INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 28 Thus chapter relates a false prophecy of Hananiah, who broke off the yoke from Jeremiah; but in return the people are threatened with an iron yoke, and he with death; which came to pass. The time, place, and substance of his prophecy, are in Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah's ans... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS THE SAME YEAR,.... That the prophet was bid to make yokes and bonds, and send them to the neighbouring kings, whose ambassadors were in Zedekiah's court; and when he spoke the things related in the preceding chapter to Zedekiah, the priests, and people: IN THE BEGINNING THE REIG... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SPEAKETH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Using the language of the true prophets, and describing the Lord just in the same manner they do, when coming from him, and speaking in his name: a bold and daring action, when he knew the Lord had not sent him, nor had said any such thing to h... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHIN TWO FULL YEARS,.... Or, "within two years of days" o; when they are up to a day. The Targum is, "at the end of two years;'' what the false prophets before had said would be done in a very little time; this fixes the precise time of doing it; a very short time, in comparison of the seventy y... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL BRING AGAIN TO THIS PLACE JECONIAH THE SON OF JEHOIAKIM KING OF JUDAH,.... This he knew would please the people, who looked upon Zedekiah only as a deputy of the king of Babylon, and not properly their king; but Jeconiah, as he is here called; and he knew that Zedekiah dared not resent th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE PROPHET JEREMIAH SAID UNTO THE PROPHET HANANIAH,.... The false prophet, as he is called by the Targum, Syriac, and Arabic versions: IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PRIESTS, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT STOOD IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD; waiting and worshipping in the temple; and said bol... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THE PROPHET JEREMIAH SAID, AMEN,.... Or, "so be it"; he wished it might be so as Hananiah had said, if it was the will of God; as a prophet he knew it could not be; as an Israelite, out of respect to his country, he wished it might be; or, however, he wished that they would repent of their sins... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, HEAR THOU NOW THIS WORD THAT I SPEAK IN THINE EARS,.... Though this would be very acceptable to me, and I should be glad to have it fulfilled; yet carefully attend to what I am about to say, it being what greatly concerns thee to observe, as well as all present to listen to: and theref... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PROPHETS THAT HAVE BEEN BEFORE ME, AND BEFORE THEE OF OLD,.... Such as Isaiah, Hoses, Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others: these PROPHESIED BOTH AGAINST MANY COUNTRIES AND AGAINST GREAT KINGDOMS; as Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Ethiopia, Moab, c. as Isaiah particularly did: OF... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PROPHET WHICH PROPHESIETH OF PEACE,.... Of prosperity, of good things, as Hananiah did, and which are always acceptable to men; and such a prophet is agreeable to them: WHEN THE WORD OF THE LORD SHALL COME TO PASS; when the prophecy of good things, which he delivers in the name of the Lord, sha... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HANANIAH THE PROPHET TOOK THE YOKE FROM OFF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH'S NECK,.... Which he wore as a symbol of the subjection of Judea, and other nations, to the king of Babylon: an impudent and insolent action this was, to take the prophet's yoke from his neck; and the more so, as it was by the com... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HANANIAH SPOKE IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL THE PEOPLE,.... Explaining to them his meaning, in taking the yoke, and breaking it: SAYING, THUS SAITH THE LORD; wickedly making use of the Lord's name, to give countenance to his words and actions: EVEN SO WILL I BREAK THE YOKE OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR KING OF... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAH [THE PROPHET],.... When in his own house or apartment, to which he retired; and this came to him either in a vision or dream, or by some articulate voice, or by an impulse upon his spirit, directing him what to say to the false prophet: AFTER THAT HANANIAH... [ Continue Reading ]
GO AND TELL HANANIAH, SAYING, THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... Whose name he had abused; whose prophet he had ill treated; and whose prophecies he had contradicted, and the symbols of them had contumeliously used: THOU HAST BROKEN THE YOKES OF WOOD: or, "bonds", or "the thongs" q; with which the yokes of w... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Under which titles he is often spoken of; and which he uses, when he delivered anything to his prophets to declare in his name to others: I HAVE PUT A YOKE OF IRON UPON THE NECK OF ALL THESE NATIONS: mentioned in Jeremiah 27:3; THAT THEY MAY... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JEREMIAH THE PROPHET UNTO HANANIAH THE PROPHET,.... The false prophet, as he is again called by the Targum, and in the Syriac version; where he went to him, and met with him, whether in the temple or elsewhere, is not mentioned; very probably in some public place, that there might be witne... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... Because of this heinous offence, in lying in the name of the Lord, and deceiving the people: BEHOLD, I WILL CAST THEE FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH; with the utmost indignation and abhorrence, as not worthy to live upon it: it signifies that he should die, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HANANIAH THE PROPHET DIED THE SAME YEAR,.... That he had delivered out his prophecy; in the same year in which Jeremiah said he should die; which proved him to be a false prophet, and Jeremiah to be a true one: IN THE SEVENTH MONTH: it was two months after he had prophesied; for it was in the fi... [ Continue Reading ]