle’s son.

He then says that Hanameel his uncle’s son came, as Jehovah had spoken, that he came into the court of the prison, and that he spoke to him as God had foretold. As to the end of the verse, it may seem strange that the Prophet says that he now knew that the word came from God: for if he doubted before, what certainty would there be regarding the prophetic spirit?

He had already received a vision; he should have embraced what he knew had been foretold to him from above, even without any hesitation. But it appears that he was in suspense and perplexity. It then seems an evidence of unbelief that he did not put full and entire trust in God’s testimony and was not fully persuaded regarding the heavenly oracle until he saw the whole thing really accomplished.

But it is right to distinguish between the knowledge received from the revelation of the Spirit and experiential knowledge, as it is called. The Prophet therefore did not learn for the first time then that God had spoken; but because he was confirmed in the certainty of his faith, and by the event itself, this is not inconsistent. For nothing is taken away from the credit and authority of God’s word when reality and experience confirm us; and thus God often considers the weakness of His people.

Jeremiah then relied on God’s oracle and was fully persuaded that he was directed from above to buy the field. But afterwards, when Hanameel came to him, the event was, as it were, the sealing of the vision: then the truth of God was more and more confirmed in the heart of the Prophet.

This, as I have said, was experiential knowledge, which does not detract at all from the credibility of the word, but is rather a help and a comfort to human weakness. In this sense it was that he said that he now knew it; and thus he also intended to lead others to believe the prophecy. For when the faithful compare a vision with its fulfillment, this agreement and harmony, so to speak, does much to confirm their faith. This occurs when, on the one hand, they hear that God has spoken, and on the other, they see that what the Prophet had been taught was really fulfilled.

He afterwards adds that he bought the field of Hanameel his uncle’s son, which was in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin. There is nothing superfluous in these words. For though the Prophet speaks of well-known places, he was mindful of the time of the purchase, because the land of Benjamin was then in the power of enemies. The Jews had been reduced to such dire straits that they were not safe even in Jerusalem.

Anathoth was a village, as was well known, exposed to the ravages of enemies and was seized as prey at their first coming. And he adds, in the land of Benjamin, because it was near the borders of Judah, but it had been forsaken by its inhabitants, and all had fled to Jerusalem. Since the land of Benjamin then had no inhabitants, it was not at all reasonable for the Prophet to pay even the smallest sum for a field there.

It may now be asked, how could Hanameel, who was of the Levitical order, sell a field? We know that fields did not belong to the Levites and that they had tithes for their inheritance (Numbers 18:21). But this should be understood as a suburban field, for they had the suburbs, and each had a meadow. They neither plowed nor reaped, nor was it indeed lawful for them, according to the law, to labor in agriculture; instead, they fed cattle and sheep.

This is proved by the smallness of the sum given. For what was the field sold for? For seven shekels and ten pieces of silver. From this, we see that it was not a large field, but only a meadow like a garden, for the price would have been larger if it had been several acres of land. The difficulty here, then, is easily resolved: Hanameel sold to Jeremiah a small meadow, as every Levite had a meadow in the suburbs to feed his sheep or his cattle. At the same time, none of them had large herds; each had only a cow or two. This, then, is what we are to understand by the field.

The Prophet adds that he wrote a book, that is, the writing of the purchase; for ספר (sepher) means in Hebrew not only a volume, but what we call a document, and the Latins tablets (tabulas). Then he says that the writing of the purchase was made, and then it was sealed, not as we do by attaching a seal to it, but it was closed up, as the custom then was.

He also adds, according to the law and custom; and at last he says that another writing was made which remained open; and it is thought that the open writing means what we call a copy. And so the sealed writing was deposited in a chest, and the open copy could be referred to at any time.

Though the Prophet alludes to a common custom, I do not doubt that he wrote this prophecy on rolls—one sealed and the other open—so that those who were then living might receive some benefit from his teaching, and also that the authentic copy, or the original itself, might remain for posterity, as we shall see later. And doubtless, God not only intended to strengthen the hope of the faithful after the completed time of exile, as this prophecy would lie dormant for seventy years, but He also designed that it should be of use then, so as to be a support to them in their sufferings.

There was also another benefit to be gained from this prophecy: that the Jews, while in exile, might begin to entertain hope and, remembering this vision, might feel assured that God would be their Deliverer, according to what He had promised.

This then was the reason why two writings of the purchase were made, the sealed and the open. The open had a present benefit, as it would encourage the faithful to go more willingly into exile and calmly to submit to the chastisement assigned to them by God; and for this reason the Prophecy was to be open to all. It was also sealed, so that after the lapse of seventy years it might encourage the godly and inspire them with the hope of their promised deliverance. This, therefore, is the reason, as I think, why the Prophet relates that he made a writing and sealed it, and then that he made another writing which remained open.

He afterwards adds that he gave both to his scribe Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the presence of Hanameel, and in the presence of the witnesses who had signed the writings, and in the presence of all who stood there, that is, in the court of the prison.

From this, we may again plainly conclude that he is narrating a real history, and not a vision shown to him: the seller, Hanameel, was present together with witnesses and other Jews. And he says that he handed over the writing with specific instructions, for otherwise it would have been merely the delivering up of a book.

If he had only deposited it with Baruch, the people would have learned nothing; but the orders are added, I charged Baruch, saying. From this, we may also conclude that this oracle was given to the Prophet, not only so that it might be preserved for posterity, even after the time of exile was completed, but that it might also be published then and made known to all the Jews.

He then says, Thus says Jehovah. He had not yet shown the design of the prophecy; but when he said that the affair was carried on by the command of God, he made them all pay attention. Take, he says, these writings, and put them in an earthen or a potter’s vessel. It seems strange that he did not tell him to put them in another kind of vessel, for that vessel might decay, and so the writings might have perished.

But we know that even the most precious treasures are deposited in earthen vessels. It is then no wonder that God commanded the prophecy to be put in an earthen vessel. If anyone were inclined to understand something more subtle, it might be said that the promise, which apparently was not very firm, was an earthen vessel; for what is more frail than a voice which dissipates into the air?

The Jews were driven into exile; they had heard from the mouth of Jeremiah that the appointed period was seventy years. But they might, in the meantime, have despaired, since only the sound of the voice had reached their ears. However, since the oracle, which was a pledge of deliverance, had been stored in an earthen vessel, it remained safe and undecayed, because the treasure had been deposited there by God’s command.

He says, That they may continue for many days. By these words, he intimates that the prophecy would not only be beneficial to the Jews who were to be driven into captivity soon after, but also to their posterity who were not yet born. They might know that this prophecy would remain valid after their death, for we should not measure the faithfulness of God by the length of our lives.

This, then, was the reason why this clause was added: the prophecy was to be preserved in earthen vessels so that it might remain safe and secure for many days—that is, until God delivered His people.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since we have today the evidence of eternal salvation sealed in earthen vessels, and You invite us to the hope of that blessed inheritance by the voice of men—O grant that we may not judge of the permanence of Your faithfulness by the appearance of those whom You have made our ministers, but relying on Your perpetuity, may we never doubt that that life will be kept safe for us, which now every moment seems to vanish away, until at last we shall come to the full fruition of it in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

Though we sufficiently perceive the meaning of the preceding prophecy, it may, however, be proper to touch briefly on the last part, which is the application of the vision: Houses, and fields, and vineyards shall yet be bought in this land. God’s design then was that His servant should spend his money without any regard to his own interest, so that he might, by this expense, cherish the hope of the faithful until the time of restoration.

What was said here was considered incredible, for no one thought that such a change would happen that permission would be given to the Jews to return to their own country. For the power of the Chaldean monarchy was deemed invincible, and it was necessary for it to be wholly overthrown so that God’s people might be set free.

For this reason then the vision was given, so that the Jews might know that their calamity would not be perpetual, for God had resolved to restore the people and the land. But by the word field, all possessions were designated, for he names not only fields, but also houses and vineyards.