19. counsel . . . work—devising . . . executing (Isaiah 28:29). eyes . . . open upon all— (Job 34:21; Proverbs 5:21). to give . . . according to . . . ways— (Jeremiah 17:10). read more
Shortly after Jeremiah gave Baruch the purchase deed, he prayed to the Lord. read more
Jeremiah’s prayer 32:16-25The prayer begins with a long ascription of praise to Yahweh (Jeremiah 32:17-23), and concludes by expressing incredulity that the Lord had commanded His servant to buy the land in Anathoth (Jeremiah 32:24-25; cf. Nehemiah 9:6-37; Daniel 9:4-19). [Note: This prayer and the ones in Nehemiah 9 and Daniel 9 are similar in that they all contain praise, confession, and lament.] read more
Citing God’s creation of the cosmos as evidence that nothing was too difficult for Him, Jeremiah acknowledged God’s extreme covenant loyalty and the justice of His punishment of Judah. Not even restoring Israel to her land and making the property in Anathoth valuable to the Israelites again was too difficult for Yahweh, Jeremiah believed. read more
God is wise and strong, fully aware of all that happens, and just in giving everyone what he or she deserves. This is a classic statement of how God judges: according to people’s deeds, what they really do rather than what they intend or promise to do. The basis of divine judgment is human works (cf. John 6:27-29; Revelation 22:12). read more
This chapter forms the introduction to the most continuously historical part of the book, which describes incidents in the two years preceding the final destruction of Jerusalem, viz. chs.34-43. The first of these incidents is here given, viz. Jeremiah’s purchase with all legal formality of a field of which he had the right of redemption, in order to encourage the people while the Chaldeans were investing the city by showing thus his faith in the return which he foretells in these chs.1-5. The... read more
(16) I prayed unto the Lord.—The prophet, it is obvious, records his own prayer. Nowhere, perhaps—the prayer of Ezra (Ezra 9:5-15), of Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:16-20), of Daniel (Daniel 9:4-19), being the nearest parallels—do the writings of the Old Testament present us with so striking an example of the manner in which a devout Israelite poured out his heart to God, dwelling on the greatness of His attributes—praying for himself, interceding for his people. read more
(17) There is nothing too hard for thee.—The thought of the omnipotence of God was here, as always, the ground of prayer. The occurrence of the self-same phrase in Genesis 18:14 shows that it had been, even from patriarchal times, one of the axioms of the faith of Israel. We note its repetition in Jeremiah 32:27. read more
(18) Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands . . .—The words are, in part, an echo from Exodus 20:6, yet more from the revelation of the Divine glory in Exodus 34:7. They recognise the laws of a righteous retribution, working even through the seeming injustice of that visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children which is inseparable from the continuity of family or national life, and which had been caricatured in the “sour grapes” proverb of Jeremiah 31:29. They recognise also a mercy... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Jeremiah 32:18
18. (Exodus 34:7; Isaiah 65:6). This is taken from the decalogue (Exodus 20:5; Exodus 20:6). This is a second consideration to check hasty judgments as to God's ways: Thou art the gracious and righteous Judge of the world. read more