Jeremiah 28:10

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

Then Hananiah {H2608} the prophet {H5030} took {H3947} the yoke {H4133} from off the prophet {H5030} Jeremiah's {H3414} neck {H6677}, and brake {H7665} it.

Complete Jewish Bible

At this point Hananyah the prophet took the crossbar off the prophet Yirmeyahu's neck and broke it.

Berean Standard Bible

Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it.

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 28:10 marks the dramatic apex of a prophetic confrontation, where Hananiah, a false prophet, publicly and defiantly removes the symbolic wooden yoke from Jeremiah's neck and shatters it. This audacious act was a performative counter-prophecy, intended to visually negate God's declared judgment of Judah's impending servitude to Babylon and to discredit Jeremiah's authentic message of submission, thereby offering the people a comforting but ultimately deceptive promise of immediate liberation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is the climactic physical act in the direct confrontation between Jeremiah and Hananiah, which begins in [Jeremiah 28:1](/jeremiah/28-1 "Jeremiah 28 - Hananiah's False Prophecy"). Prior to this, in [Jeremiah 27](/jeremiah/27 "Jeremiah 27 - The Yoke of Babylon"), the Lord had commanded Jeremiah to fashion and wear a wooden yoke as a tangible, inescapable sign of Judah's inevitable submission to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. This symbolic action was a stark visual sermon, urging Judah and surrounding nations to submit to Babylonian dominion to avoid destruction. Hananiah, a popular prophet, boldly contradicts this divine message in [Jeremiah 28:2-4](/jeremiah/28-2-4 "Jeremiah 28:2-4 - Hananiah's False Prophecy"), proclaiming a swift end to Babylonian oppression and the return of the temple vessels and exiles within two years. Jeremiah's initial response is cautious, acknowledging the people's desire for peace but reiterating the historical pattern that true prophets foretell war and disaster, with peace only confirmed by fulfillment ([Jeremiah 28:6-9](/jeremiah/28-6-9 "Jeremiah 28:6-9 - Jeremiah's Cautionary Reply")). Hananiah's act in verse 10 is a public, physical escalation, designed to visually refute Jeremiah's prophecy and assert his own, more palatable, message of immediate deliverance.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events of Jeremiah 28 unfold around 594 BC, a period of immense political and spiritual turmoil in Judah, shortly after the first deportation to Babylon in 597 BC. Judah was a vassal state, but strong nationalistic factions, often bolstered by false prophets, advocated for rebellion against Babylon, clinging to a misguided hope of divine intervention. The people longed for freedom from foreign oppression and the restoration of their national glory, making Hananiah's message of swift liberation highly appealing. In ancient Israel, prophets served as crucial divine spokespersons, and their messages often incorporated symbolic actions, like Jeremiah's yoke, to convey God's word with powerful visual impact. The public nature of this confrontation, taking place "in the presence of the priests and all the people" ([Jeremiah 28:10](/jeremiah/28-10 "Jeremiah 28:10 - Hananiah Breaks the Yoke")), underscores the high stakes involved in discerning true prophecy during a time of national crisis and widespread spiritual confusion. The outcome of such a prophetic duel would determine the people's trust and obedience.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully encapsulates several critical themes prevalent throughout the book of Jeremiah. Foremost is the **conflict between true and false prophecy**, where the Lord's authentic, often difficult, message delivered by Jeremiah stands in stark opposition to Hananiah's comforting but deceptive words. The **symbolism of the yoke** is central; it represents not only political servitude and divine judgment but also the burden of sin and the consequences of rebellion, a theme echoed in other prophetic books like [Isaiah 9:4](/isaiah/9-4 "Isaiah 9:4 - Breaking the Yoke of Oppression") and [Leviticus 26:13](/leviticus/26-13 "Leviticus 26:13 - Breaking the Yoke of Slavery"). Hananiah's act of breaking the yoke signifies a dangerous rejection of God's sovereign plan and a preference for false hope over divine truth. This confrontation also highlights the **testing of prophecy**, a crucial concept in the Old Testament ([Deuteronomy 18:20-22](/deuteronomy/18-20 "Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - Testing a Prophet")), where the fulfillment of a prophet's word serves as the ultimate arbiter of their divine commission. Ultimately, the narrative underscores God's **sovereignty** over nations and the severe consequences of rebellion against His declared will, even when that will involves hardship.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **took (Hebrew, _lâqach'_):** This primitive root signifies to "take" in a wide variety of applications, including to accept, bring, seize, or receive. In this context, Hananiah's act of taking the yoke from Jeremiah's neck is deliberate and forceful, an act of appropriation and public challenge. It is not a gentle removal but a decisive seizure, emphasizing his intent to usurp Jeremiah's prophetic authority and message. This verb highlights the aggressive and confrontational nature of Hananiah's action.
* **yoke (Hebrew, _môwṭâh'_):** Derived from a word meaning "pole," _môwṭâh_ refers to an ox-bow or, more broadly, a yoke. It is used literally for harnessing animals for work and metaphorically to represent burdens, servitude, oppression, or divine discipline. Jeremiah's yoke was a powerful visual aid, symbolizing Judah's impending servitude to Babylon as a divine judgment. Hananiah's act of breaking it was a symbolic declaration of immediate liberation, a direct counter-prophecy designed to negate God's word and instill false hope.
* **brake (Hebrew, _shâbar'_):** This primitive root means to burst, shatter, or destroy. Hananiah's action was not merely to remove the yoke but to decisively break it into pieces. This emphasizes the finality and public nature of his repudiation of Jeremiah's message. It was a dramatic, definitive gesture designed to convey a complete and immediate reversal of the predicted servitude and a declaration of freedom from Babylonian rule. This act was meant to be seen and understood by all present as a powerful, irreversible statement.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then Hananiah the prophet":** This clause immediately identifies the central figure in this dramatic scene, Hananiah, and importantly, labels him as "the prophet." This designation establishes the core conflict: two individuals, both claiming prophetic authority, delivering diametrically opposed messages, forcing the audience to discern who speaks for the Lord.
* **"took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck":** This describes the physical, public act that directly challenges Jeremiah's prophetic ministry. Jeremiah had been wearing this yoke as a visible, living sermon, a tangible sign of God's message for some time ([Jeremiah 27:2](/jeremiah/27-2 "Jeremiah 27:2 - Jeremiah's Symbolic Yoke")). Hananiah's act is a direct, confrontational challenge to Jeremiah's person and his divine commission, performed in front of "the priests and all the people" ([Jeremiah 28:10](/jeremiah/28-10 "Jeremiah 28:10 - Hananiah Breaks the Yoke")), making it a highly public spectacle of defiance.
* **"and brake it":** This is the climactic action, the symbolic counter-prophecy. While Jeremiah's yoke symbolized impending servitude and divine judgment, Hananiah's breaking of it was meant to signify the immediate shattering of Babylon's power and Judah's liberation. It was a bold, performative act intended to instill hope and discredit Jeremiah's "bad news," presenting an alternative, more comforting future to a desperate populace.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 28:10 is rich in **Symbolism**. The primary symbol is the **yoke**, which Jeremiah wore as a visual representation of Judah's impending servitude to Babylon and the divine judgment accompanying it. Hananiah's act of breaking this yoke is a counter-symbolic gesture, intended to signify the immediate end of Babylonian oppression and the dawn of a new era of freedom. This creates a dramatic **Confrontation** or **Antithesis** between two opposing prophetic messages and their respective proponents: one of submission and judgment (Jeremiah), the other of immediate liberation and false hope (Hananiah). The narrative also employs profound **Dramatic Irony**, as Hananiah's act, intended to demonstrate freedom, ultimately serves to highlight his own falsehood and the severity of Judah's true predicament. His public display of breaking the wooden yoke, meant to be a sign of relief, tragically foreshadows a heavier, unbreakable yoke of iron that God would later impose upon Judah in response to such defiance ([Jeremiah 28:13-14](/jeremiah/28-13-14 "Jeremiah 28:13-14 - The Yoke of Iron")), intensifying the irony of his misguided and ultimately fatal defiance.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 28:10 serves as a powerful theological lesson on the nature of divine truth versus human presumption and the critical importance of discerning true prophecy. Hananiah's act, while comforting and appealing to the people's immediate desires, was a direct rejection of God's revealed word, demonstrating the human tendency to prefer pleasant falsehoods over difficult, unvarnished truths. This narrative underscores that God's plan, even when it involves hardship or judgment, is ultimately righteous and true, designed for purification and ultimate good. The confrontation highlights the serious responsibility of those who claim to speak for God and the severe, often fatal, consequences for those who speak falsely in His name, leading His people astray. It is a stark reminder that God's word, not human desire or popular opinion, is the ultimate standard of truth.

* [Deuteronomy 18:20-22](/deuteronomy/18-20-22 "Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - How to Test a Prophet")
* [1 John 4:1](/1_john/4-1 "1 John 4:1 - Test the Spirits")
* [2 Timothy 4:3-4](/2_timothy/4-3-4 "2 Timothy 4:3-4 - Itching Ears")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The dramatic scene in Jeremiah 28:10 resonates deeply with the challenges faced by believers today. We live in a world saturated with voices, many of which offer easy solutions, comforting predictions, or popular narratives that may directly contradict the unchanging truth of God's Word. This account compels us to cultivate spiritual discernment, to "test the spirits" ([1 John 4:1](/1_john/4-1 "1 John 4:1 - Test the Spirits")) and to anchor our hope not in what is popular or palatable, but in the unvarnished, often challenging, truth of Scripture. It reminds us that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His plans, though sometimes involving periods of difficulty or waiting, are always for our ultimate good and His glory. Embracing God's truth, even when it demands submission or patience, is the path to genuine freedom and peace, unlike the fleeting comfort offered by false promises that ultimately lead to greater bondage. We must be willing to hear and obey God's difficult truths, trusting in His sovereign wisdom even when it contradicts our immediate desires for ease or comfort.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life am I tempted to prefer a comforting lie or a popular narrative over a difficult truth revealed in God's Word?**
* **How can I cultivate greater discernment to distinguish between genuine biblical teaching and popular, but potentially misleading, messages, especially those that promise immediate comfort or liberation without repentance?**
* **What "yokes" or burdens has God called me to bear for a season (e.g., patiently enduring hardship, submitting to authority, waiting on His timing), and how might I be tempted to "break" them prematurely rather than trust His sovereign purpose?**
* **What are the long-term consequences of embracing false hope versus humbly submitting to God's often challenging, but ultimately redemptive, plan for my life and for the world?**

### FAQ
**Why was Jeremiah wearing a yoke in the first place?**

Answer: Jeremiah was commanded by God to wear a wooden yoke as a powerful visual prophecy, symbolizing Judah's impending servitude to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This act, described in [Jeremiah 27:2-7](/jeremiah/27-2-7 "Jeremiah 27:2-7 - The Symbolic Yoke"), was a tangible sermon, urging Judah and surrounding nations to submit to Babylon's dominion, as it was God's ordained instrument of judgment. It was a stark call for humble submission to divine will to avoid utter destruction, emphasizing that resistance would only lead to greater suffering.

**What was Hananiah's motivation for breaking the yoke?**

Answer: Hananiah's motivation was to publicly contradict Jeremiah's message and offer a more palatable, nationalistic prophecy of immediate deliverance. He claimed that God would break the yoke of Babylon within two years, restore the temple vessels, and bring back the exiles ([Jeremiah 28:2-4](/jeremiah/28-2-4 "Jeremiah 28:2-4 - Hananiah's False Prophecy")). His act was a dramatic, symbolic gesture to assert his own prophetic authority and instill false hope in the people, appealing to their deep desire for quick liberation rather than God's difficult truth of impending judgment and prolonged exile.

**What happened to Hananiah after this confrontation?**

Answer: After Hananiah broke the yoke, Jeremiah initially left without immediate retort. However, the Lord later gave Jeremiah a new, decisive message for Hananiah. Jeremiah prophesied that because Hananiah had broken a wooden yoke, God would replace it with an iron yoke, signifying an even harsher, unbreakable servitude for Judah ([Jeremiah 28:13-14](/jeremiah/28-13-14 "Jeremiah 28:13-14 - The Yoke of Iron")). Furthermore, Jeremiah declared that Hananiah would die within the year for speaking rebellion against the Lord and misleading the people with a lie ([Jeremiah 28:15-16](/jeremiah/28-15-16 "Jeremiah 28:15-16 - Jeremiah's Prophecy Against Hananiah")). True to Jeremiah's word, Hananiah died two months later in the seventh month of that same year ([Jeremiah 28:17](/jeremiah/28-17 "Jeremiah 28:17 - Hananiah's Death")), definitively confirming Jeremiah's status as a true prophet of God and exposing Hananiah's deception.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The dramatic breaking of the yoke in Jeremiah 28:10, intended by Hananiah to signify a false and premature liberation, ultimately points to the true and ultimate "yoke-breaker" in Jesus Christ. Humanity groans under the heavy yoke of sin, the bondage of the Law, and the dominion of death, a burden that no false prophet or human effort can truly shatter. The Old Testament prophets, like Jeremiah, often spoke of the burden of sin and the need for a new covenant, a theme beautifully articulated in [Jeremiah 31:31-34](/jeremiah/31-31-34 "Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The New Covenant"). Jesus, however, does not merely prophesy about breaking yokes; He embodies the fulfillment and provides the means for true freedom. He invites all who are weary and burdened by the weight of sin and striving under the Law to come to Him, promising rest and declaring, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" ([Matthew 11:28-30](/matthew/11-28-30 "Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to Me, All Who Are Weary")). While Hananiah offered a deceptive promise of freedom from an earthly oppressor, Christ offers genuine, eternal liberation from the spiritual bondage of sin and its ultimate consequence, death. His sacrificial death on the cross truly "broke" the power of sin and death ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Deliverance from Death")), establishing a new covenant where true freedom is found not in rebellion against God's will, but in humble submission to the loving Lordship of the One who bore the ultimate burden for us. He is the true Prophet, whose words are always truth and whose promises of freedom are eternally sure ([John 8:36](/john/8-36 "John 8:36 - If the Son Sets You Free")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 27:2

Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

Jeremiah 28:4

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.

1 Kings 22:11

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

1 Kings 22:24

But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

1 Kings 22:25

And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

Malachi 3:13

¶ Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?

Jeremiah 28:2

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.