Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 28

Verse 1

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, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

And it came to pass the same year, — scil., Wherein Jeremiah spake to Zedekiah and the priests. Jeremiah 27:12

In the beginning. — In his first year, dividing his reign into three parts.

That Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, — i.e., The pretended prophet. Dictum κατα δοξαν . A priest he seemeth to have been by his country, Gibeon, Joshua 21:13 ; Joshua 21:17 and a prophet he taketh upon him to be, preacheth pleasing things through flattery, and for filthy lucre likely. He saw how ill Uriah and Jeremiah had sped by telling the truth. He resolveth, therefore, upon another course. These false prophets would ever, with the squirrel, build and have their holes open to the sunny side: ever keep in with the princes and please the people.

Verse 2

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. — Thus this wretch makes overly bold with that Nomen Maiestativum, holy and reverend name of God; whom he entitleth also to his falsities with singular impudence, that he may pass for a prophet of the Lord, whenas the root of the matter was not in him.

Verse 3

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

Within two full years. — Jeremiah had said seventy; Hananiah, a man of prime authority, some say high priest, within two years. This was some trial to good Jeremiah to be thus confronted. Jeremiah’s discourse was so much the more distasted, because he not only contradicted Hananiah and his complices, but also persuaded Zedekiah to submit to the King of Babylon, and afterwards to yield up the city; whereas the prophet Isaiah, not long before, had dissuaded Hezekiah from so doing.

Verse 5

Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

Then the prophet Jeremiah said. — Without gall or guile. Like the waters of Siloah at the foot of Sion, Isaiah 8:6 which runs softly; he made but small noise, though he heard great words and full of falsehood.

In the presence of the priests, and in the presence of the people. — Publicly he took him up, though mildly; because he had publicly offended. See Galatians 2:14 1 Timothy 5:20 .

Verse 6

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Amen, the Lord so do, — q.d., I wish it may be so as thou sayest with all my heart, if God be so pleased. But I know that this is magis optabile quam opinabile, rather to be wished than hoped for. I could wish, for my poor countrymen’s sake, to be found a false prophet, but I see little likelihood of it.

Verse 7

Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;

Nevertheless, hear thou now. — Audi quaeso. Hear, I pray thee; soft words, but hard arguments. See on Isaiah 5:3 .

And in the ears of all the people. — Whom I desire not to deceive, and to advise for the best, whatever they think of me. Let them think what they will, mode impii silentii non arguar, as Luther once said, so that I be not found guilty of a sinful silence.

Verse 8

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 prophets that have been before me, …, — q.d., Committamus, Anania, nos tempori, … Let us be judged by our peers, or rather by our ancients. It hath been ever usual with true prophets to declaim against the sins of the times, and to proclaim divine vengeance if men amend not. But thou doest nothing less than this: Ergo.

And of evil. — Or, Of famine, that greatest evil of all the three, where it is extreme. Vide Piscat. in Schol.

Verse 9

The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, [then] shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

The prophet which prophesieth of peace. — As thou now doest, but time will confute thee, and event will show thee to be a liar. Two years time will be soon come up, … How many that have taken upon them to predict the very year and day of the last judgment have been thus confuted and confounded! See Deuteronomy 18:22 .

Verse 10

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it. — This was a most insolent and desperate fact in Hananiah - but nihil est audacius illis deprensis - and a most dangerous temptation to the people to believe his prophesying. Such another bold henchman was Nestorius the heretic: Audax erat, saith Zanchius, et magnae loquentiae, qua unica fretus nihil non audebat, et quidem saepenumero feliciter quod volebat, obtinebat Zanch., Miscell. Epist. Dedic. - that is, Bold he was and big spoken, trusting whereunto he durst attempt anything; and too too oft he effected also that which he attempted; so that he seduced for a while the good emperor Theodosius, and caused him to eject Cyril, an orthodox bishop, whom afterwards, upon better consideration, he restored again to his place with greater honour, and condemned that hypocrite and heretic Nestorius, of whom what became afterwards I wot not; but Hananiah died, as he well deserved, for his thus daring to fight against God.

Verse 11

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.

And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people. — This was prophet like indeed, first to teach by a sign, and then to show the sense of it. But what maketh a parable in a fool’s mouth? Proverbs 26:7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool. Proverbs 17:7 The people of Rome sware to Carbo that they would not believe him though he sware; so should this people have dealt by Hananiah.

And the prophet went his way. — As weary and sorry to hear and see such gross illusions: haud dubium factus ridicule omni populo praesenti; Oecolamp. being well laughed at, no doubt, by the seduced people. But he had been well inured to bear their buffooneries; besides that, the bird in his bosom sang sweetly, Conscia mens recti famae mendacia ridet. He went his way, saith one, as shunning contention, and providing for edification, which is not attained to by brawling and bitterness.

Verse 12

Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah [the prophet], after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

After that Hananiah had broken the yoke. — Which he looked upon as an eyesore while it was whole, and a real contradiction to his false predictions.

Verse 13

Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

Thou hast broken the yokes of wood. — That were weaker and lighter;

“ Nunc graviora feres. ”

But thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. — Thou, Jeremiah shalt, for a type of a cruel, hard, and strong bondage. Bonfinius Hungar. rer. decad. 4, lib. ix. writeth of the Hungarians, that they are not to be handled gently, or kindly dealt with, sed virga ferrea in obsequio continendos esse, but kept in order with a rod of iron. Such were these refractory Jews; but they had enough of it ere God had done with them.

Verse 14

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 king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts. — Here were right words, not as Jeremiah 28:2 , in labris nata, non in fibris, and therefore very forcible. Job 6:25

I have put a yoke of iron. — See on Jeremiah 28:13 .

And have given him the beasts. — All shall be his, and he shall sovereign it over all, as the lion doth over the beasts of the field.

Verse 15

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Thou makest this people to trust in a lie. — Who loved to have it so, Jeremiah 5:31 and were therefore justly left to obduration and horrible destruction.

Verse 16

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

Behold, I will cast thee. — I will shortly lay thee low enough together with thy lordly looks, as D. Taylor, martyr, once told Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, who reviled him and threatened him.

This year shalt thou die. — Than which thou hadst better do anything.

Verse 17

So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

So Hananiah died. — Two months after this prediction, Jeremiah 28:1 yet the people relented not, but persisted in their obstinace to the end. Such a sward, or rather hoof, is grown over some men’s hearts, as neither ministry, nor misery, nor miracle, nor mercy, can possibly mollify.