TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ 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,
KJV (with Strong's)
And it came to pass the same year H8141, in the beginning H7225 of the reign H4467 of Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah H3063, in the fourth H7243 year H8141, and in the fifth H2549 month H2320, that Hananiah H2608 the son H1121 of Azur H5809 the prophet H5030, which was of Gibeon H1391, spake H559 unto me in the house H1004 of the LORD H3068, in the presence H5869 of the priests H3548 and of all the people H5971, saying H559,
Complete Jewish Bible
That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananyah the son of 'Azur the prophet, from Giv'on, spoke to me in ADONAI's house in front of the cohanim and all the people, saying,
Berean Standard Bible
In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, near the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people:
American Standard Version
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of Jehovah, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
World English Bible Messianic
That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD’s house, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
Geneva Bible (1599)
And that same yeere in the beginning of the reigne of Zedekiah King of Iudah in the fourth yeere, and in the fifth moneth Hananiah the sonne of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake to mee in the House of the Lord in the presence of the Priestes, and of all the people, and said,
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in that year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, spoken unto me hath Hananiah son of Azur the prophet, who is of Gibeon, in the house of Jehovah, before the eyes of the priests, and all the people, saying,
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Commentary on Jeremiah 28 verses 1–9
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.
This struggle between a true prophet and a false one is said here to have happened in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, and yet in the fourth year, for the first four years of his reign might well be called the beginning, or former part, of it, because during those years he reigned under the dominion of the king of Babylon and as a tributary to him; whereas the rest of his reign, which might well be called the latter part of it, in distinction from that former part, he reigned in rebellion against the king of Babylon. In this fourth year of his reign he went in person to Babylon (as we find, Jer 51:59), and it is probable that this gave the people some hope that his negotiation in person would put a good end to the war, in which hope the false prophets encouraged them, this Hananiah particularly, who was of Gibeon, a priests' city, and therefore probably himself a priest, as well as Jeremiah. Now here we have,
I. The prediction which Hananiah delivered publicly, solemnly, in the house of the Lord, and in the name of the Lord, in an august assembly, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, who probably were expecting to have some message from heaven. In delivering this prophecy, he faced Jeremiah, he spoke it to him (Jer 28:1), designing to confront and contradict him, as much as to say, "Jeremiah, thou liest." Now this prediction is that the king of Babylon's power, at least his power over Judah and Jerusalem, should be speedily broken, that within two full years the vessels of the temple should be brought back, and Jeremiah, and all the captives that were carried away with him, should return; whereas Jeremiah had foretold that the yoke of the king of Babylon should be bound on yet faster, and that the vessels and captives should not return for 70 years, Jer 28:2-4. Now, upon the reading of this sham prophecy, and comparing it with the messages that God sent by the true prophets, we may observe what a vast difference there is between them. Here is nothing of the spirit and life, the majesty of style and sublimity of expression, that appear in the discourses of God's prophets, nothing of that divine flame and flatus. But that which is especially wanting here is an air of piety; he speaks with a great deal of confidence of the return of their prosperity, but here is not a word of good counsel given them to repent, and reform, and return to God, to pray, and seek his face, that they may be prepared for the favours God had in reserve for them. He promises them temporal mercies, in God's name, but makes no mention of those spiritual mercies which God always promised should go along with them, as Jer 24:7, I will give them a heart to know me. By all this it appears that, whatever he pretended, he had only the spirit of the world, not the Spirit of God (Co1 2:12), that he aimed to please, not to profit.
II. Jeremiah's reply to this pretended prophecy. 1. He heartily wishes it might prove true. Such an affection has he for his country, and so truly desirous is he of the welfare of it, that he would be content to lie under the imputation of a false prophet, so that their ruin might be prevented. He said, Amen; the Lord do so; the Lord perform thy words, Jer 28:5, Jer 28:6. This was not the first time that Jeremiah had prayed for his people, though he had prophesied against them, and deprecated the judgments which yet he certainly knew would come; as Christ prayed, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, when yet he knew it must not pass from him. Though, as a faithful prophet, he foresaw and foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, yet, as a faithful Israelite, he prayed earnestly for the preservation of it, in obedience to that command, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Though the will of God's purpose is the rule of prophecy and patience, the will of his precept is the rule of prayer and practice. God himself, though he has determined, does not desire, the death of sinners, but would have all men to be saved. Jeremiah often interceded for his people, Jer 18:20. The false prophets thought to ingratiate themselves with the people by promising them peace; now the prophet shows that he bore them as great a good-will as their prophets did, whom they were so fond of; and, though he had no warrant from God to promise them peace, yet he earnestly desired it and prayed for it. How strangely were those besotted who caressed those who did them the greatest wrong imaginable by flattering them and persecuted him who did them the greatest service imaginable by interceding for them! See Jer 27:18. 2. He appeals to the event, to prove it false, Jer 28:7-9. The false prophets reflected upon Jeremiah, as Ahab upon Micaiah, because he never prophesied good concerning them, but evil. Now he pleads that this had been the purport of the prophecies that other prophets had delivered, so that it ought not to be looked upon as a strange thing, or as rendering his mission doubtful; for prophets of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms, so bold were they in delivering the messages which God sent by them, and so far from fearing men, or seeking to please them, as Hananiah did. They made no difficulty, any more than Jeremiah did, of threatening war, famine, and pestilence, and what they said was regarded as coming from God; why then should Jeremiah be run down as a pestilent fellow, and a sower of sedition, when he preached no otherwise than God's prophets had always done before him? Other prophets had foretold destruction did not come, which yet did not disprove their divine mission, as in the case of Jonah; for God is gracious, and ready to turn away his wrath from those that turn away from their sins. But the prophet that prophesied of peace and prosperity, especially as Hananiah did, absolutely and unconditionally, without adding that necessary proviso, that they do not by wilful sin put a bar in their own door and stop the current of God's favours, will be proved a true prophet only by the accomplishment of his prediction; if it come to pass, then it shall be known that the Lord has sent him, but, if not, he will appear to be a cheat and an impostor.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Commentary on Jeremiah
(Chapter 28, Verses 1 onwards) In that year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Ananias son of Azur, a prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people. He said: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years, I will bring back all the vessels of the Lord to this place. They interpreted the Hebrew prophets, that is, the Nebeim, as pseudo-prophets in order to make their understanding clearer. Finally, in this place, the prophet is called Nebia, not a pseudo-prophet. And the word of the Lord came to him during the reign of Zedekiah, in the fourth year of his reign, in the fifth month (while the prophet Ezekiel was still prophesying in Babylon to those who had been exiled with Jehoiachin). And he speaks with confidence in the temple of the Lord against the Prophet, because he promises prosperity to the people, and they willingly listen to lies, especially those that promise joy. Jeremiah had also said that the rest of the vessels, whether of the temple or the royal palace, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar had taken away, were to be transferred to Babylon. But here, on the contrary, he promises that even those things that had been carried away are to be brought back.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 28:1 serves as a meticulously detailed chronological and geographical introduction to a pivotal confrontation between Jeremiah, God's authentic prophet, and Hananiah, a false prophet. This verse precisely anchors the ensuing prophetic dispute within the fourth year and fifth month of King Zedekiah's reign, placing it specifically within the sacred confines of the Temple in Jerusalem, before a public assembly of priests and the general populace. It immediately establishes the critical context for discerning divine truth amidst conflicting claims, underscoring the profound spiritual and national stakes inherent in the prophetic messages concerning Judah's future under Babylonian dominion.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 28:1 employs several significant literary devices to set the stage for the dramatic conflict. Precise Chronology is a prominent feature, with the meticulous dating ("the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah... in the fourth year, and in the fifth month") serving to firmly ground the narrative in historical reality. This precision lends credibility to the account and emphasizes the divine orchestration of time in the unfolding of God's plan. The verse also utilizes Foreshadowing, as the immediate introduction of "Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet" signals an impending conflict, setting up the central theme of true versus false prophecy that will dominate the entire chapter. Furthermore, the detailed description of the setting—"in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people"—functions as powerful Symbolism. The Temple, as the spiritual and national heart of Israelite worship and identity, becomes the public stage for a critical test of spiritual authority, emphasizing that the nation's destiny hinges on discerning and adhering to God's true word.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 28:1 is foundational for understanding the critical theological theme of prophetic discernment. It underscores the vital truth that not all who claim to speak for God truly do, and that the authenticity of a prophet's message must be rigorously tested. This verse sets the stage for a dramatic, real-world example of the principles outlined in Deuteronomy, where the life and words of a prophet are the ultimate test of their divine commission. The public nature of Hananiah's false prophecy in the Temple highlights the inherent danger of popular, comforting messages that contradict God's often difficult truth, and the communal responsibility to seek and adhere to genuine divine revelation. This passage serves as a timeless warning against spiritual deception and a call to unwavering fidelity to God's revealed word, even when it demands submission, patience, and a willingness to embrace unpopular truths.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 28:1, by precisely dating and setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation between Jeremiah and Hananiah, invites us to reflect on the enduring challenge of discerning truth in a world saturated with competing voices. In an era characterized by abundant information and diverse spiritual claims, the ability to distinguish between genuine divine wisdom and comforting falsehoods is paramount for spiritual health and integrity. This verse powerfully reminds us that true prophecy, or God's revealed truth, is often unpopular, challenging, and may even contradict our immediate desires for comfort, ease, or swift deliverance. It calls us to cultivate a deep familiarity with the unchanging Word of God, allowing it to be the ultimate standard by which all claims, even those cloaked in spiritual authority, are tested. We are encouraged to seek discernment not just for our personal lives but for the collective spiritual health of our communities, recognizing that embracing God's difficult truth, though initially uncomfortable, ultimately leads to flourishing, while succumbing to deceptive promises leads to greater peril and spiritual disorientation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the precise dating in Jeremiah 28:1 so important?
Answer: The precise dating ("the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month") is crucial for several reasons. First, it firmly anchors the prophetic encounter in historical reality, lending credibility to the narrative and demonstrating that these events were not mythical but actual occurrences within a specific geopolitical context. Second, it highlights the immediate urgency and relevance of the prophetic messages; the confrontation occurs during a highly volatile period of Judah's vassalage to Babylon, where the nation was desperate for divine guidance. Third, it allows for a clear comparison between Jeremiah's long-term prophecy of seventy years of exile (Jeremiah 25:11) and Hananiah's immediate, false promise of two years (Jeremiah 28:3), making the fulfillment (or lack thereof) a clear and undeniable test of prophetic authenticity.
What is the significance of the confrontation taking place "in the house of the LORD"?
Answer: The "house of the LORD" refers to the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the spiritual and national center of Judah. The significance of this location is profound: it elevates the confrontation from a private dispute to a public, sacred test of prophetic authority. By speaking in the Temple, Hananiah was challenging Jeremiah's message in the most prominent religious and public forum available, before the priests and all the people. This setting underscored that the very spiritual and national destiny of Judah was at stake, as the people needed to discern whose message was truly from God for their survival and well-being (Jeremiah 7:1-15). The Temple, meant to be a place of truth and divine revelation, became the arena where truth was contested, emphasizing the grave consequences of spiritual deception within the heart of the nation's faith.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Jeremiah 28:1 details a specific historical clash between Old Testament prophets, it profoundly foreshadows the ultimate test of prophetic authority found in Jesus Christ. Jeremiah, the true prophet, delivered a difficult message of judgment, submission, and long-term divine purpose, much like Christ, who proclaimed a kingdom that was "not of this world" (John 18:36) and called for repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing, not immediate earthly liberation or comfort (Matthew 16:24). Hananiah, on the other hand, offered a popular, comforting message of swift deliverance, appealing to human desires for immediate relief and a rejection of divine judgment. He serves as a prototype of the false teachers and deceptive spirits that would later challenge the Gospel of Christ (2 Peter 2:1-3). Jesus Himself warned His disciples about false prophets who would come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). The ultimate fulfillment of discerning true prophecy lies in Christ, who is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), the final and complete revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1-2). All true prophecy points to Him, and all false prophecy subtly or overtly diverts from Him. Thus, the confrontation in Jeremiah 28:1 serves as a timeless paradigm for the ongoing spiritual battle to cling to the truth of Christ against all deceptive voices that promise an easier path or a different gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).