And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen {f} shekels of silver.

(f) Which amounts to about ten shillings six pence in our money if this shekel were the common shekel, see Geneva Ge 23:15, for the shekel of the temple was of double value, and ten pieces of silver were half a shekel, for twenty made the shekel.

Wesley's Notes

32:9 The money - The price of land was strangely fallen at this time, when the enemy was besieging the chief city of the country.

King James Translators' Notes

seventeen...: or, seven shekels and ten pieces of silver

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] bought

(1) A sign of Jeremiah's faith in his own predictions of the restoration of Judah Jer 32:15 for the field was then occupied by the Babylonian army; and

(2) a sign to Judah of that coming restoration.

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. seventeen shekels of silver-As the shekel was only 2s. 4d.., the whole would be under £2, a rather small sum, even taking into account the fact of the Chaldean occupation of the land, and the uncertainty of the time when it might come to Jeremiah or his heirs. Perhaps the "seven shekels," which in the Hebrew (see Margin) are distinguished from the "ten pieces of silver," were shekels of gold [Maurer].

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

32:1-15 Jeremiah, being in prison for his prophecy, purchased a piece of ground. This was to signify, that though Jerusalem was besieged, and the whole country likely to be laid waste, yet the time would come, when houses, and fields, and vineyards, should be again possessed. It concerns ministers to make it appear that they believe what they preach to others. And it is good to manage even our worldly affairs in faith; to do common business with reference to the providence and promise of God.