Jeremiah 28

Hananiah the False Prophet

1 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of ¹Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of ²Azzur, the prophet from ³Gibeon, 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: ⁴I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

3 ⁵Within ⁶two 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 ⁷Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, ⁸for 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, ⁹"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 ¹⁰The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.

9 ¹¹As 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 ¹²yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them.

11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, ¹³"Thus says the LORD: ¹⁴Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of ¹⁵all the nations within two years." But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

12 Sometime after the prophet ¹⁶Hananiah 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 ¹⁷an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, ¹⁸and they shall serve him, ¹⁹for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.'"

15 And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah, ²⁰the LORD has not sent you, ²¹and 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, ²²because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.'"

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

Jeremiah 28 Commentary

Chapter 28

A false prophet opposes Jeremiah. (1-9) The false prophet warned of his approaching death. (10-17)

Verses 1-9 Hananiah spoke a false prophecy. Here is not a word of good counsel urging the Jews to repent and return to God. He promises temporal mercies, in God's name, but makes no mention of the spiritual mercies which God always promised with earthly blessings. This was not the first time Jeremiah had prayed for the people, though he prophesied against them. He appeals to the event, to prove Hananiah's falsehood. The prophet who spake only of peace and prosperity, without adding that they must not by wilful sin stop God's favours, will be proved a false prophet. Those who do not declare the alarming as well as the encouraging parts of God's word, and call men to repentance, and faith, and holiness, tread in the steps of the false prophets. The gospel of Christ encourages men to do works meet for repentance, but gives no encouragement to continue in sin.

Verses 10-17 Hananiah is sentenced to die, and Jeremiah, when he has received direction from God, boldly tells him so; but not before he received that commission. Those have much to answer for, who tell sinners that they shall have peace, though they harden their hearts in contempt of God's word. The servant of God must be gentle to all men. He must give up even his right, and leave the Lord to plead his cause. Every attempt of ungodly men to make vain the purposes of God, will add to their miseries.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 27:12
• 2. Ezekiel 11:1
• 3. Joshua 9:3; Joshua 21:17
• 4. [Jeremiah 27:2, 11, 12]
• 5. Jeremiah 27:16
• 6. ver. 11
• 7. [Jeremiah 22:10, 12, 26]
• 8. [See ver. 2 above]
• 9. 1 Kings 1:36
• 10. [Jeremiah 26:18]
• 11. Deuteronomy 18:22; See Jeremiah 6:14
• 12. Jeremiah 27:2
• 13. [1 Kings 22:11]
• 14. ver. 2, 3
• 15. Jeremiah 27:7
• 16. ver. 1, 10
• 17. Deuteronomy 28:48
• 18. [Jeremiah 25:11]
• 19. See Jeremiah 27:6
• 20. Jeremiah 29:31; Deuteronomy 18:20; [Ezekiel 13:22, 23]
• 21. See Jeremiah 5:31
• 22. Jeremiah 29:32; Deuteronomy 13:5

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 28

Thus chapter relates a false prophecy of Hananiah, who broke off the yoke from Jeremiah; but in return the people are threatened with an iron yoke, and he with death; which came to pass. The time, place, and substance of his prophecy, are in Jer 28:1-4; Jeremiah's answer to it, Jer 28:5-9; Hananiah breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and explains the meaning of it to the people, Jer 28:10,11; Jeremiah prophesies that iron yokes should be given instead of wooden ones, Jer 28:12-14; and foretells the death of the false prophet, Jer 28:15-17.