Jeremiah 37:11-12

During the lifting of the siege of Jerusalem just described (Jeremiah 37:5), Jeremiah left the city to conduct some personal business concerning the purchase of some property in the territory of Benjamin. This may have been the land in Anathoth that his cousin Hanamel later wanted him to buy (cf. Jeremiah 32:6-15).

Since Jeremiah was imprisoned in the court of the guard when Hanamel approached him about buying this property, Jeremiah may have left the city to view the land anticipating that his cousin would make the offer. The present incident closes with Jeremiah confined in the court of the guard (Jeremiah 37:21). This indicates that the present incident occurred before Hanamel’s offer, which he made when Jeremiah was confined there. Or these may be two unrelated incidents.