Jeremiah 28:8 Kommentar

In the foregoing chapter Jeremiah had charged those prophets with lies who foretold the speedy breaking of the yoke of the king of Babylon and the speedy return of the vessels of the sanctuary; how here we have his contest with a particular prophet upon those heads. I. Hananiah, a pretender to prophecy, in contradiction to Jeremiah, foretold the sinking of Nebuchadnezzar's power and the return both of the persons and of the vessels that were carried away (Jer 28:1-4), and, as a sing of this, he broke the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah (Jer 28:10, Jer 28:11). II. Jeremiah wished his words might prove true, but appealed to the event whether they were so or no, not doubting but that would disprove them (Jer 28:5-9). III. The doom both of the deceived and the deceiver is here read. The people that were deceived should have their yoke of wood turned into a yoke of iron (Jer 28:12-14), and the prophet that was the deceiver should be shortly cut off by death, and he was so, accordingly, within two months (Jer 28:15-17).

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 28 Thus chapter relates a false prophecy of Hananiah, who broke off the yoke from Jeremiah; but in return the people are threatened with an iron yoke, and he with death; which came to pass. The time, place, and substance of his prophecy, are in Jer 28:1; Jeremiah's answer to it, Jer 28:5; Hananiah breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and explains the meaning of it to the people, Jer 28:10; Jeremiah prophesies that iron yokes should be given instead of wooden ones, Jer 28:12; and foretells the death of the false prophet, Jer 28:15.

The prophets that have been before me, and before thee of old,.... Such as Isaiah, Hoses, Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others: these prophesied both against many countries and against great kingdoms; as Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Ethiopia, Moab, &c. as Isaiah particularly did: of war, and of evil, and of pestilence; by evil some think is meant famine, because that usually goes along with the other mentioned, and there being but one letter in which the words for evil and famine differ; and now the prophets that prophesied of these were sent of God, were the true prophets of the Lord; and therefore this ought not to be objected to the prejudice of Jeremiah, that his prophecies were of this sort: yea, if they should not come to pass, yet a man is not to be counted a false prophet, because such things are threatened in case nations do not repent of their sins and reform, which they may do; and then the evils threatened are prevented, as in the case of the Ninevites.

(Vers. 7 seqq.) Nevertheless, listen to this word that I speak in your ears and in the ears of all the people: The prophets who were before me and you from the beginning, prophesied about many lands and great kingdoms, about battles, affliction, and famine. The prophet who prophesied peace, when his word comes, the prophet whom the Lord has sent in truth will be known. Jeremiah could have said to Ananiah: You speak falsely, you deceive the people, you are not a prophet but a false prophet. But if he had said so, the false prophet could also have retorted the same against Jeremiah, so he does no wrong. And he is speaking as if to a prophet. Not only, he says, am I a prophet and you, but there were many others before you and me, among whom were Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, and Amos, and the rest. They prophesied, he says, against many lands and not insignificant kingdoms, but great ones, announcing war and adversity to them, and announcing a scarcity of all things. And on the other hand, there were others who promised peace and prosperity. Both opinions, not through flattery or lies, but proven by the outcome of events. Therefore, following the example of others, Ananias speaks of himself, so that when the end of things comes, the truth of the prophets may be revealed. The Lord himself also spoke through Moses (Deut. 23), that the end of prophecy may be shown. And it should be noted that he does not threaten or intimidate, but confidently rebukes the liar with the truth, and postpones it for the future, so that those who hear may await the outcome of events.

PROPHECIES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THOSE IN THE TWENTY-SEVENTH CHAPTER. HANANIAH BREAKS THE YOKES TO SIGNIFY THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S YOKE SHALL BE BROKEN. JEREMIAH FORETELLS THAT YOKES OF IRON ARE TO SUCCEED THOSE OF WOOD, AND THAT HANANIAH SHALL DIE. (Jer. 28:1-17) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah--The Jews often divided any period into two halves, the beginning and the end. As Zedekiah reigned eleven years, the fourth year would be called the beginning of his reign, especially as during the first three years affairs were in such a disturbed state that he had little power or dignity, being a tributary; but in the fourth year he became strong in power. Hananiah--Another of this name was one of the three godly youths who braved Nebuchadnezzar's wrath in the fear of God (Dan 1:6-7; Dan 3:12). Probably a near relation, for Azariah is associated with him; as Azur with the Hananiah here. The godly and ungodly are often in the same family (Eze 18:14-20). Gibeon--one of the cities of the priests, to which order he must have belonged.

prophets . . . before me--Hosea, Joel, Amos, and others. evil--a few manuscripts, read "famine," which is more usually associated with the specification of war and pestilence (Jer 15:2; Jer 18:21; Jer 27:8, Jer 27:13). But evil here includes all the calamities flowing from war, not merely famine, but also desolation, &c. Evil, being the more difficult reading, is less likely to be the interpolated one than famine, which probably originated in copying the parallel passages.

Against the False Prophet Hananiah. - Jer 28:1-4. This man's prophecy. At the same time, namely in the fourth year of Zedekiah (cf. rem. on Jer 27:1. The Chet. בּשׁנת is supported by Jer 46:2 and Jer 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 (Jos 21:17; now Jib, a large village two hours north-west of Jerusalem; see on Jos 9:3), possibly therefore himself a priest - in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and people assembled there, saying: Jer 28:2. "Thus hath Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, said: I break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Jer 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. Jer 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 Gen 41:1; Sa2 13:23.