Single lesson
Jeremiah Buys a Field
Jeremiah 32:1–15
Jeremiah 32:1–15 tells of a surprising land purchase made while Jerusalem was under siege and Jeremiah was confined. Children can trace the events, notice Jeremiah’s careful obedience, and hear Yahweh’s words about what would yet happen in the land.
Before you teach
The passage opens in the tenth year of Zedekiah, with Babylon’s army besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah was shut up in the court of the guard because he had been speaking Yahweh’s message that the city would be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and that fighting would not prosper. In that setting, Yahweh spoke about a field purchase.
Students will be able to retell the sequence in Jeremiah 32:1–15 and explain that Jeremiah bought the field on Yahweh’s word, and that Yahweh said houses, fields and vineyards would again be bought in the land.
Welcome: A surprising purchase
4 minShow a plain paper square and ask, “Would you buy land during a siege?” Introduce the setting simply: Babylon’s army was around Jerusalem, and Jeremiah was under guard. Tell the group to listen for what Yahweh said first and what Jeremiah did next, because this account moves in a careful order.
Jeremiah 32:2, Jeremiah 32:6
Read and explain: Jeremiah in confinement
8 minRead Jeremiah 32:1–8. Explain that Jeremiah was confined because Zedekiah objected to Jeremiah’s message. Jeremiah had said the city would be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, Zedekiah would not escape, and fighting the Chaldeans would not prosper. Then Yahweh told Jeremiah that Hanamel would come and ask him to buy a field in Anathoth.
Jeremiah 32:1, Jeremiah 32:2, Jeremiah 32:3, Jeremiah 32:4, Jeremiah 32:5, Jeremiah 32:7
Discuss: Jeremiah recognises Yahweh’s word
6 minPoint out the match between Yahweh’s message and what happened next. Hanamel came to Jeremiah in the court of the guard and asked him to buy the field, mentioning the right of inheritance and redemption. Jeremiah then knew that this was Yahweh’s word. Help children notice that Jeremiah listened carefully before he acted.
Jeremiah 32:7, Jeremiah 32:8
Make and respond: Sequence card chain
8 minChildren make six small cards showing key steps: siege and guard, Yahweh’s message, Hanamel arrives, silver weighed, deeds signed, Baruch told about the deeds. After drawing, they place the cards in order and retell the account to a partner. Explain that the craft helps them remember the passage, but the craft itself is not part of the Bible account.
Jeremiah 32:2, Jeremiah 32:7, Jeremiah 32:8, Jeremiah 32:9, Jeremiah 32:10, Jeremiah 32:14
Closing: Why the deeds mattered
4 minRead Jeremiah 32:9–15. Review the careful actions: Jeremiah bought the field, weighed the silver, signed and sealed the deed, called witnesses, and gave the purchase documents to Baruch in front of others. Then Baruch was told to put the deeds in an earthen vessel so they would last many days, because Yahweh said houses, fields and vineyards would again be bought in the land.
Jeremiah 32:9, Jeremiah 32:10, Jeremiah 32:11, Jeremiah 32:12, Jeremiah 32:14, Jeremiah 32:15
Questions to explore
How did Jeremiah know Hanamel’s request matched Yahweh’s word?
Compare Jeremiah 32:7 with Jeremiah 32:8. Yahweh said Hanamel would come and speak about buying the field, and then Hanamel came and said those things.
Jeremiah 32:7, Jeremiah 32:8
What details show that Jeremiah completed the purchase carefully and publicly?
Look for the ordered actions in Jeremiah 32:9–12, including the silver, the deed, the seal, the witnesses, and Baruch receiving the documents before others.
Jeremiah 32:9, Jeremiah 32:10, Jeremiah 32:11, Jeremiah 32:12
What reason does Yahweh give for keeping the deeds so they may last many days?
Read Jeremiah 32:14–15 and answer with the future statement Yahweh makes about houses, fields and vineyards.
Jeremiah 32:14, Jeremiah 32:15
Make, think or respond
Sequence Card Chain
What you’ll need
- Paper or card
- Pencils or textas
- Scissors
- String or tape
Try it together
- Cut or fold paper into six small cards.
- Draw one event on each card: Jeremiah under guard, Yahweh’s message, Hanamel arrives, silver weighed, deeds signed, Baruch told to put the deeds in an earthen vessel.
- Put the cards in the correct order and retell the account using the pictures.
- Tape the cards into a chain or line to show the sequence.
This activity helps children remember the ordered actions in Jeremiah 32:1–15, especially how Jeremiah responded to Yahweh’s word and the instruction about the deeds.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare six simple picture prompts in advance and let them place the cards in order before drawing one favourite part.
- For older children, ask them to add short labels from the passage such as “weighed the money”, “sealed”, “witnesses”, and “many days” to strengthen careful observation.
An optional closing prayer
Proposed words: “Yahweh, thank you for speaking your word. Please help us listen carefully and remember what you said in this passage. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Jeremiah 32
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
2 Now at that time the king of Babylon’s army was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah’s house.
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says, “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it;
4 and Zedekiah king of Judah won’t escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes will see his eyes;
5 and he will bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” says Yahweh, “though you fight with the Chaldeans, you will not prosper” ’?”
6 Jeremiah said, “Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.” ’ ”
8 “So Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to Yahweh’s word, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours. Buy it for yourself.’ “Then I knew that this was Yahweh’s word.
9 I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
10 I signed the deed, sealed it, called witnesses, and weighed the money in the balances to him.
11 So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, containing the terms and conditions, and that which was open;
12 and I delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the guard.
13 “I commanded Baruch before them, saying,
14 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.’
15 For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Houses and fields and vineyards will yet again be bought in this land.’
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.