(KJV) Jeremiah 281

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⥃Hananiah’s False Prophecy

[1] And it came to pass the same2 year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, [and] in the fifth month, [that] Hananiah3 the son of Azur the prophet4, 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, [2] Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of I5srael, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. [3] Within two full years6 will I bring again into this place all the7 vessels of the Lord’s house, that8 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: [4] And I will bring9 again to this place Jeconiah10 the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives11 of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break12 the yoke of the king of Babylon.

[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 house13 of the Lord, [6] Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen14: the Lord do so: the Lord perform15 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. [7] Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;16 [8] The prophets17 that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied18 both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. [9] The prophet which19 prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, [then20] shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.

[10] Then Hananiah the prophet took21 the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it. [11] And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus22 saith the Lord; Even23 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.

[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,24 [13] Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast25 broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt26 make for them yokes of iron. [14] For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put27 a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they28 may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I29 have given him the beasts of the field also.

[15] [¶]Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord30 hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. [16] Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will31 cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year32 thou shalt die, because33 thou hast taught rebellion34 against the Lord. [17] So Hananiah35 the prophet died the same year in the seventh month36.

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  1. Jer 28:1, Hananiah prophesies falsely the return of the vessels, and of Jeconiah; Jer 28:5, Jeremiah, wishing it to be true, shews that the event will declare the true prophets; Jer 28:10, Hananiah breaks Jeremiah’s yoke; Jer 28:12, Jeremiah tells of an iron yoke; v.15, and foretells Hananiah’s death. ↩

  2. Jer 27:1 ↩

  3. Jer 28:11, Jer 36:12, Jer 37:13 ↩

  4. Jer 23:28; Isa 9:15; Zech 13:2-4 ↩

  5. Jer 27:2-12; Ezek 13:5-16; Mic 3:11 ↩

  6. Heb. two years of days, Gen 47:9, Gen 47:28; Ps 90:10 ↩

  7. Jer 27:16-22 ↩

  8. 2Kgs 24:13; 2Chr 36:10; Dan 1:2 ↩

  9. This was doubtless grateful news to the people, who looked upon Zedekiah only as Nebuchadnezzar's deputy. Hananiah seems to have been more desirous of popular than regal favour; for this prediction could not be altogether agreeable to Zedekiah. But he was evidently a weak as well as a wicked prince, and very generally despised. ↩

  10. Jer 22:24, Jer 22:28, Coniah, Jer 24:1, Jer 52:31-34; 2Kgs 25:27-30, Jehoiachin ↩

  11. Heb. captivity, Jer 24:5 *marg. ↩

  12. Jer 28:2, Jer 28:10, Jer 2:20, Jer 30:8; Gen 27:40; Isa 9:4; Nah 1:13 ↩

  13. Jer 28:1, Jer 7:2, Jer 19:14, Jer 26:2 ↩

  14. Num 5:22; Deut 27:15-26; 1Kgs 1:36; 1Chr 16:36; Ps 41:13, Ps 72:19, Ps 89:52; Ps 106:48; Matt 6:13, Matt 28:20; 1Cor 14:16; 2Cor 1:20; Rev 1:18, Rev 3:14, Rev 5:14; Rev 19:4, Rev 22:20-21 ↩

  15. Jer 28:3, Jer 11:5, Jer 17:16, Jer 18:20 ↩

  16. 1Kgs 22:28 ↩

  17. As Hosea, Joel, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others, all of whom had denounced similar evils against a corrupt people. So that they who opposed Jeremiah also opposed those who preceded him; and it was altogether unprecedented for a true prophet to promise deliverance to a guilty nation, without calling them to repentance. ↩

  18. Lev 26:14-46; Deut 4:26-27, Deut 28:15-68, Deut 29:18-28, Deut 31:16-17, Deut 32:15-44; 1Sam 2:27-32, 1Sam 3:11-14; 1Kgs 14:7-15, 1Kgs 17:1, 1Kgs 21:18-24, 1Kgs 22:8; Isa 5:1-8; Isa 6:9-12, Isa 13:18, Isa 24:1-23; Joel 1:2-20, Joel 3:1-11; Mic 3:8-12; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Amos 1:2 ↩

  19. Jer 4:10, Jer 6:14, Jer 8:11, Jer 14:13; Ezek 13:10, Ezek 13:16 ↩

  20. Deut 18:22; Ezek 13:10-16 ↩

  21. Jer 28:2, Jer 28:4, Jer 27:2, Jer 36:23-24; 1Kgs 22:11, 1Kgs 22:24-25; Mal 3:13 ↩

  22. Jer 23:17, Jer 29:9; 1Kgs 13:18, 1Kgs 22:6, 1Kgs 22:11-12; 2Chr 18:10, 2Chr 18:22-23; Prov 14:7; Ezek 13:7 ↩

  23. Jer 28:2-4, Jer 27:2-12 ↩

  24. Jer 1:2, Jer 29:30; 2Kgs 20:4; 1Chr 17:3; Dan 9:2 ↩

  25. Jer 27:15; Ps 149:8; Lam 2:14 ↩

  26. By encouraging an unavailing resistance to Nebuchadnezzar. ↩

  27. Jer 27:4, Jer 27:7, Jer 40:4; Deut 4:20, Deut 28:48; Isa 14:4-6 ↩

  28. Jer 25:9-26; Rev 17:12-13 ↩

  29. Jer 27:6-7; Dan 2:38 ↩

  30. This was a bold speech, in the presence of those priests and people who were prejudiced in favour of the false prophets, who prophesied to them smooth things. Jer 28:11, Jer 14:14-15, Jer 23:21, Jer 27:15, Jer 29:23, Jer 29:31-32; 1Kgs 22:23; Ezek 13:2-3, Ezek 13:22; Ezek 22:28; Lam 2:14; Zech 13:3 ↩

  31. Gen 7:4; Exod 32:12; Deut 6:15; 1Kgs 13:34; Amos 9:8 ↩

  32. Jer 28:3, Jer 20:6; Num 14:37, Num 16:28-35, Num 29:32; Deut 13:5-11 ↩

  33. Ezek 13:11-12; Acts 13:8-11 ↩

  34. Heb. revolt, Jer 29:32; Deut 13:5 *marg. ↩

  35. Isa 44:25-26; Zech 1:6 ↩

  36. The prophecy was delivered in the fifth month (Jer 29:1), and Hananiah died in the seventh month; exactly two months after he had delivered his false prophecy, which he declared, in the name of God, would be fulfilled in two years. Here then the true prophet was demonstrated, and the false prophet detected. The death of Hananiah, thus predicted, was God's seal to the words of His prophet, and must have gained his other predictions great credit among the people; though it is evident that it did not induce them to forsake their sins and return to the God of Israel. ↩