Jeremiah Chapter 28

At a Glance

  • Jeremiah 28 presents a sharp, memorable tension between two prophetic voices.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • This chapter sits within the same Jeremiad arc that pits true prophecy against false optimism during Judah’s exile-in-waiting.
  • - The test of true prophecy: fulfillment as the ultimate criterion for divine commissioning.
  • - Skepticism toward easy peace: genuine peace may require enduring trials and correction.

CHAPTER REFERENCE

Chapter Overview

Jeremiah 28 presents a sharp, memorable tension between two prophetic voices. On one side stands Hananiah, a self-assured prophecy of peace who proclaims that God will break the yoke of Babylon within two years. On the other, Jeremiah, who warns that true prophetic discernment will be proven by the fulfillment of the word, not by popular sentiment. The temple scene becomes a stage for a test: who truly speaks for the LORD? Hananiah’s confident declarations spark a persuasive moment among the gathered crowd and leaders, appealing to hope and restoration. Jeremiah’s measured, sober response embodies a different kind of prophetic leadership—one that emphasizes fidelity to the longer arc of God’s plan, even when immediate outcomes look bleak. The confrontation ends with Hananiah’s public confrontation and the restraint of judgment by the crowd, while Jeremiah reinforces the enduring caution: the prophet’s message may bring discomfort, but it must align with the ancient patterns of God’s previous revelations. The chapter thus foregrounds the hard, counter-cultural work of prophetic discernment—truth-telling in the face of popular optimism—and it highlights the moral seriousness of true prophecies within the community.

Historical & Literary Context

This chapter sits within the same Jeremiad arc that pits true prophecy against false optimism during Judah’s exile-in-waiting. Hananiah’s message represents a hopeful but dangerously shallow theology of immediate deliverance, which threatens to undermine faithfulness to God’s patient, purposive plan. The genre here again blends prophetic oracles with dramatic narrative. Jeremiah’s refusal to align with Hananiah’s assurances demonstrates the biblical principle that the reliability of prophecy is tested by its outcomes (Deuteronomy 18:22). The setting—public proclamation in the temple courts—emphasizes the communal and public nature of prophetic discernment. The chapter thus functions as a cautionary parable about how easily hopeful rhetoric can seduce a people away from the slower, costly path of obedience and repentance.

Key Themes

- The test of true prophecy: fulfillment as the ultimate criterion for divine commissioning.

- Skepticism toward easy peace: genuine peace may require enduring trials and correction.

- Prophetic integrity under pressure: Jeremiah models restraint, humility, and fidelity even when isolated.

- The danger of charismatic rhetoric: popularity does not validate a prophet’s message.

- God’s ongoing governance of history: even when a false prophet seems successful, God’s purposes persist.

Modern Application

Jeremiah 28 challenges contemporary readers to scrutinize popular spiritual enthusiasm against the criterion of tested truth. In churches and communities, the temptation to offer neat, comforting summaries of God’s plans can obscure the hard realities of change, repentance, and accountability. The chapter invites believers to distinguish between hopeful encouragement that builds up the vulnerable and speculative promises that tempt people to abandon the path of obedience. It also reinforces the value of patience in discernment: measuring a word by its fruition over time rather than by immediate emotion or crowd support. The text encourages humility in leadership: true spiritual guidance does not seek to be loudest or flashiest but to be faithful and aligned with God’s revealed will.

- Jeremiah 27 (the yoke motif as a test of obedience)

- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (test of a prophet’s word)

- 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 (orderly, discerning prophecy in the church)

- Isaiah 30:10-11 (warning against listen-to-illusion prophesying)

Recommended Personas

- Jesus (for confronting false assurances with a counter-narrative of costly discipleship)

- Jeremiah (for prophetic steadfastness in the face of popular optimism)

- Paul (for evaluating spiritual gifts and prophecies within community life)

Chapter Text

1

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, 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 Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

3

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

4

And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break 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 house of the LORD,

6

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform 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;

8

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

9

The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

10

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.

11

And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; 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. 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,

13

Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

14

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

15

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

16

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

17

So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore Jeremiah Chapter 28 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
← Jeremiah 27Jeremiah 29 →