Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Jeremiah » Chapter 28 » Verse 1-9

Jeremiah 28:1-9 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And it came to pass the same year, H8141 in the beginning H7225 of the reign H4467 of Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 in the fourth H7243 year, H8141 and in the fifth H2549 month, H2320 that Hananiah H2608 the son H1121 of Azur H5809 the prophet, H5030 which was of Gibeon, H1391 spake H559 unto me in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 in the presence H5869 of the priests H3548 and of all the people, H5971 saying, H559

2 Thus speaketh H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 I have broken H7665 the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon. H894

3 Within two full H3117 years H8141 will I bring again H7725 into this place H4725 all the vessels H3627 of the LORD'S H3068 house, H1004 that Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 took away H3947 from this place, H4725 and carried H935 them to Babylon: H894

4 And I will bring again H7725 to this place H4725 Jeconiah H3204 the son H1121 of Jehoiakim H3079 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 with all the captives H1546 of Judah, H3063 that went H935 into Babylon, H894 saith H5002 the LORD: H3068 for I will break H7665 the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon. H894

5 Then the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 said H559 unto the prophet H5030 Hananiah H2608 in the presence H5869 of the priests, H3548 and in the presence H5869 of all the people H5971 that stood H5975 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068

6 Even the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 said, H559 Amen: H543 the LORD H3068 do H6213 so: the LORD H3068 perform H6965 thy words H1697 which thou hast prophesied, H5012 to bring again H7725 the vessels H3627 of the LORD'S H3068 house, H1004 and all that is carried away captive, H1473 from Babylon H894 into this place. H4725

7 Nevertheless hear H8085 thou now this word H1697 that I speak H1696 in thine ears, H241 and in the ears H241 of all the people; H5971

8 The prophets H5030 that have been before H6440 me and before H6440 thee of old H5769 prophesied H5012 both against many H7227 countries, H776 and against great H1419 kingdoms, H4467 of war, H4421 and of evil, H7451 and of pestilence. H1698

9 The prophet H5030 which prophesieth H5012 of peace, H7965 when the word H1697 of the prophet H5030 shall come to pass, H935 then H227 shall the prophet H5030 be known, H3045 that the LORD H3068 hath truly H571 sent H7971 him.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 28

Commentary on Jeremiah 28 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-4

Against the False Prophet Hananiah. - Jeremiah 28:1-4. This man's prophecy. At the same time, namely in the fourth year of Zedekiah (cf. rem. on Jeremiah 27:1. The Chet . בּשׁנת is supported by Jeremiah 46:2 and Jeremiah 51:59; the Keri בּשּׁנה is an unnecessary alteration), in the fifth month, spake Hananiah the son of Azur , - a prophet not otherwise known, belonging to Gibeon, a city of the priests (Joshua 21:17; now Jib , a large village two hours north-west of Jerusalem; see on Joshua 9:3), possibly therefore himself a priest - in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and people assembled there, saying: Jeremiah 28:2. "Thus hath Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, said: I break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Jeremiah 28:3. Within two years I bring again into this place the vessels of the house of Jahveh, which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took away from this place and carried them to Babylon. Jeremiah 28:4. And Jechoniah, the son of Jehoiakim the king of Judah, and all the captives of Judah that went into Babylon, bring I again to this place, saith Jahveh; for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." - The false prophet endeavours to stamp on his prediction the impress of a true, God-inspired prophecy, by copying the title of God, so often used by Jeremiah, "Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel," and by giving the utmost definiteness to his promise: "within two years" (in contrast to Jeremiah's seventy years). "Two years" is made as definite as possible by the addition of ימים : two years in days, i.e., in two full years.See on Genesis 41:1; 2 Samuel 13:23.


Verses 5-9

Jeremiah's reply . - First Jeremiah admits that the fulfilment of this prediction would be desirable (Jeremiah 28:6), but then reminds his opponent that all the prophets of the Lord up till this time have prophesied of war and calamity (Jeremiah 28:7 and Jeremiah 28:8). So that if a prophet, in opposition to these witnesses of God, predicts nothing but peace and safety, then nothing short of the fulfilment of his prediction can make good his claim to be a true prophet (Jeremiah 28:9). - Jeremiah's answer is to this effect: Jeremiah 28:6. " Amen (i.e., yea ), may Jahveh so do! may Jahveh perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of Jahveh's house and all the captives from Babylon into this place. Jeremiah 28:7. Only hear now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people. Jeremiah 28:8. The prophets that were before me and before thee from of old, they prophesied concerning many lands and great kingdoms, of war, and of trouble, and of pestilence. Jeremiah 28:9. The prophet that prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet cometh to pass, shall be known as the prophet that Jahveh hath truly sent. - As to אמן , yea, see on Jeremiah 11:5. The scope of this assent is straightway defined in "may Jahveh so do." But in order that the hearers may not misunderstand his assent, Jeremiah proceeds to show that hitherto only threatening predictions have carried with them the presumption of their being true prophecies, inasmuch as it is these alone that have been in harmony with the predictions of all previous prophets. ויּנּבאוּ (Jeremiah 28:8) is explained by the fact that "the prophets" with the accompany relative clause is made to precede absolute-wise. In the same absolute manner the clause "the prophet...peace" is disposed so that after the verb יוּדע the word הנּביא is repeated. For לרעה many MSS have לרעב ; manifestly an adaptation to passages like Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 24:10; Jeremiah 27:8, Jeremiah 27:13; Jeremiah 29:17., where sword, famine, and pestilence are mentioned together as three modes of visitation by God; whereas only the general word רעה seems in place here, when mentioned alongside of "war." For this very reason Hitz. rejects רעב as being the least difficult reading, while Ew. takes it under his protection on account of the parallel passages, not considering that the train of thought is different there. - The truth expressed in Jeremiah 28:9 is based on the Mosaic law concerning prophecy, Deuteronomy 18:21., where the fulfilment of the prediction is given as the test of true, God-inspired prophecy.


Verse 10-11

Had Hananiah been sent by the Lord, he might have been satisfied with Jeremiah's opinion, and have contentedly awaited the issue. But instead of this, he seeks by means of violence to secure credence for his prophesying. He takes the yoke from off the neck of the prophet, and breaks it in pieces, as he repeats before the people his former prediction: "Thus hath Jahveh said: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within two years." - Thereupon Jeremiah went his way without answering a word, calmly entrusting to the Lord the vindication of the truth of His own word.


Verses 12-17

The Lord's testimony against Hananiah. - Apparently not long after Jeremiah had departed, he received from the Lord the commission to go to Hananiah and to say to him: Jeremiah 28:13. "Thus saith Jahveh: Yokes of wood hast thou broken, but hast made in place of them yokes of iron. Jeremiah 28:14. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel: A yoke of iron I lay upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him; and the beasts of the field also have I given him." - When the prophet says: Yokes of wood hast thou broken, etc., we are not to understand him as speaking of the breaking of the wooden yoke Jeremiah had been wearing; he gives the deeper meaning of that occurrence. By breaking Jeremiah's wooden yoke, Hananiah has only signified that the yoke Nebuchadnezzar lays on the nations will not be so easily broken as a wooden one, but is of iron, i.e., not to be broken. The plural "yokes" is to be explained by the emblematical import of the words, and is not here to be identified, as it sometimes may be, with the singular, Jeremiah 28:10. Jeremiah 28:14 shows in what sense Hananiah put an iron yoke in the place of the wooden one: Jahveh will lay iron yokes on all nations, that they may serve the king of Babel. Hananiah's breaking the wooden yoke does not alter the divine decree, but is made to contribute to its fuller revelation. With the last clause of Jeremiah 28:14, cf. Jeremiah 27:6. - Hereupon Jeremiah forewarns the false prophets what is to be God's punishment on them for their false and audacious declarations. Jeremiah 28:15. "Hear now, Hananiah: Jahveh hath not sent thee, and thou hast made this people to believe a lie. Jeremiah 28:16. Therefore thus saith Jahveh: Behold, I cast thee from off the face of the earth; this year shalt thou die, for thou hast spoken rebellion against Jahveh." "The year" = this year, as in Isaiah 37:30. The words "for thou hast spoken," etc., recall Deuteronomy 13:6. They involve an application to Hananiah's case of the command there given to put such a prophet to death, and show how it can with justice be said that the Lord will cast him from off the face of the earth. The verb משׁלּחך is chosen for the sake of the play on לא שׁלחך . God has not sent him as prophet to His people, but will send him away from off the earth, i.e., cause him to die. - In Jeremiah 28:17 it is recorded that this saying was soon fulfilled. Hananiah died in the seventh month of that year, i.e., two months after his controversy with Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 28:1).