Read & explore together
Jeremiah Prays for Understanding
Jeremiah’s prayer begins after he delivers a purchase deed and speaks directly to Yahweh. In these verses, he praises God’s power, recalls God’s acts, admits the people’s disobedience, and places a hard question before the Lord.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This passage is presented as a prayer spoken after Jeremiah delivered the deed of purchase to Baruch. The prayer itself looks back to God as Creator, remembers God’s signs in Egypt and the gift of the land, then describes the present siege and the command to buy a field.
Jeremiah 32:16–25Main takeaway
This prayer shows Jeremiah bringing praise, remembered truth, confession, and a difficult question to Yahweh.
Explore the prayer
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A prayer after the deed was deliveredThe passage opens with a simple setting: after delivering the deed of purchase to Baruch, Jeremiah prayed to Yahweh.
Explanation
The passage opens with a simple setting: after delivering the deed of purchase to Baruch, Jeremiah prayed to Yahweh. This matters because the passage is a prayer, not a report of extra events. Jeremiah responds to what God has said by speaking honestly and reverently to the Lord.
02Jeremiah begins with God’s greatnessJeremiah starts by praising Yahweh as the Maker of the heavens and the earth. God’s “outstretched arm” points to great power, and Jeremiah says nothing is too hard for him.
Explanation
Jeremiah starts by praising Yahweh as the Maker of the heavens and the earth. God’s “outstretched arm” points to great power, and Jeremiah says nothing is too hard for him. He also says God shows loving kindness, sees human ways clearly, and gives to each person according to their ways and deeds.
03Jeremiah remembers what God has doneThe prayer recalls God’s signs and wonders in Egypt and says God made a name for himself. Jeremiah remembers that Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt with signs, wonders, a strong hand, and an outstretched arm.
Explanation
The prayer recalls God’s signs and wonders in Egypt and says God made a name for himself. Jeremiah remembers that Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt with signs, wonders, a strong hand, and an outstretched arm. He also remembers that God gave the people the land he had sworn to give them.
04Jeremiah admits the people’s guilt and names the crisisJeremiah does not hide the people’s failure. He says they possessed the land but did not obey God’s voice, did not walk in his law, and did nothing of all he commanded.
Explanation
Jeremiah does not hide the people’s failure. He says they possessed the land but did not obey God’s voice, did not walk in his law, and did nothing of all he commanded. Then he points to the siege, the Chaldeans, sword, famine, and pestilence as what has now come upon the city.
05Jeremiah ends with a hard questionThe prayer closes by placing two facts side by side. Yahweh told Jeremiah to buy the field for money and call witnesses, yet the city is being given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Explanation
The prayer closes by placing two facts side by side. Yahweh told Jeremiah to buy the field for money and call witnesses, yet the city is being given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Jeremiah does not solve the tension here. He brings it to the Lord in prayer.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why does Jeremiah begin by speaking about creation and God’s power before mentioning the city’s trouble?
Look at how Jeremiah starts with who Yahweh is before describing the siege and the command about the field.
02What parts of Israel’s history does Jeremiah remember in this prayer?
List the acts of God that Jeremiah names, from Egypt to the gift of the land.
03How does Jeremiah speak about the people’s responsibility for what is happening?
Notice the words about obeying God’s voice, walking in his law, and the result that followed.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Jeremiah 32:16–25
16Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying,
17“Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
18You show loving kindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is your name:
19great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings;
20who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among other men; and made yourself a name, as it is today;
21and brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, with wonders, with a strong hand, with an outstretched arm, and with great terror;
22and gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.
23They came in and possessed it, but they didn’t obey your voice and didn’t walk in your law. They have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do. Therefore you have caused all this evil to come upon them.
24“Behold, siege ramps have been built against the city to take it. The city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, of the famine, and of the pestilence. What you have spoken has happened. Behold, you see it.
25You have said to me, Lord Yahweh, ‘Buy the field for money, and call witnesses;’ whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”