Jeremiah 32:43
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The verse emphasizes that even as people lament the land's utter desolation and its being given to the enemy, God's promise of future possession and purchase is already in motion. It highlights a disconnect between their despairing view and God's unfolding plan, where normal life, including economic transactions like buying land, will resume.
Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is responding to Jeremiah's despair and doubt about the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Despite the people's belief that the land is ruined and given to the Babylonians, God promises a future restoration, assuring Jeremiah that fields will once again be bought and sold, signifying a return to normalcy and possession in the very land they currently see as utterly desolate.
Imagine looking at your homeland, devastated and empty, and hearing a prophecy that it will soon be bought and sold again. This verse speaks to that kind of radical hope.
Jeremiah 32:43 describes a scene of utter ruin: a land described as 'desolate, without man or beast,' given over to enemy hands (the Chaldeans). This was the reality for Judah during the Babylonian invasion. The people themselves felt hopeless, seeing the land as lost forever.
Yet, God declares that in this very land, people will 'buy fields.' This wasn't just a casual mention; it was a deliberate prophetic act and a powerful sign. Jeremiah himself had just bought a field as a demonstration of faith in God's promise of return and restoration (Jeremiah 32:6-15).
This declaration directly confronts the despair of the people. It says that even in the face of total destruction, God's plan for His people and His land would prevail. The act of buying and selling property, a sign of stability and future hope, would resume.
Why would God focus on something as mundane as buying fields? This wasn't just about property; it was a profound statement about God's faithfulness.
The act of purchasing fields in this context is deeply symbolic. The commentators highlight that this act signifies the secure re-possession of the land by its rightful heirs after a period of exile. It's God demonstrating that His covenant promises are unbreakable.
Calvin points out that signs like this purchase are given 'to secure faith to doctrine.' They anchor God's promises in our hearts, especially when circumstances make them seem impossible.
Furthermore, this promise points beyond the immediate return from Babylon. It speaks to a deeper restoration – the re-establishment of God's people in His presence and the ultimate redemption through Christ, who is often symbolized as the true 'field' where God's promises are fulfilled (as suggested by Gill). The purchasing of fields becomes a tangible pledge of God's enduring faithfulness to His covenant people.
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Understand the original words
šǝmāmâ · Hebrew Noun
A state of emptiness, ruin, or destruction. It refers to land rendered uninhabitable or devoid of life as a result of divine judgment, often serving as a sign of God's displeasure.
This verse, spoken by Jeremiah during the siege of Jerusalem and subsequent Babylonian exile, was a radical declaration of hope. It promised that even in the midst of utter devastation, when the land was considered lost and uninhabitable, God's people would one day return, reclaim their property, and rebuild their lives.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem and deports many prominent citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation
Another wave of exiles is deported to Babylon, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is partially plundered.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's armies destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, leveling the city walls and deporting the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This event signifies the nadir of Judah's existence as a nation.
c. 586-538 BC
Exile in Babylon
The Jewish people live in exile in Babylon, maintaining their identity but yearning for their homeland. The land of Judah is left largely desolate and depopulated.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree and Return
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return from exile.
This passage directly follows the prophecy of restoration and promises that the land will be rebuilt and inhabited, echoing the theme of reclaiming a desolate land.
Ezekiel 36:11This prophecy speaks of the land being more populated and fruitful than before, directly contrasting the 'desolate' state mentioned in Jeremiah and highlighting the promised restoration.
Zechariah 8:4-5This verse paints a picture of Jerusalem and its surroundings being filled with elderly people and children playing, directly countering the idea of a land 'without man or beast'.
Nehemiah 11:2This passage describes the people returning to settle in Jerusalem and its surrounding towns after the exile, demonstrating the practical fulfillment of repopulating the land and making new purchases.
calvinJeremiah 32:43-44: "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 evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LO…
pooleJeremiah 32:43: "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."
No text from Poole on this verse.
The verse emphasizes that even as people lament the land's utter desolation and its being given to the enemy, God's promise of future possession and purchase is already in motion. It highlights a disconnect between their despairing view and God's unfolding plan, where normal life, including economic transactions like buying land, will resume.
God is responding to Jeremiah's despair and doubt about the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Despite the people's belief that the land is ruined and given to the Babylonians, God promises a future restoration, assuring Jeremiah that fields will once again be bought and sold, signifying a return to normalcy and possession in the very land they currently see as utterly desolate.
God is responding to Jeremiah's despair and doubt about the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Despite the people's belief that the land is ruined and given to the Babylonians, God promises a future restoration, assuring Jeremiah that fields will once again be bought and sold, signifying a return to normalcy and possession in the very land they currently see as utterly desolate.
"Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’" — The verse emphasizes that even as people lament the land's utter desolation and its being given to the enemy, God's promise of future possession and purchase is already in motion. It highlights a dis…
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Last reviewed October 2026
