TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
And Hananiah H2608 spake H559 in the presence H5869 of all the people H5971, saying H559, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068; Even so will I break H7665 the yoke H5923 of Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 from the neck H6677 of all nations H1471 within the space of two full H3117 years H8141. And the prophet H5030 Jeremiah H3414 went H3212 his way H1870.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Hananyah, in front of all the people, said, "Thus says ADONAI: 'In just this way will I break off the yoke of N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel from the necks of all the nations within two years.'" The prophet Yirmeyahu left them;
Berean Standard Bible
And in the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations.’” At this, Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.
American Standard Version
And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon within two full years from off the neck of all the nations. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
World English Bible Messianic
Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon within two full years from off the neck of all the nations. The prophet Jeremiah went his way.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Euen so will I breake the yoke of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, from the necke of al nations within the space of two yeres: and the Prophet Ieremiah went his way.
Young's Literal Translation
And Hananiah speaketh before the eyes of all the people, saying, `Thus said Jehovah, Thus I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, within two years of days, from off the neck of all the nations;' and Jeremiah the prophet goeth on his way.
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In the KJVVerse 19,630 of 31,102
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Commentary on Jeremiah 28 verses 10–17
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.
We have here an instance,
I. Of the insolence of the false prophet. To complete the affront he designed Jeremiah, he took the yoke from off his neck which he carried as a memorial of what he had prophesied concerning the enslaving of the nations to Nebuchadnezzar, and he broke it, that he might give a sign of the accomplishment of this prophecy, as Jeremiah had given of his, and might seem to have conquered him, and to have defeated the intention of his prophecy. See how the lying spirit, in the mouth of this false prophet, mimics the language of the Spirit of truth: Thus saith the Lord, So will I break the yoke of the king of Babylon, not only from the neck of this nation, but from the neck of all nations, within two full years. Whether by the force of a heated imagination Hananiah had persuaded himself to believe this, or whether he knew it to be false, and only persuaded them to believe it, does not appear; but it is plain that he speaks with abundance of assurance. It is no new thing for lies to be fathered upon the God of truth.
II. Of the patience of the true prophet. Jeremiah quietly went his way, and when he was reviled he reviled not again, and would not contend with one that was in the height of his fury and in the midst of the priests and people that were violently set against him. The reason why he went his way was not because he had nothing to answer, but because he was willing to stay till God was pleased to furnish him with a direct and immediate answer, which as yet he had not received. He expected that God would send a special message to Hananiah, and he would say nothing till he had received that. I, as a deaf man, heard not, for thou wilt hear, and thou shalt answer, Lord, for me. It may sometimes be our wisdom rather to retreat than to contend. Currenti cede furori - Give place unto wrath.
III. Of the justice of God in giving judgment between Jeremiah and his adversary. Jeremiah went his way, as a man in whose mouth there was no rebuke, but God soon put a word into his mouth; for he will appear for those who silently commit their cause to him. 1. The word of God, in the mouth of Jeremiah, is ratified and confirmed. Let not Jeremiah himself distrust the truth of what he had delivered in God's name because it met with such a daring opposition and contradiction. If what we have spoken be the truth of God, we must not unsay it because men gainsay it; for great is the truth and will prevail. It will stand, therefore let us stand to it, and not fear that men's unbelief or blasphemy will make it of no effect. Hananiah has broken the yokes of wood, but Jeremiah must make for them yokes of iron, which cannot be broken (Jer 28:13), for (says God) "I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, which shall lie heavier, and bind harder, upon them (Jer 28:14), that they may serve the king of Babylon, and not be able to shake off the yoke however they may struggle, for they shall serve him whether they will or no;" and who is he that can contend with God's counsel? What was said before is repeated again: I have given him the beasts of the field also, as if there were something significant in that. Men had by their wickedness made themselves like the beasts that perish, and therefore deserved to be ruled by an arbitrary power, as beasts are ruled, and such a power Nebuchadnezzar ruled with; for whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive. 2. Hananiah is sentenced to die for contradicting it, and Jeremiah, when he has received commission from God, boldly tells him so to his face, though before he received that commission he went away and said nothing. (1.) The crimes of which Hananiah stands convicted are cheating the people and affronting God: Thou makest this people to trust in a lie, encouraging them to hope that they shall have peace, which will make their destruction the more terrible to them when it comes; yet this was not the worst: Thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord; thou hast taught them to despise all the good counsel given them in God's name by the true prophets, and hast rendered it ineffectual. Those have a great deal to answer for who, by telling sinners that they shall have peace though they go on, harden their hearts in a contempt of the reproofs and admonitions of the word, and the means and methods God takes to bring them to repentance. (2.) The judgment given against him is, "I will cast thee off from the face of the earth, as unworthy to live upon it; thou shalt be buried in it. This year thou shalt die, and die as a rebel against the Lord, to whom death will come with a sting and a curse." This sentence was executed, Jer 28:17. Hananiah died the same year, within two months; for his prophecy is dated the fifth month (Jer 28:1) and his death the seventh. Good men may perhaps be suddenly taken off by death in the midst of their days, and in mercy to them, as Josiah was; but this being foretold as the punishment of his sin, and coming to pass accordingly, it may safely be construed as a testimony from Heaven against him and a confirmation of Jeremiah's mission. And, if the people's hearts had not been wretchedly hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, it would have prevented their being further hardened by the deceitfulness of their prophets.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–17. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 5 onwards) And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah: Listen, Hananiah: The Lord did not send you, and yet you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will send (or cast) you away from the face of the earth, you will die this year. And what follows: Because you have spoken against the Lord. And Hananiah the prophet died in that year, in the seventh month, which is not mentioned in the Septuagint. For as much as they have set him forth above: He died in the seventh month. And this Ananias is not spoken of in the Septuagint as a prophet, though the Holy Scripture of the Hebrews calls him a prophet, even though Jeremiah accuses him, saying: Hear, Ananias, the Lord has not sent you, yet thou have prophesied. For how could he call him a prophet, whom he denied to be sent by the Lord? But the truth and order of the history is preserved, as we have said, not according to what it was, but according to what it was thought to be at that time. You deceived, he says, the people with a lie, so that they would not submit to the judgments of God. Therefore, you know that you will die this year. When we die, we are released from the prisons of the body, according to that testimony, which heretics interpret wrongly: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps. 141:8): so how is death now imposed as a punishment on false prophets? But in this place it should be noted that Jeremiah, after suffering injury from a false prophet, and before receiving a direct message from the Lord, remains silent; later, however, sent by the Lord, he boldly accuses the liar and announces his impending death. And that he who usually translates the seventh month is said to rest under this number, perhaps they falsely claim that he died in the seventh month so that he may be freed from the evils of the body, according to what they quote from the writing. Death is rest for a man. But we know that the bodies of believers are temples of God, if indeed the Holy Spirit dwells in them (Sirach 22:11).
JeromeAD 420
Against Jovinianus 2.37
About four hundred years have passed since the preaching of Christ burst on the world, and during that time in which his robe has been torn by countless heresies, almost the whole body of error has been derived from the Chaldaean, Syriac and Greek languages. Basilides, the master of licentiousness and the grossest sensuality, after the lapse of so many years and like a second Euphorbus, was changed by transmigration into Jovinian, so that the Latin tongue might have a heresy of its own. Was there no other province in the whole world to receive the gospel of pleasure and into which the serpent might insinuate itself, except that which was founded by the teaching of Peter, on the rock Christ? Idol temples had fallen before the standard of the cross and the severity of the gospel. Now, on the contrary, lust and gluttony endeavor to overthrow the solid structure of the cross. And so God says by Isaiah, “O my people, they which bless you cause you to err, and trouble the paths of your feet.” Also by Jeremiah, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every one his life,” and do not believe the false prophets who say, “Peace, peace, and there is no peace,” who are always repeating, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” “Your prophets have foreseen false and foolish things for you. They have not exposed your iniquity in order to call you to repentance. They devour God’s people like bread. They have not called on God. Jeremiah announced the captivity and was stoned by the people. Hananiah, the son of Azzur, broke the bars of wood for the present but was preparing bars of iron for the future. False prophets always promise pleasant things and please for a time. Truth is bitter, and those preaching it are filled with bitterness. For with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth the Lord’s Passover is kept, and it is eaten with bitter herbs.
JeromeAD 420
SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 5:60.2-4
The Septuagint does not translate “two years,” nor does it call Hananiah a “prophet,” lest it appear to name someone a prophet who was in fact no prophet, as if not many persons in sacred Scripture were named in accordance with the opinion of the time in which they lived or according to the truth of the matter. But Joseph is called the father of the Lord. And Mary, who knew that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit (responding to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never known a man?”), asked her son, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been looking for you desperately.” The prudence, humility and patience of Jeremiah must also be considered. When the pseudo-prophet damaged and broke the yoke around Jeremiah’s neck, which he was not able to do with iron, Jeremiah remained silent and concealed his pain. For what he should say was not yet revealed to him by the Lord, so that sacred Scripture would demonstrate tacitly that a prophet never speaks only on his own decision but also by the will of the Lord, most especially regarding future events, which are known to God alone. Jeremiah departed, it says, and went on his way as though he were well, thus fulfilling the prophecy: “I have become like a person who hears nothing and has no rebukes in his mouth.”
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 10, 11) And Ananias the prophet took a chain (or a yoke, which in Hebrew is called Mutoth) from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and broke it. And Ananias said in the presence of all the people, saying: Thus says the Lord: I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, within two years from the necks of all nations. And Jeremiah went his way (The Vulgate adds prophet). The Seventy did not transfer two years. Moreover, they did not call Ananias a prophet, lest they seem to be calling someone a prophet who was not a prophet. It is as if not many things are said in the holy Scriptures, according to the opinion of that time in which the events are recounted, and not according to what the truth of the matter contained. Finally, even Joseph is called the father of the Lord in the Gospel, and Mary herself, who knew that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit, and she had responded to the angel: 'How will this be, since I do not know a man?' (Luke 1:34). He speaks to the Son: Son, what have you done to us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow. At the same time, the prudence of Jeremiah, and humility, and patience must be considered. The false prophet does wrong things, and crushes the snatched club from his neck, which he certainly could not do with an iron one. He is silent, and disguises his pain: for the Lord had not yet revealed to him what he should speak. As the holy Scripture shows, prophets do not speak by their own will alone, but by the will of the Lord, especially about the future, of which only God has knowledge. He left, he said, and went on his way, as if defeated, and fulfilling that prophecy: I have become like a deaf man, and like a man who does not have reproofs in his mouth.
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 28:11 presents a pivotal confrontation between Jeremiah, God's true prophet, and Hananiah, a false prophet, in the presence of the people. Hananiah audaciously declares an immediate end to Babylon's dominion, promising that Nebuchadnezzar's "yoke" would be broken from all nations within two years, directly contradicting Jeremiah's divinely revealed message of a prolonged seventy-year exile. Jeremiah's quiet departure in response to this public challenge sets the stage for God's subsequent, dramatic vindication of His authentic word and the swift judgment upon the deceiver.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 28:11 is rich with several powerful literary devices that enhance its dramatic and theological impact. Metaphor is central, particularly with "the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar," which vividly symbolizes the heavy burden of Babylonian subjugation and the loss of national sovereignty. Hananiah's promise to "break the yoke" speaks directly to the people's yearning for freedom, using a potent image of liberation. Dramatic Irony is also powerfully employed; the reader, having been privy to Jeremiah's true prophecies (e.g., the 70-year exile in Jeremiah 25:11), knows Hananiah's declaration is false, even as the people within the narrative are swayed by its comforting message. This creates significant tension and anticipation for the inevitable exposure of Hananiah's deception. Furthermore, Hananiah serves as a crucial Foil to Jeremiah. His popular, comforting, and ultimately false message sharply contrasts with Jeremiah's unpopular, challenging, and divinely true word, highlighting the essential differences between a prophet who speaks for God and one who speaks from his own heart.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 28:11 profoundly illustrates the enduring conflict between divine truth and human desire, particularly in the realm of prophetic utterance. It underscores that God's word, though often challenging, counter-intuitive to human expectations, and unpopular, is ultimately sovereign and will be undeniably vindicated. Hananiah's pronouncement, while appealing to the people's longing for immediate relief and nationalistic pride, was a dangerous deception that undermined the Lord's call for repentance, submission to His sovereign plan, and trust in His timing. This passage serves as a timeless warning against those who speak presumptuously in God's name but deliver messages that are not from Him, emphasizing the critical importance of discerning spirits and testing all claims of divine revelation against the consistent character, revealed will, and proven faithfulness of God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This dramatic encounter in Jeremiah 28:11 holds profound implications for believers today, serving as a timeless lesson in spiritual discernment and trust. In a world saturated with voices claiming authority, offering quick solutions, and promising immediate comfort, this passage calls us to a deep discernment rooted in God's revealed Word. It reminds us that divine truth is not always popular or immediately comforting, and that God's timing often differs radically from our impatient desires. Just as Jeremiah patiently waited for God to expose Hananiah's lie, we are called to cultivate a profound trust in God's perfect timing and sovereign plan, even when it involves periods of difficulty, waiting, or enduring unpopular truths. We must vigilantly resist the temptation to embrace messages that merely affirm our preferences or offer immediate gratification, instead diligently seeking, submitting to, and patiently waiting for the often-challenging, yet ultimately redemptive, truth of God. Our spiritual maturity is often measured by our willingness to embrace God's difficult truths over comforting falsehoods.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Jeremiah simply "go his way" instead of immediately refuting Hananiah?
Answer: Jeremiah's quiet departure was a strategic and wise response, not an act of concession or agreement. He knew that Hananiah's prophecy was false, but an immediate verbal argument would likely have been fruitless given the popular appeal of Hananiah's comforting message and the public nature of the confrontation. Jeremiah understood that true prophecy is ultimately vindicated by its fulfillment (or lack thereof) and by God's own direct intervention. His silence allowed Hananiah's lie to stand exposed by subsequent events, demonstrating Jeremiah's profound trust in God to confirm His own word and expose the false prophet, which God indeed did through a clear prophetic word and Hananiah's swift death in Jeremiah 28:15-17.
What was the significance of the "yoke of Nebuchadnezzar" that Hananiah promised to break?
Answer: The "yoke" was a powerful and universally understood symbol in the ancient world, representing subjugation, burden, and servitude. Jeremiah himself had been commanded by God to wear a physical wooden yoke as a prophetic sign of Judah's impending submission to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:2). Hananiah's promise to "break the yoke" within two years was a direct, symbolic counter-act to Jeremiah's prophecy, promising immediate liberation from Babylonian oppression and appealing directly to the people's fervent desire for national freedom and relief from their current hardship.
What happened to Hananiah after this confrontation?
Answer: Hananiah's false prophecy was swiftly and dramatically exposed by divine judgment. Later in the same chapter, God directly addresses Hananiah through Jeremiah, condemning his lies and declaring that because he had made the people trust in a lie, he would die that very year. True to God's word, Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year, confirming Jeremiah as God's true prophet and validating the severity of speaking falsehoods in the Lord's name (Jeremiah 28:15-17). This swift judgment served as a powerful testament to God's unwavering commitment to His truth and His severe condemnation of those who presume to speak in His name without His authorization.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The dramatic confrontation in Jeremiah 28:11, pitting a false prophet promising immediate, superficial freedom against a true prophet proclaiming a difficult, divinely ordained path, finds its ultimate fulfillment and reversal in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Hananiah promised to break the physical "yoke of Nebuchadnezzar" through human effort and false prophecy, Jesus came to break a far greater yoke: the spiritual bondage of sin and death. He is the ultimate "true prophet" promised by God (Deuteronomy 18:15), who always spoke the unvarnished truth of God, regardless of its popularity or the personal cost, even when it led to His suffering and death on the cross. Unlike Hananiah's deceptive promises of quick, external relief, Jesus offered a "yoke" that is "easy" and a "burden" that is "light" for those who come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30), not by removing all earthly trials, but by transforming the heart and providing true rest for the soul through reconciliation with God. His victory over sin and death was not a swift, humanly orchestrated event, but part of God's perfect, redemptive timeline, culminating in His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Through His sacrificial death, Christ truly broke the power of the ultimate oppressor, not just a temporal king, but the spiritual forces that enslaved humanity (Colossians 2:15). He is the embodiment of God's truth, the one who perfectly fulfills all prophecy, and through whom all of God's promises find their definitive "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20), offering not a temporary political liberation, but eternal spiritual freedom.