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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 361

"So I bought the field from Hanamel"

Text: Jeremiah 32:9

THE PURCHASE OF A FIELD IN ANATHOTH

Jeremiah recognised that this was something that the LORD wanted him to do. He bought the field in Anathoth. (We have a rare glimpse of how transactions were done in ancient times in this text).

“So I bought the field from Hanamel,
the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth,
and weighed out to him the money—seventeen shekels of silver.
And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses,
and weighed the money on the scales.
So I took the purchase deed,
both that which was sealed according to the law and custom,
and that which was open;
and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah,
in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son,
and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed,
before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.”
Jeremiah 32:9-12

1. Where did this transaction take place?

a) In the court of the royal prison of King Zedekiah.

b) Jeremiah was not thrown into the dungeons.

c) This royal prison had a court large enough to have people witnessing a transaction.

2. How was the transaction done?

a) There must be payment for the field. It was worth 17 shekels of silver.

b) There was a deed of sales.

i) There must be witnesses.

ii) The deed must be examined and then sealed (confirmed)
upon payment for the field in Anathoth.

3. The purchase deed

a) There were actually two deeds of sale.

b) They are:

i) An open purchase deed.
To be examined by all parties.

ii) A closed purchase deed.
The deed is carefully wrapped several times with papyrus.

4. Baruch

a) He was the personal scribe of Jeremiah.

b) He is the equivalent of a “principal assistant” to Jeremiah.

c) He looked after administrative and personal details of the prophet.

5. Witnesses and others

a) There were people in attendance at this sale of the field in Anathoth.

b) Among them, some were witnesses.

c) They would have to sign the official documents concerning the title deeds for the field in Anathoth.