Jeremiah 21-36 A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary by (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries)

Jeremiah Meets Hananiah (28:1-17) 337

miah, hope was on the other side of judgment-after some 70 years of Babylo-

nian rule, according to 25: 11-12 and 29: 10. Also, it is not coming up with a

"time certain" that makes Hananiah a false prophet, since Jeremiah too set a

"time certain" for Hananiah's death, and that was fulfilled.

Even so will I break. Hebrew kaka 'esbor. Jeremiah uses precisely the same

words when breaking his decanter in the Ben Hinnom Valley ( 19: 11 ). For

other dramatic comparisons using kaka ("even so"), see 13:9 and 51:64.

And Jeremiah the prophet went his way. Questions have been raised why

Jeremiah acted in this manner. Has the good prophet lost his resolve? Is

Hananiah the victor now, with the yoke lying broken on the ground? Duhm

says that "here no sensible words will help, [Jeremiah] cannot quarrel as a

market-crier with rivals." But Elie Wiesel ( 1981: 116) says this about Jere-

miah's departure:

That was wrong, as many scholars agree. Jeremiah was duty-bound to speak

up. Either he is sure of himself and of God, or he is not. If not, he has no

right to demoralize an entire nation; if he is sure, he is obliged to confront

Hananiah and tell him the truth: that his illusions are dangerous, as illu-

sions always are. His "Amen" is out of place. From Jeremiah we expect

words of truth, not cliches of compromise. The spokesman for God thus

becomes an echo for a false prophet.

But what about the audience? Was it hostile, and if so, might not leaving the
scene be the better part of wisdom? Jeremiah may have remembered his day in
court (Weiser), at which time support came from the princes and certain elders
in attendance, but angry priests also there were calling for his death. If the
priests now in the audience are once again hostile, as well they might be, it
makes very good sense for Jeremiah to "go his way." Having done so, he lives to
preach another day. His departure says nothing about being unsure of his mes-
sage, lacking resolve, or not knowing whether Hananiah is or is not an authen-
tic spokesman of Yahweh (pace Crenshaw 1971: 73). For the present, he has
gone as far as he can go, and by allowing his opponent the last word, even
though it be a false word, he fares better than by making a rebuttal. The silence
will have been damning. Let the foolishness of this prophet ring in the ears of
the priests and the people, and also in his own ears! Martin Buber gives an-
other explanation. He says that, although Jeremiah knew like no other prophet
knew that he had been called by God, and now most recently was made to
wear the yoke to show that God had given the nations over to Nebuchadnez-
zar, there were still things he did not know.

God had, indeed, spoken to him only an hour before. But this was another

hour. History is a dynamic process, and history means that one hour is

never like the one that has gone before .... One must not rely on one's

knowledge. One must go one's way and listen all over again.

(Buber 1968: 166-67)