Jeremiah 28
ืืจืืืื ืคืจืง ืืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Jeremiah | Chapter: 28 of 52 | Day: 241 of 742
Date: October 10, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Chapter 28 is the sequel to the sign-act of chapter 27, and it turns that chapterโs argument into a face-to-face confrontation. In chapter 27 Yirmiyahu was commanded to make thongs and bars (ืืืกืจืืช ืืืืืืช), to place them on his own neck, and to send them to the kings of Edom, Moav, Amon, Tzor and Tzidon through their envoys who had gathered in Yerushalayim, declaring that God had given all these lands into the hand of Nevuchadnetzar and that whoever would not bring his neck under the yoke of the king of Bavel would perish. He warned Tzidkiyahu, the priests and the people not to listen to the prophets who were promising that the Temple vessels would soon return from Bavel. Chapter 28 shows us one of those prophets in action, gives him a name, a hometown and a voice, and then records what became of him. It is the most concrete case study in all of Tanakh of the problem first raised in Devarim 18: how is Israel to tell a true prophet from a false one when both speak in the name of the LORD?
The date formula is famously awkward. The episode takes place in that year, at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiyahu, and yet also in the fourth year, in the fifth month. Rashi resolves the tension by reading the beginning of the reign not as Tzidkiyahuโs accession but as the beginning of his dominion over the five neighbouring kings: in his fourth year he travelled to Bavel to pay homage to Nevuchadnetzar, accompanied by Serayah the quartermaster (ืฉืจ ืืื ืืื), as recorded at the end of the book, and he returned with authority over the surrounding kingdoms, which is why their ambassadors were in Yerushalayim at all. Radak cites this view from Seder Olam but also offers a second, more pointed reading. The fourth year may refer to the cycle of shemittah: Tzidkiyahu reigned eleven years, so if his fourth year completed a sabbatical cycle, then the Temple fell exactly at the close of the next one, matching the tradition of Chazal that the house was destroyed at the departure of a sabbatical year (ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืขืืช). The fifth month, Radak adds, hints at Av, the month of the destruction itself. Metzudat David adopts the same reckoning. On this reading the date line is not mere chronology but a quiet indictment: the land would rest from Israel because Israel had not let the land rest.
Into this setting steps Chananyah son of Azzur, the prophet from Givon (ืื ืืื ืืฉืจ ืืืืขืื). The text calls him the prophet without qualification, exactly as it calls Yirmiyahu the prophet, and the parallel title is deliberate: to the priests and the people standing in the Temple court, there is nothing to distinguish the two men. Chananyah uses Yirmiyahuโs own formula, thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel (ืื ืืืจ ืืณ ืฆืืืืช ืืืื ืืฉืจืื), and he too speaks of yokes. But his message is the precise inversion of the previous chapter: I have broken the yoke of the king of Bavel; within two full years (ืืขืื ืฉื ืชืื ืืืื) the Temple vessels will be returned, and Yechonyah and all the exiles of the first deportation will come home. Radak simply labels him a false prophet (ื ืืื ืฉืงืจ ืืื), but Rashi, following the Gemara in Sanhedrin, offers a more searching account of how he came to be one. Chananyah heard Yirmiyahu in the upper market prophesying that God would break the bow of Eilam, and he reasoned from minor to major: if Eilam, who only came to help the Kasdim, is to be broken, how much more so Bavel itself. He then went to the lower market and announced his inference as a revelation. The midrash portrays false prophecy not as cynical invention but as human reasoning dressed in the authority of the divine voice, and that is a far more unsettling picture.
Yirmiyahuโs reply is one of the most humane moments in his book. He does not denounce Chananyah at once. He says amen (ืืื ืื ืืขืฉื ืืณ): may the LORD do so, may He fulfil your words. Metzudat David reads this as sincere; Yirmiyahu himself longed for the good outcome, and he notes that the prophet speaks of what Chananyah had prophesied only according to Chananyahโs own claim. Rashi and Radak preserve an aggadic reading with a sharper edge: Yirmiyahu, a kohen, would gain if the Temple stood, while Chananyah, a Givonite, would be reduced to a hewer of wood and drawer of water. Radak himself notes that on the plain sense Chananyah was an Israelite who merely lived in Givon, a town in Binyaminโs territory. Rashi also cites the Gemara in Sotah that whoever flatters the wicked eventually falls into his hands, for Yiriyah son of Shelemyah son of Chananyah would later arrest Yirmiyahu at the city gate. The amen, read this way, was a small compromise with a liar that history would not forget.
Then comes the argument that gives the chapter its lasting importance. The prophets who preceded us both, from of old, prophesied war, evil and pestilence against many lands; the prophet who prophesies peace (ืืฉืืื) will be recognised as truly sent by the LORD only when his word comes to pass. Rashi, quoting Rabbi Tanchuma, and Radak both explain the asymmetry. A prophecy of doom may be withdrawn if the people repent, as at Nineveh, so its failure proves nothing; God is slow to anger and relents of evil. But a promise of good, Radak argues, is never retracted even when given conditionally, so a prophet who promises good that fails to arrive is proved false. Metzudat David frames the point more modestly: you have no greater claim on belief than I do simply because your message is welcome. The principle, later codified by the Rambam, sets a hard test precisely where the human heart is most eager to believe.
Chananyah answers not with argument but with theatre. He takes the bar from Yirmiyahuโs neck and breaks it (ืืืฉืืจืื), and he declares that in this way God will break the yoke of Nevuchadnetzar from the neck of all the nations within two years. Radak and Metzudat David observe that the masculine suffix refers to the yoke itself, which was tied with the bars. It is a counter sign-act, an attempt to cancel one symbolic action with another. And Yirmiyahu simply walks away (ืืืื ืืจืืื ืื ืืื ืืืจืื). Metzudat David says he was afraid to answer on his own authority; a true prophet waits for the word, and has no ready response when he has not received one. That silence is itself a mark of authenticity. Chananyah always has an answer; Yirmiyahu has only what he is given.
The word comes after Chananyah has broken the bar: you broke bars of wood, and you will make in their place bars of iron (ืืืืืช ืืจืื). Metzudat David explains that by publicly contradicting the word of God, Chananyah has only intensified the decree and strengthened the yoke. Radak adds a technical note: the bars were thongs or sinews binding a wooden yoke, so the iron belongs to the yoke itself. The LORD of Hosts then declares that He has placed an iron yoke on all these nations, and that He has given Nevuchadnetzar even the beasts of the field. Rashi preserves the aggadic image of the king riding a lion with a serpent bound to its head, a picture of dominion that extends beyond the political into the order of creation, echoing the language of chapter 27.
The chapter closes with a verdict and its fulfilment. The LORD did not send you, and you have made this people trust in a lie (ืืืืืช ืืช ืืขื ืืื ืขื ืฉืงืจ). Therefore I am sending you off the face of the earth (ืืฉืืื ืืขื ืคื ื ืืืืื) โ a play on the verb of prophetic commission, since the man God did not send will now be sent away. This year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD (ืกืจื), the same term Devarim 13 uses of the prophet who leads Israel astray. And Chananyah died that year, in the seventh month. Rashi, Metzudat David and Radak all cite the tradition of Chazal that he died on the eve of Rosh HaShanah and instructed his household to conceal his death and bury him after the new year, so that Yirmiyahuโs prophecy would appear false. Radak quotes Targum Yonatan to the same effect, while noting that on the plain sense no such device is needed: this year means within a year of the prophecy, and the seventh month falls well inside it. Either way, the two-year promise of Chananyah is answered by a two-month fulfilment of Yirmiyahuโs word. The chapter that began with the question of how to recognise a true prophet ends by answering it in the only way Devarim permits: by what actually came to pass.
ืคืจืง ืืดื ยท Chapter 28
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึทืึฐืึดึฃืโื ืึผึทืฉืึผึธื ึธึฃื ืึทืึดึืื ืึผึฐืจึตืืฉืึดืืชึ ืึทืึฐืึถึืึถืชึ ืฆึดืึฐืงึดืึผึธึฃื ืึถืึถืึฐึพืึฐืืึผืึธึื (ืืฉื ืช) [ืึผึทืฉืึผึธื ึธืึ] ืึธืจึฐืึดืขึดึืืช ืึผึทืึนึืึถืฉื ืึทืึฒืึดืืฉืึดึื ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึตืึทึกื ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธืึฉ ืึถืึพืขึทืึผึจืึผืจ ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ืึดืึผึดืึฐืขืึนืึ ืึผึฐืึตึฃืืช ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฐืขึตืื ึตึงื ืึทืึผึนืึฒื ึดึืื ืึฐืืืึพืึธืขึธึื ืึตืืึนึฝืจื
English:
That year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the House of GOD, in the presence of the priests and all the people. He said:
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึผึนืึพืึธืึทึืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึงื ืฆึฐืึธืึืึนืช ืึฑืึนืึตึฅื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึตืืึนึืจ ืฉืึธืึทึืจึฐืชึผึดื ืึถืชึพืขึนึื ืึถึฅืึถืึฐ ืึผึธืึถึฝืื
English:
โThus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I hereby break the yoke of the king of Babylon.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึผึฐืขึฃืึนืโื ืฉืึฐื ึธืชึทึฃืึดื ืึธืึดึืื ืึฒื ึดึคื ืึตืฉืึดืืึ ืึถืึพืึทืึผึธืงึฃืึนื ืึทืึผึถึื ืึถึฝืชึพืึผืืึพืึผึฐืึตึื ืึผึตึฃืืช ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึธืงึทึื ื ึฐืืึผืึทืึฐื ึถืืฆึผึทึคืจ ืึถึฝืึถืึฐึพืึผึธืึถืึ ืึดืึพืึทืึผึธืงึฃืึนื ืึทืึผึถึื ืึทืึฐืึดืืึตึื ืึผึธืึถึฝืื
English:
In two years, I will restore to this place all the vessels of the House of GOD that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from this place and brought to Babylon.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึถืชึพืึฐืืื ึฐืึธึฃื ืึถืึพืึฐืืึนืึธืงึดึฃืื ืึถืึถืึฐึพืึฐึ ืืึผืึธึ ื ืึฐืึถืชึพืึผืืึพืึผึธืึจืึผืช ืึฐืืึผืึธึื ืึทืึผึธืึดึฃืื ืึผึธืึถึืึธื ืึฒื ึดึฅื ืึตืฉืึดึืื ืึถืึพืึทืึผึธืงึฅืึนื ืึทืึผึถึื ื ึฐืึปืึพืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึดึฃื ืึถืฉืึฐืึผึนึืจ ืึถืชึพืขึนึื ืึถึฅืึถืึฐ ืึผึธืึถึฝืื
English:
And I will bring back to this place King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, and all the Judean exiles who went to Babylonโdeclares GOD. Yes, I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.โ
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจึ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึฃื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึถืึพืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึฐืขึตืื ึตึคื ืึทืึผึนึฝืึฒื ึดืืึ ืึผืึฐืขึตืื ึตึฃื ืืืึพืึธืขึธึื ืึธืขึนืึฐืึดึืื ืึผึฐืึตึฅืืช ืึฐืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
Then the prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and of all the people who were standing in the House of GOD.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจึ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึฃื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึธืึตึื ืึผึตึื ืึทืขึฒืฉืึถึฃื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึธืงึตึคื ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึถืชึพืึผึฐืึธืจึถึืืึธ ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ื ึดืึผึตึืืชึธ ืึฐืึธืฉืึดึืื ืึผึฐืึตึคื ืึตืืชึพืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึฐืืืึพืึทืึผืึนืึธึื ืึดืึผึธืึถึื ืึถืึพืึทืึผึธืงึฅืึนื ืึทืึผึถึฝืื
English:
The prophet Jeremiah said: โAmen! May GOD do so! May GOD fulfill what you have prophesied and bring back from Babylon to this place the vessels of the House of GOD and all the exiles!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึทืึฐึพืฉืึฐืึทึฝืขึพื ึธืึ ืึทืึผึธืึธึฃืจ ืึทืึผึถึื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึธื ึนืึดึื ืึผึนืึตึฃืจ ืึผึฐืืืึฐื ึถึืืึธ ืึผืึฐืืืึฐื ึตึื ืึผืืึพืึธืขึธึฝืื
English:
But just listen to this word that I address to you and to all the people:
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึทื ึผึฐืึดืืึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึธืึงืึผ ืึฐืคึธื ึทึื ืึผืึฐืคึธื ึถึืืึธ ืึดืึพืึธืขืึนืึธึื ืึทืึผึดื ึผึธึจืึฐืึืึผ ืึถืึพืึฒืจึธืฆึคืึนืช ืจึทืึผืึนืชึ ืึฐืขึทืึพืึทืึฐืึธืึฃืึนืช ืึผึฐืึนืึืึนืช ืึฐืึดืึฐืึธืึธึื ืึผืึฐืจึธืขึธึฅื ืึผืึฐืึธึฝืึถืจื
English:
The prophets who lived before you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster, and pestilence against many lands and great kingdoms.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึดื ึผึธืึตึื ืึฐืฉืึธืึืึนื ืึผึฐืึนืึ ืึผึฐืึทึฃืจ ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึดืึผึธืึทืขึ ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืฉืึฐืึธืึฅืึน ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึถืึฑืึถึฝืชื
English:
So if a prophet prophesies good fortune, then only when the word of the prophet comes true can it be known that GOD really sent him.โ
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืงึผึทึื ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึคื ืึทื ึผึธืึดืืึ ืึถืชึพืึทืึผืึนืึธึื ืึตืขึทึื ืฆึทืึผึทึืืจ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึฃื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึทึฝืึผึดืฉืึฐืึผึฐืจึตึฝืืึผื
English:
But the prophet Hananiah removed the bar from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, and broke it;
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึฃืืึถืจ ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธืึฉ ืึฐืขึตืื ึตึจื ืืืึพืึธืขึธึื ืึตืืึนึืจ ืึผึนืึฎ ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึผึธึฃืึธื ืึถืฉืึฐืึผึนึืจ ืึถืชึพืขึนึฃืโื ื ึฐืึปืึทืึฐื ึถืืฆึผึทึฃืจ ืึถืึถืึฐึพืึผึธืึถึื ืึผึฐืขืึนืึ ืฉืึฐื ึธืชึทึฃืึดื ืึธืึดึืื ืึตืขึทึื ืฆึทืึผึทึืืจ ืึผืืึพืึทืึผืึนืึดึื ืึทืึผึตึืึถืึฐ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึฅื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึฐืึทืจึฐืึผึฝืึนืย {ืค}
English:
and Hananiah said in the presence of all the people, โThus said GOD: So will I break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from off the necks of all the nations, in two years.โ And the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึทืึฐืึดึฅื ืึฐืึทืจึพืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึถึฝืึพืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึื ืึทึ ืึฒืจึตึ ื ืฉืึฐืึืึนืจ ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึคื ืึทื ึผึธืึดืืึ ืึถืชึพืึทืึผืึนืึธึื ืึตืขึทึื ืฆึทืึผึทึืืจ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึฅื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึตืืึนึฝืจื
English:
After the prophet Hananiah had broken the bar from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of GOD came to Jeremiah:
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืึธืืึนืึฐึฉ ืึฐืึธืึทืจึฐืชึผึธึจ ืึถืึพืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึื ืึตืืึนึืจ ืึผึนึื ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืืึนืึนึฅืช ืขึตึืฅ ืฉืึธืึธึืจึฐืชึผึธ ืึฐืขึธืฉืึดึฅืืชึธ ืชึทืึฐืชึผึตืืึถึื ืึนืึฅืึนืช ืึผึทืจึฐืึถึฝืื
English:
โGo say to Hananiah: Thus said GOD: You broke bars of wood, but you shall make bars of iron instead.
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฃื ืึนึฝืึพืึธืึทืจึฉ ืึฐืึนืึธึจื ืฆึฐืึธืึืึนืช ืึฑืึนืึตึฃื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืขึนึฃื ืึผึทืจึฐืึถึกื ื ึธืชึทึืชึผึดื ืขึทืึพืฆึทืึผึทึฃืืจโื ืึผืืึพืึทืึผืึนืึดึฃื ืึธืึตึืึผึถื ืึทืขึฒืึนึื ืึถืชึพื ึฐืึปืึทืึฐื ึถืืฆึผึทึฅืจ ืึถืึถืึฐึพืึผึธืึถึื ืึทืขึฒืึธืึปึืืึผ ืึฐืึทึื ืึถืชึพืึทืึผึทึฅืช ืึทืฉืึผึธืึถึื ื ึธืชึทึฅืชึผึดื ืึฝืึนื
English:
For thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I have put an iron yoke upon the necks of all those nations, that they may serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonโand serve him they shall! I have even given the wild beasts to him.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึจืืึถืจ ืึดืจึฐืึฐืึธึงื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึถืึพืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึฅื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืฉืึฐืึทึฝืขึพื ึธึฃื ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึื ืึนืึพืฉืึฐืึธืึฒืึธึฃ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฐืึทืชึผึธึื ืึดืึฐืึทึืึฐืชึผึธ ืึถืชึพืึธืขึธึฅื ืึทืึผึถึื ืขึทืึพืฉืึธึฝืงึถืจื
English:
And the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, โListen, Hananiah! GOD did not send you, and you have given this people lying assurances.
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึธืึตึื ืึผึนึื ืึธืึทึฃืจ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึดื ึฐื ึดืึ ืึฐืฉืึทึฝืึผึตืึฒืึธึ ืึตืขึทึื ืคึผึฐื ึตึฃื ืึธืึฒืึธืึธึื ืึทืฉืึผึธื ึธืึ ืึทืชึผึธึฃื ืึตึืช ืึผึดืึพืกึธืจึธึฅื ืึดืึผึทึืจึฐืชึผึธ ืึถืึพืึฐืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
Assuredly, thus said GOD: I am going to banish you from off the earth. This year you shall die, for you have urged disloyalty to GOD.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึธึืืืช ืึฒื ึทื ึฐืึธึฅื ืึทื ึผึธืึดึืื ืึผึทืฉืึผึธื ึธึฃื ืึทืึดึืื ืึผึทืึนึืึถืฉื ืึทืฉืึผึฐืึดืืขึดึฝืืย {ืค}
English:
And the prophet Hananiah died that year, in the seventh month.
โถCommentaries (1)
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โถCommentaries (1)