John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 28

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 reign of Zedekiah king of Judah; perhaps in the first year of his reign: in the fourth year, [and] in the fifth month;

not in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign, though the Septuagint and A table versions so render it; since his reign was but eleven years in all, and therefore the fourth could not be called with so much propriety the beginning of his reign: though, according to Jarchi, it was the fourth of Zedekiah's reign, the same year in which he paid a visit to the king of Babylon, (Jeremiah 51:59); and was not only confirmed in his kingdom by him, but, according to the same writer, had it enlarged, and was made king over five neighbouring kings; and so this, though the fourth of his reign over Judah, was the first of his enlarged dominions:

but rather this was the fourth year of the sabbatical year, or the fourth after the seventh year's rest of the land, as Kimchi observes; which was the first of Zedekiah's reign, who reigned eleven years, and the temple was destroyed at the end of a sabbatical year; in which he is followed by many, though there is nothing in the text or context that directs to it. Some divide Zedekiah's reign into three parts, the beginning, and middle, and end; and so what was done within the first four years of his reign might be said to be in the beginning of it.

Others think that here are two distinct dates; that the former respects the things in the preceding chapter, which were in the beginning of his reign; and the latter that affair of Hananiah, which was in the fourth year of it. But Noldius ^F13, after Glassius ^F14, gets clear of the difficulties of this text, by rendering the words, "and it was from that year, the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, unto the fourth year of his reign"; that is, the prophet went on for the space of four years, signifying the will of the Lord by words and types; when in the fifth month of the fourth year, which was the month of Ab, answering to part of our July and of August, Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet;

the false prophet, as the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions call him, which [was] of Gibeon; a city of the priests; so might be a priest, though not the high priest, as some have thought:

spoke unto me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests, and of all the people; he came to the temple, where Jeremiah was, to confront him; and he addressed himself to him, the priests and all the people being present, who were come thither to minister and worship:

saying; as follows:

FOOTNOTES:

• F13: Concord. Ebr. Partic. p. 143. No. 677.
• F14: Philolog. Sacr. l. 4. p. 625.

Thus speaks 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 him: he next relates with all assurance, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon; which he had put upon the neck of the king of Judah; signifying that he should be no more subject to him; that is, he had determined to do it, and would do it, in a very short time.

Within two full years
Or, "within two years of days" ^F15 ; 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 years that Jeremiah had spoken of, (Jeremiah 25:11Jeremiah 25:12) ; will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord's
house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place ;
the temple, where he now was; namely, all such vessels as before this time had been taken by him, both in Jehoiakim's reign, and at the captivity of Jeconiah: and carried them to Babylon ;
where they still remained, and according to Jeremiah still would; and were so far from being brought back in a short time, that what were left would be carried thither also, (Jeremiah 27:19–21) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (Mymy Mytnv dweb) "in adhuc duobis anois die rum", Montanus; "intra adhuc biennium dierum", Schmidt; "intra biennum dierum", Cocceius.

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 this, but was obliged to feigned a desire of Jeconiah's return, though otherwise not agreeable to him: with all the captives of Judah that went into Babylon, saith the Lord ;
the princes, officers, and others, that should be living at the time fixed: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon ;
weaken his power over other nations, and particularly deliver the king of Judah from his bondage, and from subjection to him.

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to 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 boldly and before them all, in answer to Hananiah's prophecy, what follows.