Jeremiah 28:8

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

The prophets who were here before me and before you prophesied in times past against many countries and against great kingdoms about war, disaster and plagues.

Berean Standard Bible:

The prophets of old who preceded you and me prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms.

American Standard Version:

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

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

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}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

BibleHub.com BibleRef.com

Commentary for Jeremiah 28:8

Jeremiah 28:8 is a verse that captures a moment in a confrontation between the prophet Jeremiah and another prophet named Hananiah. This encounter takes place during a critical period in Judah's history, around the early 6th century BCE, when the Babylonian Empire was ascendant and Judah was facing significant political turmoil. In this context, Jeremiah has been prophesying that Judah will face destruction and that its people will be taken into exile by the Babylonians, a message that understandably was not well received by the people or their leaders.

In contrast, Hananiah prophesies that within two years, God will break the yoke of the king of Babylon and restore the vessels of the Lord's house and all the captives to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 28:2-4). Jeremiah 28:8 is part of Jeremiah's response to Hananiah's prophecy. Here, Jeremiah is highlighting the historical pattern of prophetic messages. He points out that the prophets who came before them often foretold doom and destruction upon various nations and powerful kingdoms, not just minor skirmishes or isolated incidents. These prophecies typically involved predictions of war, calamity, and pestilence—harsh messages that were not limited to Judah but were common to the broader ancient Near Eastern context.

The themes present in this verse include the role of prophets in society, the nature of true prophecy, and the challenge of discerning the authenticity of a prophetic message. Jeremiah's reference to the past prophecies serves to remind the audience of the consistent nature of divine warnings and the serious consequences that can follow when nations and kingdoms fail to heed them. It also underscores the tension between Jeremiah's message of judgment and the desire of the people for a more comforting and optimistic prophecy, such as the one offered by Hananiah. This tension reflects a broader biblical theme about the nature of hope and the necessity of repentance and obedience to God's will.

In summary, Jeremiah 28:8 is a verse that situates the current prophetic dispute within a historical continuum of divine warnings against nations, emphasizing the gravity and legitimacy of Jeremiah's prophecies against the more palatable but ultimately false hopes offered by Hananiah. It speaks to the enduring challenge of recognizing genuine prophecy and the consequences of either heeding or ignoring the warnings of God's messengers.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5030
   There are 288 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָבִיא
   Transliteration: nâbîyʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-bee'
   Description: from נָבָא; a prophet or (generally) inspired man; prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.
   
2. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5769
   There are 414 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עוֹלָם
   Transliteration: ʻôwlâm
   Pronunciation: o-lawm'
   Description: or עֹלָם; from עָלַם; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always; alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare נֶצַח, עַד.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5012
   There are 102 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָבָא
   Transliteration: nâbâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-baw'
   Description: a primitive root; to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse); prophesy(-ing), make self a prophet.
   
5. Strong's Number: H7227
   There are 439 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רַב
   Transliteration: rab
   Pronunciation: rab
   Description: by contracted from רָבַב; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality); (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).
   
6. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1419
   There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גָּדוֹל
   Transliteration: gâdôwl
   Pronunciation: gaw-dole'
   Description: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.
   
8. Strong's Number: H4467
   There are 113 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַמְלָכָה
   Transliteration: mamlâkâh
   Pronunciation: mam-law-kaw'
   Description: from מָלַךְ; dominion, i.e. (abstractly) the estate (rule) or (concretely) the country (realm); kingdom, king's, reign, royal.
   
9. Strong's Number: H4421
   There are 308 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִלְחָמָה
   Transliteration: milchâmâh
   Pronunciation: mil-khaw-maw'
   Description: from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior).
   
10. Strong's Number: H7451
    There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רַע
    Transliteration: raʻ
    Pronunciation: rah
    Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
    
11. Strong's Number: H1698
    There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דֶּבֶר
    Transliteration: deber
    Pronunciation: deh'-ber
    Description: from דָבַר (in the sense of destroying); a pestilence; murrain, pestilence, plague.