Jeremiah 32:9-10
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The detail that Jeremiah "weighed out" the money, rather than counting it, points to a time before coined currency was common, where silver's value was determined by its weight, highlighting the ancient context of the transaction.
“And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is in prison amidst a siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, a time of national crisis and despair. God has just commanded Jeremiah to purchase a field from his cousin, a seemingly irrational act given the imminent destruction and the financial scarcity. This purchase, detailed in this verse, is part of a larger symbolic act to underscore God's promise of future restoration and return for His people to their land, even after judgment.
Jeremiah buys a field while Jerusalem is under siege. It seems like a crazy, illogical act. What's really going on here?
The setting for Jeremiah's purchase is crucial: Jerusalem is surrounded by enemies, famine is rampant, and the city's fall seems inevitable. In such desperate circumstances, buying land—especially land likely occupied by the enemy—appears utterly irrational.
Yet, this wasn't just Jeremiah's idea. God commanded it. This act was a profound symbol meant to convey a message far beyond the immediate, grim reality.
A Symbol of Future Restoration
Jeremiah didn't just hand over cash; he 'weighed out the money.' Why the specific detail, and what does it tell us about God's promises?
The text emphasizes that Jeremiah "weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver." This detail is significant for a few reasons:
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The Practice of Payment
A Covenantal Transaction
Understand the original words
sepher · Hebrew Noun
A formal, written legal document or contract used in ancient Near Eastern property transactions to establish legal ownership and transfer of title.
chatam · Hebrew Verb
The act of finalizing a legal document with a stamp or impression, serving as authentication, evidence of validity, and protection against tampering.
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A unit of weight used for currency in ancient Israel, typically referring to a specific weight of precious metal like silver used in commercial transactions.
ed · Hebrew Noun
Individuals present at a legal transaction to observe the proceedings, testify to the truth of the agreement, and validate the legality of the transfer.
This purchase, made during the final, desperate siege of Jerusalem, wasn't just a transaction but a profound prophetic act. It underscored that even amidst total devastation and exile, God's promises of future possession and restoration in the land would ultimately prevail.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Expansion
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II, exerted significant influence and control over the region of Judah, leading to political instability and a weakening of the kingdom.
701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigned against Judah, capturing many fortified cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event caused widespread disruption and fear throughout the land.
609 BC
Assyrian Decline and Egyptian Influence
The Assyrian Empire began to crumble, and Egypt, under Pharaoh Necho II, asserted its dominance in the region, leading to further political shifts and a brief period of Egyptian control over Judah.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians, beginning the Babylonian Empire's rise. He deported a portion of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a Judean revolt, Nebuchadnezzar II besieged Jerusalem again and deported King Jehoiachin and thousands more of Judah's skilled workers and nobility to Babylon.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a prolonged siege and further rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy. The majority of the remaining population was exiled to Babylon.
c. 587/586 BC
Jeremiah Buys a Field
While Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonians, Jeremiah, acting on God's command, purchases a field in Anathoth from his cousin Hanamel. This act, seemingly irrational in a time of impending destruction and exile, serves as a powerful symbol of future restoration and God's enduring promises.
This passage shows a significant land purchase made by Abraham for four hundred shekels of silver, highlighting the value placed on ancestral burial grounds and establishing a precedent for costly land transactions in Scripture.
Ruth 4:7This verse describes the ancient custom of confirming transactions by one party drawing off his sandal, illustrating the legal and customary practices surrounding property transfer that Jeremiah was also adhering to, albeit in a different context.
Matthew 27:7Here, the chief priests use the money from Judas's betrayal to buy the potter's field, mirroring Jeremiah's purchase of a field, though in this case it serves as a fulfillment of prophecy and a site of burial for foreigners, contrasting with Jeremiah's hope-filled purchase.
2 Samuel 24:24David buys Araunah's threshing floor and oxen for fifty shekels of silver, demonstrating another instance of a significant land purchase for a specific, divinely appointed purpose, similar to Jeremiah's act as a sign.
barnesJeremiah 32:9: "And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver."
Seventeen shekels of silver - literally, as in the margin, probably a legal formula. Jeremiah bought Hanameel's life-interest up to the year of Jubilee, and no man's life was worth much in a siege like that of Jerusalem. As Jeremiah had no children, at his death the land would devolve to the person who would have inherited it had Jeremiah not bou…
clarkeJeremiah 32:9: "And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver."
Weighed him the money - It does not appear that there was any coined or stamped money among the Jews before the captivity; the Scripture, therefore, never speaks of counting money, but of weighing it. Seventeen shekels of silver - The shekel at this time must have been a nominal coin; it was a thing of a certain weight, or a certain worth. Sevent…
The detail that Jeremiah "weighed out" the money, rather than counting it, points to a time before coined currency was common, where silver's value was determined by its weight, highlighting the ancient context of the transaction.
Jeremiah is in prison amidst a siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, a time of national crisis and despair. God has just commanded Jeremiah to purchase a field from his cousin, a seemingly irrational act given the imminent destruction and the financial scarcity. This purchase, detailed in this verse, is part of a larger symbolic act to underscore God's promise of future restoration and return for His people to their land, even after judgment.
Jeremiah is in prison amidst a siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, a time of national crisis and despair. God has just commanded Jeremiah to purchase a field from his cousin, a seemingly irrational act given the imminent destruction and the financial scarcity. This purchase, detailed in this verse, is part of a larger symbolic act to underscore God's promise of future restoration and return for His people to their land, even after judgment.
"“And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales." — The detail that Jeremiah "weighed out" the money, rather than counting it, points to a time before coined currency was common, where silver's value was determined by its weight, highlighting the anci…
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Last reviewed October 2026
