Hananiah חֲנַנְיָ֫הוּ

Hananiah, son of Azzur, was a false prophet who confronted Jeremiah during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah (Jeremiah 28). At the beginning of Zedekiah's reign, Hananiah publicly contradicted Jeremiah's prophecy that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years. In the presence of the priests and all the people in the temple, Hananiah falsely prophesied that within two years, God would break the yoke of the king of Babylon and bring back the temple vessels and the exiles (Jer.28.1-4). He also removed the yoke from Jeremiah's neck, which symbolized the Babylonian captivity, and broke it (Jer.28.10-11). In response, Jeremiah prophesied that Hananiah would die within a year for making the people trust in a lie (Jer.28.15-16). As Jeremiah had foretold, Hananiah died two months later (Jer.28.17). This event demonstrated the importance of discerning true prophets from false ones and the consequences of speaking falsely in the name of the Lord. Hananiah's actions and fate serve as a warning against those who would lead God's people astray with false promises and deceptive messages.