Bible Commentaries

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the ^a reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the ^b fourth year, [and] in the fifth month, [that] Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who [was] of ^c Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

(a) When Jeremiah began to bear these bonds and yokes.

(b) After the land had rested, as in (Leviticus 25:2).

(c) This was a city in Benjamin belonging to the sons of Aaron, (Joshua 21:17).

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the ^d prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

(d) He was so esteemed though he was a false prophet.

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the ^e LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

(e) That is, I would wish the same for God's honour and wealth of my people but he has appointed the contrary.

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old ^f prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

(f) Meaning, that the prophets that denounced war or peace were tried either true or false by the success of their prophecies, even though God makes to come to pass sometimes that which the false prophet speaks to try the faith of his, (Deuteronomy 13:3).

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and ^g broke it.

(g) This declares the impudency of the wicked hirelings who have no zeal to the truth but are led with ambition to get the favour of men and therefore cannot abide any that might discredit them but burst forth into rages and contrary to their own conscience, pass not what lies they report or how wickedly they do so that they may maintain their estimation.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a ^h 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 ⁱ beasts of the field also.

(h) That is, a hard and cruel servitude.

(i) Signifying that all would be his as in (Daniel 2:38).

So Hananiah the prophet ^k died the same year in the seventh month.

(k) Seeing this thing was evident in the eyes of the people and yet they returned not to the Lord, it is manifest that miracles cannot move us, neither the word itself, unless God touch the heart.