Behold, Hanameel 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.

JEREMIAH 32:7KJV
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Jeremiah 32:7 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 32:7 mean?

Jeremiah 32:7 records God telling Jeremiah that his cousin Hanameel will soon visit him, asking Jeremiah to buy a family field in Anathoth because Jeremiah has the legal right to redeem it. This verse sets up a real estate transaction as a sign of hope, even while Jerusalem faces destruction.

Jeremiah is in prison during the Babylonian siege when God gives him this message. The law in ancient Israel allowed family members to "redeem" (buy back) property to keep it within the clan. By instructing Jeremiah to buy the field, God is showing that, despite the coming hardship, there will be a future for the people and their land.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 32:7

  • "Right" (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat): This word often means "legal claim" or "judgment." Here, it highlights that Jeremiah is not just being asked as a favor—he has a recognized legal right to buy the land.
  • "Redemption" (גְּאֻלָּה, ge'ullah): This term refers to the act of a family member buying back property to keep it within the family, a practice rooted in Israelite law. It signals that this is about family responsibility and restoration, not just a business deal.
  • "Buy" (קָנָה, qanah): This is the standard word for purchasing, emphasizing that Jeremiah is to make a real, legal transaction, not just a symbolic gesture.

Why Jeremiah 32:7 matters

  • Jeremiah 32:7 clarifies that God’s instructions are grounded in real legal customs, not just symbolic acts, making the sign more powerful and believable to Jeremiah’s audience.
  • The verse connects Jeremiah’s personal actions to the broader hope for Israel’s future, showing that God’s promises are tied to everyday life and law.
  • Understanding the legal terms helps clear up why Jeremiah’s purchase is significant: it is not just a prophecy, but a public act of faith in God’s promise to restore the land and people.

Where else these words appear

“Hanameel” Hebrew H2601 · used in 4 verses

  • Jeremiah 32:8 So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country 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 the LORD.
  • Jeremiah 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.
  • Jeremiah 32:12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

“redemption” Hebrew H1353 · used in 13 verses

  • Leviticus 25:24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
  • Leviticus 25:32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
  • Ruth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

“Anathoth” Hebrew H6068 · used in 15 verses

  • Joshua 21:18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.
  • Ezra 2:23 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
  • Jeremiah 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

“Shallum” Hebrew H7967 · used in 26 verses

  • 2 Kings 15:10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Chronicles 4:25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
  • 2 Chronicles 34:22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe;(now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.