Jeremiah 28

28:1-17 Soon after the events of ch 27, a false prophet named Hananiah publicly confronted Jeremiah in the Temple courtyard. Each prophet gave what he claimed was a message from the Lord, but only Jeremiah’s prediction came true.28:1 The people were in the Temple, so it was probably the occasion of one of the annual fall festivals, either the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:26-32) or the Festival of Shelters (Lev 23:33-36).

28:2-3 Hananiah’s message was the approved propaganda, but he used strong terms (cp. 27:4) to claim the Lord’s authority. • Judah had been under the yoke of the king of Babylon since 597 BC.

28:4 The false prophet’s message claimed that Jehoiachin would return, which implied that Zedekiah held a lower status as ruler over the kingdom of Judah (see study note on Ezek 1:2). • I, the Lord, have spoken: Hananiah closed with the same strong appeal to divine authority that Jeremiah often used.

28:5-6 Amen! (literally So be it!): Jeremiah would have been happy to see this prediction fulfilled.

28:7-9 Only when a prophet’s predictions come true can people be certain that he has spoken the Lord’s word (Deut 18:20-22).

28:10-11 The false prophet Hananiah broke the yoke that Jeremiah was wearing (27:2) as a sign of what the Lord would do. • Jeremiah left the confrontation without replying, probably because he had not yet received the Lord’s response.

28:12-14 Jeremiah received and delivered the Lord’s response to the false prophecy. The wooden yoke that Hananiah broke was replaced by a metaphorical yoke of iron. Subjection to Babylon was an absolute certainty, for the Lord had decreed it.

28:15-17 You must die: The Lord’s decree for Hananiah was the lawful penalty for false prophets (Deut 13:1-5). The Lord carried out the decree that very year; Jeremiah’s prophecy was validated when it was fulfilled two months later. In contrast, Hananiah’s prediction that the Temple treasures would be returned in two years was not fulfilled. The Lord demonstrated that he was still in control.