Source shape: Brenton LXX Jeremiah 39–40 corresponds to familiar MT Jeremiah 32–33. All verse numbers, order, and wording follow the LXX text exactly. Familiar MT chapter numbers are noted only for cross-reference.
Jeremiah 39:1-5 LXX — Jeremiah kept in the court of the prison during the siege (familiar MT 32:1-5)
1. The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias in the tenth year of king Sedekias, this is the eighteenth year of king Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon. 2. And the host of the king of Babylon had made a rampart against Jerusalem: and Jeremias was kept in the court of the prison, which is in the king’s house; 3. in which king Sedekias had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; 4. and Sedekias shall by no means be delivered out of the hand of the Chaldeans, for he shall certainly be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak to his mouth, and his eyes shall look upon his eyes; 5. and Sedekias shall go into Babylon, and dwell there?
The prophet is confined in the palace prison while the Babylonian siege presses against Jerusalem. King Sedekias has imprisoned him precisely because he has spoken the unwelcome word of the city’s fall. The personal cost of faithful prophecy is already high, and the military situation makes any word of future hope appear absurd.
Jeremiah 39:6-15 LXX — The purchase of the field at Anathoth (familiar MT 32:6-15)
6. And the Word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying, 7. Behold, Anameel the son of Salom thy father’s brother is coming to thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for thou hast the right to take it as a purchase. 8. So Anameel the son of Salom my father’s brother came to me into the court of the prison, and said, Buy thee my field that is in the land of Benjamin, in Anathoth: for thou hast a right to buy it, and thou art the elder. So I knew that it was the word of the Lord. 9. And I bought the field of Anameel the son of my father’s brother, and I weighed him seventeen shekels of silver. 10. And I wrote it in a book, and sealed it, and took the testimony of witnesses, and weighed the money in the balance. 11. And I took the book of the purchase that was sealed; 12. and I gave it to Baruch son of Nerias, son of Maasæas, in the sight of Anameel my father’s brother’s son, and in the sight of the men that stood by and wrote in the book of the purchase, and in the sight of the Jews that were in the court of the prison. 13. And I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; 14. Take this book of the purchase, and the book that has been read; and thou shalt put it into an earthen vessel, that it may remain many days. 15. For thus saith the Lord; There shall yet be bought fields and houses and vineyards in this land.
While the city is visibly collapsing, Jeremiah obeys the Lord’s command to purchase a family field in Anathoth from his cousin. He weighs out seventeen shekels, draws up a sealed deed with witnesses, and entrusts the documents to Baruch with instructions to store them in an earthen vessel for long preservation. The public act is accompanied by the explicit promise that fields, houses, and vineyards will again be bought in this land. The purchase is not an investment in present security but a sign that the word of the Lord will outlast the present catastrophe.
Jeremiah 39:16-25 LXX — Jeremiah’s prayer and the tension between judgment and promise (familiar MT 32:16-25)
16. And I prayed to the Lord after I had given the book of the purchase to Baruch the son of Nerias, saying, 17. O ever living Lord! thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power, and with thy high and lofty arm: nothing can be hidden from thee. 18. Granting mercy to thousands, and recompensing the sins of the fathers into the bosoms of their children after them: the great, the strong God; 19. the Lord of great counsel, and mighty in deeds, the great Almighty God, and Lord of great name: thine eyes are upon the ways of the children of men, to give to every one according to his way: 20. who hast wrought signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even to this day, and in Israel, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and thou didst make for thyself a name, as at this day; 21. and thou didst bring out thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, with a mighty hand, and with a high arm, and with great sights; 22. and thou gavest them this land, which thou didst swear to give to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23. and they went in, and took it; but they hearkened not to thy voice, and walked not in thine ordinances; they did none of the things which thou didst command them, and they caused all these calamities to happen to them. 24. Behold, a multitude is come against the city to take it; and the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans that fight against it, by the power of the sword, and the famine: as thou hast spoken, so has it happened. 25. And thou sayest to me, Buy thee the field for money; and I wrote a book, and sealed it, and took the testimony of witnesses: and the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.
Jeremiah prays in the tension created by his own obedient act. He rehearses the Lord’s power in creation and in the Exodus, the gift of the land, and Israel’s persistent disobedience that has brought the present siege. The prayer ends with the stark contrast: the city is being handed over exactly as the Lord said, yet the Lord has commanded the purchase of the field. The prophet does not resolve the tension; he lays the contradiction before God.
Jeremiah 39:26-44 LXX — The Lord’s sovereign answer: certain judgment and the promise of new covenant and restored possession (familiar MT 32:26-44)
26. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27. I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: shall anything be hidden from me! 28. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel; This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29. and the Chaldeans shall come to war against this city, and they shall burn this city with fire, and shall burn down the houses wherein they burnt incense on the roofs thereof to Baal, and poured drink-offerings to other gods, to provoke me. 30. For the children of Israel and the children of Juda alone did evil in my sight from their youth. 31. For this city was obnoxious to my anger and my wrath, from the day that they built it even to this day; that I should remove it from my presence, 32. because of all the wickedness of the children of Israel and Juda, which they wrought to provoke me, they and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, the men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem. 33. And they turned the back to me, and not the face: whereas I taught them early in the morning, but they hearkened no more to receive instruction. 34. And they set their pollutions in the house, on which my name was called, by their uncleannesses. 35. And they built to Baal the altars that are in the valley of the son of Ennom, to offer their sons and their daughters to king Moloch; which things I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Juda to sin. 36. And now thus has the Lord God of Israel said concerning this city, of which thou sayest, It shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by famine, and banishment. 37. Behold, I will gather them out of every land, where I have scattered them in my anger, and my wrath, and great fury; and I will bring them back into this place, and will cause them to dwell safely: 38. and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God. 39. And I will give them another way, and another heart, to fear me continually, and that for good to them and their children after them. 40. And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, which I will by no means turn away from them, and I will put my fear into their heart, that they may not depart from me. 41. And I will visit them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, and with all my heart, and with all my soul. 42. For thus saith the Lord; As I have brought upon this people all these great evils, so will I bring upon them all the good things which I pronounced upon them. 43. And there shall yet be fields bought in the land, of which thou sayest, It shall be destitute of man and beast; and they are delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. 44. And they shall buy fields for money, and thou shalt write a book, and seal it, and shalt take the testimony of witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, and in the cities of the mountain, and in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south: for I will turn their captivity.
The Lord answers directly. Nothing is hidden from the God of all flesh. The city will fall and be burned because of long-standing, deliberate rebellion—idolatry on the roofs, defilement of the temple, child sacrifice in the valley of Hinnom. These are not minor lapses; they are abominations the Lord never commanded. Yet the same Lord declares that after scattering he will gather, give a new way and a new heart, establish an everlasting covenant, and plant the people in the land with all his heart and soul. The sign of the purchased field is confirmed: fields will again be bought and sealed with witnesses. The word that seemed contradictory is the word that will stand.
Jeremiah 40:1-3 LXX — The second word while still bound in prison (familiar MT 33:1-3)
1. And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the second time, when he was yet bound in the court of the prison, saying, 2. Thus saith the Lord, who made the earth and formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; 3. Cry to me, and I will answer thee, and I will declare to thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Even while still imprisoned, the word comes again. The Lord who created and established the earth invites the prophet to call, promising to answer with great and mighty things beyond present knowledge.
Jeremiah 40:4-6 LXX — Healing, peace, and security for the ruined city (familiar MT 33:4-6)
4. For thus saith the Lord concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the king of Juda, which have been pulled down for mounds and fortifications, 5. to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill it with the corpses of men, whom I smote in mine anger and my wrath, and turned away my face from them, for all their wickedness: 6. Behold, I bring upon her healing and cure, and I will show myself to them, and will heal her, and make both peace and security.
The Lord names the destruction plainly: houses torn down for siege works, streets filled with the dead as judgment for wickedness. Yet he immediately promises healing and cure, peace and security. The same voice that declares the ruin declares the restoration.
Jeremiah 40:7-11 LXX — Captivity turned, iniquities cleansed, and voices of joy restored (familiar MT 33:7-11)
7. And I will turn the captivity of Juda, and the captivity of Israel, and will build them, even as before. 8. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and will not remember their sins, whereby they have sinned against me, and revolted from me. 9. And it shall be for joy and praise, and for glory to all the people of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I will do: and they shall fear and be provoked for all the good things and for all the peace which I will bring upon them. 10. Thus saith the Lord; There shall yet be heard in this place, of which ye say, It is destitute of men and cattle, in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, the places that have been made desolate for want of men and cattle, 11. the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of men saying, Give thanks to the Lord Almighty: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endures for ever: and they shall bring gifts into the house of the Lord; for I will turn all the captivity of that land as before, said the Lord.
The Lord will turn both the captivity of Judah and of Israel. He will cleanse and no longer remember their sins. The places now called desolate will again hear the voice of bridegroom and bride, thanksgiving in the house of the Lord, and the declaration that the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever. The restoration is not merely political survival but renewed worship and joy that draws the attention of the nations.
Jeremiah 40:12-13 LXX — Shepherds and flocks restored in the land (familiar MT 33:12-13)
12. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet be in this place, that is desert for want of man and beast, in all the cities thereof, resting-places for shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13. In the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the cities round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, flocks shall yet pass under the hand of him that numbers them, saith the Lord.
The land that appears emptied of man and beast will again have shepherds causing flocks to lie down in safety. The cities of Judah, Benjamin, the hill country, the valley, and the south will once more see flocks numbered and tended. The promise of ordered, peaceful life under faithful shepherds stands against the present desolation.
Spiritual Fruit 🍇
Faith that acts on the word of God may have to purchase a future it cannot yet see. Jeremiah signs and seals a deed while the city is under siege and the land appears worthless. His obedience is concrete: silver weighed, witnesses summoned, documents preserved in an earthen vessel. Hope is not optimism about present conditions. It is action grounded in the character of the One who spoke.
The prayer that follows gives permission to bring tension honestly before God. Jeremiah obeys, then asks how the promised purchase can make sense while the Chaldeans surround the city. The Lord does not shame the question. He answers by naming the sin truthfully and renewing the promise of gathering, cleansing, one heart, and an everlasting covenant. In family, parish, and service, faithful hope often looks like doing the next obedient thing while bringing the unanswered contradiction into prayer.
Lord, teach me to keep Your word when visible circumstances argue against it. Give me the new heart You promise, preserve the small deeds of faith that must wait many days for fruit, and restore in me the voice of thanksgiving where fear has made everything silent. Amen.
Teaching Notes
Jeremiah 39:1-5 LXX — Jeremiah kept in the court of the prison during the siege (familiar MT 32:1-5)
- The cost of speaking the word of judgment is immediate and personal; the prophet shares the suffering he announces.
- Sedekias imprisons Jeremiah for prophesying the truth the king already knows will happen.
Jeremiah 39:6-15 LXX — The purchase of the field at Anathoth (familiar MT 32:6-15)
- The purchase is public, documented, and witnessed; the sign is meant to be remembered.
- The earthen vessel protects the deed for “many days,” a concrete image of the word preserved through judgment.
- The promise “there shall yet be bought fields” is spoken while the city burns and the people are carried away.
Jeremiah 39:16-25 LXX — Jeremiah’s prayer and the tension between judgment and promise (familiar MT 32:16-25)
- Jeremiah does not hide the tension between the command to buy and the visible collapse; he brings the contradiction to God in prayer.
- The rehearsal of Exodus and land-gift underscores that the present judgment is the fruit of long, deliberate covenant breach.
Jeremiah 39:26-44 LXX — The Lord’s sovereign answer: certain judgment and the promise of new covenant and restored possession (familiar MT 32:26-44)
- The Lord does not soften the charge of idolatry, child sacrifice, and defilement of the temple; these are the reasons for the city’s fall.
- The everlasting covenant, new heart, and “I will be to them a God” language anticipates the new covenant fulfilled in Christ.
- The repeated promise that fields will be bought again anchors the sign in ordinary economic life.
Jeremiah 40:1-3 LXX — The second word while still bound in prison (familiar MT 33:1-3)
- Even in confinement the word continues; the Lord who formed the earth still speaks.
- The invitation “Cry to me, and I will answer thee” is given to the prophet who has just obeyed an apparently senseless command.
Jeremiah 40:4-6 LXX — Healing, peace, and security for the ruined city (familiar MT 33:4-6)
- The Lord names the destruction as his own work in judgment before promising healing.
- “Peace and security” are promised to the city that has been pulled down for mounds and filled with corpses.
Jeremiah 40:7-11 LXX — Captivity turned, iniquities cleansed, and voices of joy restored (familiar MT 33:7-11)
- Both Judah and Israel are named in the restoration; the promise is not limited to the southern kingdom.
- Cleansing of iniquities and non-remembrance of sins is part of the same act as the return.
- The restored life is marked by worship: gifts brought to the house of the Lord and the public confession that his mercy endures forever.
Jeremiah 40:12-13 LXX — Shepherds and flocks restored in the land (familiar MT 33:12-13)
- The image of numbered flocks under shepherds is a picture of ordered, peaceful communal life after national collapse.
- The promise covers the full geography of Judah: hills, valleys, south, Benjamin, Jerusalem’s environs.
Sources
Embedded Scripture is from Brenton’s English Septuagint (LXX).