Jeremiah 28 13

Jeremiah 28:13 kjv

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.

Jeremiah 28:13 nkjv

"Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron."

Jeremiah 28:13 niv

"Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron.

Jeremiah 28:13 esv

"Go, tell Hananiah, 'Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron.

Jeremiah 28:13 nlt

"Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.

Jeremiah 28 verses

Jeremiah 28 13 meaning

This verse communicates God's severe judgment upon the false prophet Hananiah. For presuming to defy God's word by breaking the symbolic wooden yoke, which represented divinely ordained subjugation to Babylon, Hananiah declared a false hope. In direct opposition to this, God declared that instead of freedom, an even heavier and unbreakable iron yoke would replace the broken wooden one, signifying a harsher, undeniable, and longer period of servitude for Judah, ultimately leading to Hananiah's swift personal demise.

Jeremiah 28 13 Context

Jeremiah 28 details the direct prophetic conflict between Jeremiah and Hananiah. In Jeremiah chapter 27, Jeremiah was commanded by the LORD to wear a wooden yoke to symbolize Judah's destined subjugation to Babylon, advising King Zedekiah and other surrounding nations to submit to Babylon to avoid further destruction. Hananiah, a false prophet, publicly contradicted Jeremiah in the temple courtyard (Jer 28:1-4). He proclaimed a message of imminent deliverance, prophesying that within two years, Babylon would be broken, and all the temple vessels and exiles would return. To underscore his false prophecy, Hananiah dramatically took the wooden yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in front of the priests and all the people (Jer 28:10-11). After Hananiah’s act, Jeremiah initially departed. However, shortly thereafter, God's word came to Jeremiah (Jer 28:12), leading to the pronouncement in verse 13. This verse is the Lord's direct and authoritative response to Hananiah’s defiant act and false comforting message, establishing the unchangeable nature of God's judgment and prophecy.

Jeremiah 28 13 Word analysis

• Go (לך, lech): An imperative verb, signaling a direct, immediate divine command to Jeremiah. It conveys the urgency and non-negotiable nature of the message he must deliver.
• and tell (ואמרת, v'amarta): A connective phrase linking the action of going with the task of speaking. It signifies the prophetic responsibility of conveying a direct divine utterance.
• Hananiah (חנניהו, Chananyahu): The specific recipient of the judgment. His name, ironically meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" or "The Lord shows favor," starkly contrasts with the severe judgment he is about to receive.
• that this is what the LORD says (כה אמר יהוה, koh amar YHWH): The authoritative, unalterable prophetic formula, declaring that the subsequent words are directly from God Himself, not Jeremiah's opinion. This emphasizes divine authorship and infallibility.
• ‘You have broken’ (שברת, shavarta): A definite past-tense verb. It precisely states Hananiah's specific action—a public, defiant act against a symbol ordained by God.
• a wooden yoke (מטות עץ, mottot etz - literally "rods of wood" or "bars of wood"; commonly understood as "wooden yoke" in context of Jer 27): The symbolic object that Jeremiah wore. Wood represented a comparatively lighter burden, indicating that submission to Babylon was God’s decree, an alternative to utter destruction if Judah obeyed. It was breakable.
• but in its place (תחתיהן, tahoteyhen - "under them" or "instead of them"): A crucial phrase denoting substitution and consequence. It establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship, implying that the outcome is a direct response to Hananiah's action.
• you will get (ועשית, v'asita - literally "and you shall make" or "you shall do"; rendered as "you will get" in NIV/other translations): This verb choice is significant. While typically "make" or "do," in this context, it conveys that Hananiah (and by extension, the nation) will experience, acquire, or be subjected to, as a direct consequence of his action. It highlights the imposed reality resulting from defiance, rather than active creation.
• iron yokes’ (מטות ברזל, mottot barzel - literally "rods of iron" or "bars of iron"): The new, harsher symbol. Iron symbolizes strength, unbreakability, permanence, and severe oppression. It signifies an intensified, undeniable, and prolonged servitude, an escalation from the wooden yoke, resulting from Judah's (and Hananiah's) refusal to accept God's initial, more lenient terms.

• "Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the LORD says": This group of words emphasizes the absolute divine authority and personal targeting of the message. Jeremiah acts as God's mouthpiece, ensuring that Hananiah, by name, receives the Lord's unequivocal word.
• "You have broken a wooden yoke": This phrase succinctly identifies Hananiah's act of rebellion against God's symbolic prophetic act. The wooden yoke represented a divine decree of submission; its breakage was a public defiance of God's will.
• "but in its place you will get iron yokes": This powerful contrasting phrase conveys the immediate divine judgment and ironic escalation. Hananiah's attempt to provide false hope by breaking the 'easy' yoke directly leads to a far heavier and inescapable burden, highlighting the futility and danger of opposing God's plan.

Jeremiah 28 13 Bonus section

The replacement of a "wooden yoke" with an "iron yoke" is a powerful ancient Near Eastern idiom that would have been immediately understood by the original audience. Wood symbolized something that could potentially break, representing a form of servitude that might offer a way out, or at least a less crushing weight. Iron, conversely, symbolized absolute strength, unyielding authority, and an inescapable, oppressive burden. This wasn't merely a harsher judgment but one implying an irreversible fate. The act of "getting" (ועשית, v'asita) iron yokes upon oneself underscores that this escalated severity was a direct and inevitable consequence of their rebellion, imposed by God, rather than an external random event. The immediate judgment upon Hananiah, who died within the year (Jer 28:16-17), served as undeniable proof that Jeremiah’s prophecy was from the Lord, validating the true prophet and exposing the false. This reinforced God’s absolute control over historical events and His stern warnings against those who would mislead His people with comforting falsehoods.

Jeremiah 28 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 28:13 is the Lord's unyielding reply to Hananiah’s theatrical and rebellious act of breaking Jeremiah’s wooden yoke. It serves as a stark reaffirmation of divine sovereignty and the inviolability of God’s word. Hananiah’s false prophecy, aiming to provide immediate comfort and reverse God’s declared judgment through Jeremiah, backfired dramatically. The very act meant to symbolize liberation brought about a severer decree. The "wooden yoke" represented a manageable, divinely imposed servitude; its rejection directly led to an "iron yoke," symbolizing a far more brutal, permanent, and unavoidable subjugation. This verse teaches that attempting to subvert or ignore God’s clear will, especially when delivered through His chosen prophet, does not lead to freedom but invariably results in intensified hardship and judgment. God's plans cannot be thwarted by human defiance or false promises.

• Example 1: A believer choosing to ignore challenging biblical teachings (like tithing or serving) for an "easier" path, might later find themselves in deeper financial struggle or spiritual emptiness (iron yoke).
• Example 2: A nation refusing to acknowledge systemic injustice despite prophetic warnings, may face escalating civil unrest or deeper societal decay.