The Meaning of Jeremiah 32:8 Explained

Jeremiah 32:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Hanameel, my uncle's son, cometh in unto me, according to the word of Jehovah, unto the court of the prison, and saith unto me, 'Buy, I pray thee, my field that is in Anathoth, that is in the land of Benjamin, for thine is the right of possession, and thine of redemption -- buy for thee.' And I know that it is the word of Jehovah,

Darby: And Hanameel, 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 32:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Sure enough, Hanamel visited his cousin in prison and made Jeremiah the offer, confirming the Lord"s message. Hanamel probably wanted to sell his property before he left the land as an exile. The handwriting was on the wall and he could read the signs of the times. To try to sell a piece of confiscated property to a relative in prison reflects insensitivity at best and total contempt at worst. He was offering to sell Jeremiah a piece of the battlefield! Perhaps Hanamel was one of those kinsmen that the Lord told Jeremiah would hate him (cf. Jeremiah 11:19-23; Jeremiah 12:6).
". . . was there ever a more insensitive prison-visitor?" [1]
This offer constituted a test of Jeremiah"s faith in the promises of restoration, that the Lord had given him, and an opportunity to give witness to that faith. Anathoth was already in Babylonian hands when Jerusalem was under siege. Imagine being offered property to buy that you could not take possession of, or had no hope of ever using!

Context Summary

Jeremiah 32:1-44 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 32

1  Jeremiah, being imprisoned by Zedekiah for his prophecy,
6  buys Hanameel's field
13  Baruch must preserve the evidences, as tokens of the people's return
16  Jeremiah in his prayer complains to God
26  God confirms the captivity for their sins;
36  and promises a gracious return

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 32:8 mean?

And came to me Hanamel son of my uncle according to the word of Yahweh in the court of the prison and said to me buy please - my field that [is] in Anathoth which [is] in the country of Benjamin for [is] yours the right of inheritance and yours the redemption buy [it] for yourself and I knew that the word of Yahweh that [was]
וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵ֠לַי חֲנַמְאֵ֨ל בֶּן־ דֹּדִ֜י כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־ חֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֡י קְנֵ֣ה נָ֠א אֶת־ שָׂדִ֨י אֲשֶׁר־ בַּעֲנָת֜וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ בִּנְיָמִ֗ין כִּֽי־ לְךָ֞ מִשְׁפַּ֧ט הַיְרֻשָּׁ֛ה וּלְךָ֥ הַגְּאֻלָּ֖ה קְנֵה־ לָ֑ךְ וָאֵדַ֕ע כִּ֥י דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה הֽוּא

וַיָּבֹ֣א  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵ֠לַי  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
חֲנַמְאֵ֨ל  Hanamel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲנַמְאֵל  
Sense: son of Shallum and cousin of Jeremiah.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
דֹּדִ֜י  of  my  uncle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: דֹּוד  
Sense: beloved, love, uncle.
כִּדְבַ֣ר  according  to  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָה֮  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
חֲצַ֣ר  the  court 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: חָצֵר 
Sense: court, enclosure.
הַמַּטָּרָה֒  of  the  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַטָּרָה  
Sense: guard, ward, prison, mark, target.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֡י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
קְנֵ֣ה  buy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָנָה 
Sense: to get, acquire, create, buy, possess.
נָ֠א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שָׂדִ֨י  my  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
אֲשֶׁר־  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּעֲנָת֜וֹת  in  Anathoth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲנָתֹות 
Sense: son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  country 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בִּנְיָמִ֗ין  of  Benjamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּנְיָמִין 
Sense: Jacob’s and Rachel’s youngest son, Joseph’s full brother.
לְךָ֞  [is]  yours 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
מִשְׁפַּ֧ט  the  right 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
הַיְרֻשָּׁ֛ה  of  inheritance 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרֻשָּׁה  
Sense: possession, inheritance.
וּלְךָ֥  and  yours 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, second person masculine singular
הַגְּאֻלָּ֖ה  the  redemption 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּאֻלָּה  
Sense: kindred, redemption, right of redemption, price of redemption.
קְנֵה־  buy  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָנָה 
Sense: to get, acquire, create, buy, possess.
לָ֑ךְ  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וָאֵדַ֕ע  and  I  knew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
דְבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֽוּא  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.