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Bible Encyclopedias
Hananiah
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. [and Chald.] Chananyah', חֲנִנְיָה :N, also [1 Chronicles 25:23; 2 Chronicles 26:11; Jeremiah 36:12] in. the prolonged form Chananya'hu, חֲנִנְיָחוּ, whom Jehovah has graciously given, comp. Ananias, etc.; Sept. Ἀνανία or Ἀνανίας, Vulg. Hanania), the name of a number of men. (See ANANIAH); (See ANNAS), etc.
1. A "son" of Shashak and chief of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:24). B.C. apparently between 16i2 and 1093.
2. One of the sons of Heman, who (with eleven of his kinsmen) was appointed by David to superintend the sixteenth division (blowers on horns) of Levitical musicians (1 Chronicles 25:4; 1 Chronicles 25:23). B.C. 1014.
3. One of king Uzziah's chief military officers (2 Chronicles 26:11). B.C. 803.
4. The father of Shelemiah and grandfather of Irijah, which last was the guard of the gate of Benjamin who arrested Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:13). B.C. considerably ante 589. 5. Father of Zedekiah, which latter was one of the "princes" to whom Michaiah reported Baruch's reading of Jeremiah's roll (Jeremiah 36:12). B.C. ante 605.
6. Son of Azur, a false prophet of Gibeon, who by opposing his prophecies to those of Jeremiah, brought upon himself the terrible sentence, "Thou shalt die this year, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord." He died accordingly (Jeremiah 28, sq.). B.C, 595. Hananiah publicly prophesied in the Temple that within two years Jeconiah and all his fellow captives, with the vessels of the Lord's house which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away to Babylon, should be brought back to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 28): an indication that treacherous negotiations were already secretly opened with Pharaoh-Hophra (who had just succeeded Psammis on the Egyptian throne), and that strong hopes were entertained of the destruction of the Babylonian power by him. The preceding chapter (Jeremiah 27:3) shows further that a league was already in progress between Judah and the neighboring nations of Edom, Ammon, Moab, Tyre, and Zidon, for the purpose of organizing resistance to Nebuchadnezzar, in combination no doubt, with the projected movements of Pharaoh Hophra. IInaaniah corroborated his prophecy by taking off from the neck of Jeremiah the yoke which he wore by divine command (Jeremiah 27) in token of the subjection of Judaea and the neighboring countries to the Babylonian empire), and breaking it, adding, "Thus, saith Jehovah, 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." But Jeremiah was bid to go and tell Hananiah that for the wooden yokes which he had broken he should make yokes of iron, so firm was the dominion of Babylon destined to be for seventy years. The prophet Jeremiah added this rebuke and prediction of Hananiah's death, the fulfillment of which closes the history of this false prophet. The history of Hananiah is of great interest, as throwing much light upon the Jewish politics of that eventful time, divided as parties were into the partisans of Babylon on one hand, and Egypt on the other. It also exhibits the machinery of false prophecies, by which the irreligious party sought to promote their own policy, in a very distinct form. At the same tine, too, that it explains in general the sort of political calculation on which such false prophecies were hazarded, it supplies an important clew in particular by which to judge of the date of Pharaoh-Hophra's (or Apries's) accession to the Egyptian throne, and the commencement of his ineffectual effort to restore the power of Egypt (which had been prostrate since Necho's overthrow, Jeremiah 46:2) upon the ruins of the Babylonian empire. The leaning to Egypt indicated by Hananiah's prophecy as having begun in the fourth of Zedekiah, had in the sixth of his reign issued in open defection from Nebuchadnezzar, and in the guilt of perjury, which cost Zedekiah his crown and his life, as we learn from Ezekiel 17:12-20; the date being fixed by a comparison of Ezekiel 8:1 with 20:1. The temporary success of the intrigue, which is described in Jeremiah 37, was speedily followed by the return of the Chaldaeans and the destruction of the city, according to the prediction of Jeremiah. This history of Hananiah also illustrates the manner-in which the false prophets hindered the mission, and obstructed the beneficent effects of the ministry of the true prophets, and affords a remarkable example of the way in which they prophesied smooth things, and said peace when there was no peace (compare 1 Kings 22:11; 1 Kings 22:24-25). (See JEREMIAH).
7. The original name of one of Daniel's youthful companions and one of the "three Hebrew children;" better known by his Babylonian name SHADRACH (Daniel 1:6-7).
8. Son of Zerubbabel, and father of Rephaiah; one of the paternal ancestors of Christ (1 Chronicles 3:19; 1 Chronicles 3:21). (See Strong's Harm. and Expos. Of the Gospels, p. 16, 17.) B.C. post 536. He is possibly the same with No 10. (See GENEALOGY OF CHRIST).
9. One of the "sons" of Bebai, an Israelite who renounced his Gentile wife after the return from Babylon (Ezra 10:28). B.C. 459.
10. The "ruler of the palace" (שִׂר הִבַּירה ), and the person who was associated with Nehemiah's brother Hanani in the charge of the gates of Jerusalem. (See HANANI). The high eulogy is bestowed upon him that "he was a faithful man, and feared God above many". (Nehemiah 7:2). His office seems to have been one of authority and trust, and perhaps the same as that of Eliakim, who was "over the house" in the reign of Hezekiah. (See ELIAKIM). The arrangements for guarding the gates of Jerusalem were entrusted to him with Hanani, the Tirshatha's brother. Prideaux thinks that the appointment of Hanani and Hananiah indicates that at this time Nehemiah returned to Persia, but without sufficient ground. Nehemiah seems to have been continuously at Jerusalem for some-time after the completion of the wall (Nehemiah 7:5; Nehemiah 7:65; Nehemiah 8:9; Nehemiah 10:1). If, too, the term הִבַּירָה means, as Gesenius supposes, and as the use of it in Nehemiah 2:8, makes not improbable. not the palace, but the fortress of the Temple, called by Josephus Βάρις , there is still less reason to imagine Nehemiah's absence. In this case Hananiah would be a priest, perhaps of the same family as the preceding. The rendering, moreover, of Nehemiah 7:2-3, should probably be, "And I enjoined (or gave orders to) Hanall… and Haanaiah, the captains of the fortress concerning Jerusalem, and said, Let not the gates," etc. There is no authority for rendering עִל by "over" He gave such an one charge over Jerusalem." The passages quoted by Gesenius are not one of them to the point.
11. The son of "one of the apothecaries" (or makers of the sacred ointments and incense, Exodus 30:22-38), who repaired part of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:8); possibly the same with No. 9. B.C. 446.
12. A son of Shelemiah, and one of the priests who repaired those parts of the wall of Jerusalem opposite their houses (Nehemiah 3:30). B.C. 446.
13. A priest, apparently son of Jeremiah, after the captivity (Nehemiah 12:12); probably the same with one of those who celebrated the completion of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:41). B.C. 446.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Hananiah'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/h/hananiah.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
