I. Summary
Hananiah prophesies the return of the temple’s vessels and king Jeconiah from Babylon within two years. When Jeremiah is informed that the prophecy is a lie, he warns Hananiah of his imminent death. Hananiah dies within two months.
II. Photo
The power of Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke grows: “Thus says the Lord: You have broken the wooden bars [of Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke] only to forge iron bars in place of them!” (v. 13)
III. Select Verses
1-4: In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, “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 to this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
10: Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, and broke it.
13-14: Go, tell Hananiah, Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars only to forge iron bars in place of them! For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations so that they may serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and they shall indeed serve him; I have even given him the wild animals.
15-17: And the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD: I am going to send you off the face of the earth. Within this year you will be dead, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD.” In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.
IV. Outline
1. Introduction to Hananiah’s prophecy in the temple during Zedekiah’s reign
2-4. Babylon’s yoke is broken; the temple vessels and king Jeconiah will be returned
5-6a. Introduction to Jeremiah’s speech
6b. Amen to Hananiah’s prophecy
7-9. Thoughts on peaceful prophecies coming true
10. Hananiah breaks the yoke on Jeremiah’s neck
11. Hananiah’s prophecy: Yahweh will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
12-14. Yahweh tells Jeremiah that his broken wooden yoke will be replaced with an iron one
15-16. Jeremiah confronts Hananiah and predicts his death
17. Hananiah dies two months later
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
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