TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then the prophet Yirmeyahu said to Hananyah the prophet, "Listen here, Hananyah! ADONAI has not sent you! You are making these people trust in a lie!
Berean Standard Bible
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie.
American Standard Version
Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: Jehovah hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
World English Bible Messianic
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: the LORD has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then sayd the Prophet Ieremiah vnto the Prophet Hananiah, Heare nowe Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lye.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jeremiah the prophet saith unto Hananiah the prophet, `Hear, I pray thee, O Hananiah; Jehovah hath not sent thee, and thou hast caused this people to trust on falsehood.
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In the KJVVerse 19,634 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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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
SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 5:62.2-4
When Jeremiah admonishes him, saying, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord did not send you,” he omits the title “prophet,” for how could he call him a prophet who refused to be sent by the Lord? But the truth and order of history is preserved, as we said above, not according to what was but according to what was thought to be at the time. He says, in effect, “You have deceived the people with a falsehood, to prevent them from agreeing with the judgment of God. Hence, you know that this will be the year you die.” But if, when we die, we are liberated from the prison of the body, according to that testimony that has been badly misinterpreted by heretics, “Free my soul from this prison,” how is the death of a pseudo-prophet now imposed as a punishment? It also must be observed, however, that Jeremiah suffered injury from the false prophet and remained silent, the word of the Lord not yet having come to him. Afterwards, however, when sent by the Lord, he boldly convicted him of lying and announced his imminent death. And because he died in the seventh month, which was always customarily understood to represent “rest,” due to the significance of the number, perhaps they were deceived that he died in the seventh month, so that he would be liberated from the evils of the body according to that passage they proffer from Scripture: “Death gives rest to a person.” But we know that the bodies of believers are temples of God, if the Holy Spirit still dwells within them.
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 28:15 captures the climactic confrontation between the true prophet Jeremiah and the false prophet Hananiah, serving as a profound theological declaration of divine truth against human deception. In this pivotal moment, Jeremiah, speaking with the unequivocal authority of Yahweh, directly refutes Hananiah's popular but baseless prophecy of imminent peace and deliverance, unmasking it as a dangerous fabrication. This verse not only exposes Hananiah's lack of divine commission but also condemns his act of misleading the people of Judah into a false sense of security, thereby underscoring the singular origin of authentic prophetic revelation and the perilous nature of comforting falsehoods.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 28:15 is powerfully constructed through several literary devices that amplify its profound message. The most prominent is Contrast, which is central to the entire chapter and culminates here. Jeremiah, the true prophet, is sharply contrasted with Hananiah, the false prophet, and God's undeniable truth is set against Hananiah's destructive lie. This opposition is subtly highlighted by the repeated use of the title "prophet" for both men, emphasizing that while they share a designation, their source of authority and the very nature of their message are diametrically opposed. Direct Address ("Hear now, Hananiah") creates a sense of immediate, personal confrontation, drawing the reader into the intensity of the moment and underscoring the solemnity and urgency of Jeremiah's divine pronouncement. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Irony: Hananiah, who publicly claimed to speak for the LORD and dramatically broke Jeremiah's yoke in the LORD's name, is now told by the true prophet that the LORD did not send him. This ironic reversal underscores the deceptive nature of Hananiah's ministry and the ultimate futility of presuming to speak for God without authentic divine authorization.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 28:15 serves as a timeless theological anchor, reinforcing the absolute necessity of divine commission for true prophecy and highlighting the profound danger of any message not originating from God. It underscores that God's truth, even when difficult or unpopular, is always for the ultimate good of His people, while comforting lies, no matter how appealing, inevitably lead to spiritual and practical ruin. The verse calls believers across generations to exercise rigorous discernment, testing every spirit and every word against the established character and revealed will of God, rather than succumbing to narratives that merely affirm human desires or anxieties. It highlights God's unwavering commitment to truth and His intolerance for those who presume to speak in His name falsely, thereby corrupting His message and misleading His flock, ultimately demonstrating that divine judgment awaits those who traffic in spiritual falsehoods.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 28:15 offers a potent and enduring lesson for contemporary believers, urging unwavering vigilance and profound discernment in a world saturated with competing voices and claims to truth. In an era of abundant information, diverse spiritual claims, and the pervasive influence of social media, we are called to emulate Jeremiah's unwavering commitment to God's authentic word, even when it challenges popular opinion, personal comfort, or societal norms. This verse compels us to critically evaluate the messages we receive, whether from pulpits, online platforms, or cultural narratives, by rigorously comparing them to the unchanging, authoritative standard of God's revealed Word. It serves as a stark reminder that true spiritual leadership is not about popularity, promising easy solutions, or catering to felt needs, but about faithfully proclaiming God's truth, however difficult or counter-cultural it may be. We are encouraged to cultivate a deep, abiding relationship with the Scriptures, allowing them to be our ultimate guide and plumb line, so that we might discern between genuine divine revelation and the seductive whispers of comforting lies that ultimately lead to spiritual harm, moral compromise, and a false sense of security. Our trust must be firmly rooted in God alone, and in the unvarnished truth He has revealed, rather than in the deceptive assurances of human invention or self-serving narratives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How can we distinguish between a true prophet/teacher and a false one today, given that the office of prophet in the Old Testament sense is generally understood to have ceased?
Answer: While the direct, revelatory office of prophet as seen in the Old Testament is widely understood to have ceased with the completion of the biblical canon, the principles for discerning true teachers, spiritual leaders, and messages remain vitally important. The primary test, as exemplified in Jeremiah 28:15, is whether the message aligns with God's established Word, the Bible. True teachers will always point to and uphold the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, never contradicting its core doctrines, moral standards, or the person of Jesus Christ. False teachers, conversely, often deviate from biblical truth, prioritize personal gain, or offer messages that appeal to human desires for comfort, prosperity, or self-affirmation without demanding repentance, holiness, or submission to God's will. Deuteronomy 18:22 states that if a prophet's word does not come true, the LORD has not spoken it. For today's teachers, this translates to whether their teachings bear spiritual fruit consistent with God's character, whether their predictions (if any) align with reality and God's revealed will, and whether their lives exemplify the character of Christ. Matthew 7:15-20 also instructs us to "know them by their fruits," referring to their character, lifestyle, and the spiritual impact of their teaching on others.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 28:15, with its stark contrast between true and false prophecy and the devastating consequences of trusting in a lie, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the Prophet par excellence, the one whom Moses foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15, to whom all must listen. Unlike Hananiah, who was emphatically declared by Jeremiah as not "sent" by the Lord, Jesus was uniquely and perfectly sent by the Father, embodying divine authority and truth in every word and deed (John 8:42). He is not merely a messenger of truth, but the very embodiment of it, declaring, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). While Hananiah made the people "trust in a lie," Jesus calls His followers to trust in Him, the ultimate Truth, which genuinely sets them free from the bondage of sin, deception, and false hopes (John 8:31-32). His words are spirit and life (John 6:63), and His teaching consistently exposed the lies, hypocrisy, and self-deception of the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 23). In Christ, all true prophecy finds its culmination and all God's promises find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). He is the faithful and true witness, the ultimate revelation of God, against whom no lie can stand, offering genuine hope, eternal life, and unwavering truth to all who trust in Him.