Jeremiah 28 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Jeremiah 28

Hananiah the False Prophet

28:1 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.”

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

12 Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” 15 And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.’”

17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

Commentary

v1: Hananiah, a false prophet, made a public attack on Jeremiah; compare 20.1-6. Jeremiah endured a number of direct challenges to his ministry.

v2-4: Hananiah's words directly contradicted Jeremiah's, but doubtless his message would have been more popular. We may ask why he said these things; did he really believe them? Did he deliberately deceive? Did he want to give assurance to the people? Whatever his motives, he spoke untruth.

The specific content;

the Lord would break the yoke of Babylon; contrast 27.12;
the vessels of the temple and the people already exiled would be returned within 2 years; contrast 27.21-22.
The return of Jehoiachin; contrast 22.24-27.

v5-6: Jeremiah wanted to believe Hananiah's words; perhaps he had prayed these same things. But he knew that the true message from God was quite different.

v7-9: Jeremiah's response was also in public. He began with an issue of principle, the testing of a prophet. The first test is whether his words come true. Whilst a prophecy of coming peace may bring some comfort, it may not be true.

v10-11: Jeremiah had been wearing a yoke, as in 27.2, symbolising his message. Here was real commitment to his calling, a willingness to fully embrace what he was bringing.

Contrast Hananiah's words with Jeremiah's in 27.14-15.

Jeremiah did not enter into a personal attack against Hananiah. He maintained a dignified silence, leaving God Himself to vindicate him. He simply “went on his way.”

v12-14: The new yoke of iron. There were those who sought to rebel against Babylon, as in 2 Kings 24.20, but that actually made matters worse.

v15-17: Judgment against Hananiah. His words were not just some slight theological difference, over which the learned might debate, but he made the people trust a lie, and he taught rebellion against the Lord. Hananiah's death was in fulfilment with Jeremiah's words, and provided fresh proof of his own calling.