Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 28

Verses 1-17

Now in chapter 28:

And it came to pass the same year, in 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, which was of Gibeon, he spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon ( Jeremiah 28:1-3 ):

Now this was the prophecy that Jeremiah had spoken against earlier. Those guys were saying, "Two years. It's all coming back." And so here is Jeremiah standing there and this guy makes this prophecy.

And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and of the people that stood in the house of the LORD, Jeremiah said, [All right] So be it: may the LORD do that: and perform your words which you prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people; The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophet which prophesied of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall that prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him ( Jeremiah 28:4-9 ).

Now Jeremiah says, "Look, people prophesied before and we'll believe you when we see the peace. When we see the things carried back, then we'll believe you." So this Hananiah, going one step further,

took the yoke off Jeremiah's neck, and he broke it. And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I 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. Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after Hananiah had broken the yoke from off of his neck, and he said, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; You have broken the yokes of wood; but you shall make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also. Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; the LORD hath not sent thee; but you are making the people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year you will die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died ( Jeremiah 28:10-17 )

Within a month, actually, because this word came to Jeremiah in the fifth month. He died in two months. In the seventh month Hananiah died.

"