Conflict Between Jeremiah and Hananiah Jeremiah (28:1–17)

I. Hananiah’s False Prophecy (28:1–4)

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

A. A prophet named Hananiah appears in this chapter as an adversary of Jeremiah.

He is not mentioned elsewhere in the OT; nothing else is known about him. His name, a common one in ancient Israel, means The Lord has been gracious. Hananiah is identified as the son of an otherwise unknown Azzur from Gibeon.

Gibeon was located in the territory of Benjamin, as was Jeremiah’s hometown, Anathoth. It was one of the priests’ cities (Josh 21:17), which suggests that Hananiah may himself have been a priest. If so, his credibility as a prophet would have been enhanced because of his priestly status. Gibeon had important historical associations in the memory of Israel

B. Hananiah confronted Jeremiah in the temple in the presence of priests and a number of people.

The bold language and demeanor of Hananiah raises a question, “Was he sincere though self-deceived, or was he deliberately pretending to be a prophet of God?” In support of his sincerity, he contradicted Jeremiah’s warnings with a show of authority. He boldly used the same introductory formula as Jeremiah: “This is what the LORD … says.”

Hananiah set definite dates (“two years”) and used specific names. He confidently broke the yoke worn by Jeremiah and announced that Babylon’s domination was soon coming to an end. To risk such exactness of words and actions would seem unlikely if he wanted to protect himself by stating his predictions in more vague language. Hananiah may have been emboldened to make his predictions because of turmoil in Babylon.

C. Hananiah announced that the temple vessels would be returned within two years.

His prediction contradicted Jeremiah’s statement in 27:21–22 that the vessels would not be returned for a long time. Not only did Hananiah say the vessels would be returned, but he also announced that Jehoiachin and all the other exiles from Judah would return. This was a contradiction of Jeremiah’s prophecy that Jehoiachin would not return.

The temple and anything connected with it would have been held in higher esteem than the king himself. Hananiah erred in stating that Jehoiachin would return soon. However, his prediction does indicate that Jehoiachin was still considered to be the legitimate ruler of Judah, though in exile.

II. Jeremiah’s Response to Hananiah (28:5–9)

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The LORD do so; the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. 7 Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”

A. Jeremiah understood that Hananiah was challenging his authority as a prophet.

His response, “Amen!” “May the Lord do so!” has been interpreted by many scholars as a sarcastic response, but Jeremiah was sincere.

He did not defend himself or challenge Hananiah by saying, “You are lying,” as might be expected. Because of his love for his people, he hoped that Hananiah was correct. However, Hananiah’s prophecy must have caused Jeremiah to wonder if the Lord had bypassed him. He did not presumptuously assume that he was the only one who could speak for God.

B. Jeremiah reminded Hananiah that other prophets before them had prophesied “war, disaster, and plague.”

Such messages were not popular. The people preferred to hear reassuring words and paid those prophets who spoke what they wanted to hear (cf. Mic 3:5). Jeremiah reminded Hananiah that one who preached peace would be vindicated as a prophet only if his predictions came true.

Jeremiah must have had in mind the fulfillment test of Deut 18:20–22, the best evidence of the truthfulness of a prophet’s predictions. In the contest between Jeremiah and Hananiah, time would tell which prophet was right.

III. Hananiah’s Symbolic Act (28:10–11)

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

A.Emboldened by Jeremiah’s reluctance to challenge him, Hananiah proceeded to perform his own symbolic act.

He removed the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in the presence of the people. His purpose was to nullify Jeremiah’s symbolic act by counteracting it with another.

By means of his symbolic act, Hananiah announced that the Lord was going to break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar from all the nations. Then he added a specific time for fulfillment—“within two years.”

B. Hananiah’s bold words would incite those who wanted to rebel against their Babylonian masters.

They would also encourage those who refused to settle down in Babylon because they believed they would return home soon.

IV. Jeremiah’s Denunciation of Hananiah (28:12–17)

12 Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.’ ” 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

A. Jeremiah received God’s promise once again that he would be present with Jeremiah, and deliverance was assured.

The Lord instructed Jeremiah to return to Hananiah and tell him that although he broke a wooden yoke, an iron yoke would take its place (cf. 15:12). Iron could not be broken like wood; Judah would not escape Babylon’s yoke. God was going to put an iron yoke on the neck of the nations, forcing them to serve Nebuchadnezzar.

There is a time to rebel, and there is a time to submit. For Judah it was a time to submit. Earlier Hezekiah had resisted the Assyrians in 701, and God delivered Judah from the military threat. However, if the people of Judah resisted the Babylonians in Jeremiah’s day, God was not going to deliver them. Resistance would be considered an act of rebellion against God.

B. After reaffirming the Lord’s inescapable judgment on Judah, Jeremiah turned to Hananiah and pronounced judgment on him.

Because Hananiah had persuaded the nation to “trust in lies,” he would die that same year. Death was the Deuteronomic penalty for false prophets (Deut 13:5; 18:20). Hananiah had preached rebellion against the Lord by announcing that the period of punishment would end quickly.

Hananiah’s punishment was swift. He had said two years would pass before deliverance for Judah, but he died only two months after his confrontation with Jeremiah.

C. Hananiah’s encounter with Jeremiah contains some significant theological truths.

God’s ways may not seem logical, but one had better follow them. Judah’s deliverance would come through submission, not resistance. The NT speaks of achieving greatness through servanthood (Matt 23:11; Luke 22:26) and of being set free through submission to Christ (John 8:32–36). It speaks of death in order to live (Matt 16:25), of giving in order to receive (Luke 6:38), of forgiving as we are forgiven (Matt 6:14–15; Luke 6:37).

The passage also serves as a solemn reminder not to teach what is contrary to God’s Word, even if sincere. We must not confuse our own beliefs and desires with the will of God. We are held accountable for every careless word spoken (Matt 12:36). Underlying the entire passage is the implicit warning of the necessity of obeying God in order to be blessed.