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The brief story about Hananiah is presented as an IMPERFECT PARALLEL SYMMETRY with some subtlety to help the reader discern the problem with false prophecies. False prophets are also addressed in Jeremiah 23:9 to 40. Note: unlike many FRAMES, the two frame elements in verses 2B and 4B place boundaries around the false prophecy and are not emphatic. However, the frame in verses 9 and 15 are key to the emphasis in the C′ element.
1) There is a contrast between the false prophecy in FRAME-A-B-C-FRAME and Jeremiah′s true prophecy in A′-B′-C′. That is a CORRELATION OF SEQUENCES where the first is valued as an entity against the second. Jeremiah did not agree in A′ and B′ with the prophecy for he knew that if the people repent, the prophecy would be true. The FRAME clearly delineates Hananiah′s false prophecy and the Lord has broken the king′s yoke.
2) The EXTRA C′ element is a very strong statement against Hananiah′s false prophecies. The lack of text in the C position points to that emphasis. Jeremiah was referencing a portion of Deuteronomy 18:17 to 22 where a true prophet is to be listened to, but a false prophet must die.
3) Verses 8 to 15, the parallel symmetry substructure, detail the reason Hananiah′s prophecy is harmful. The two FRAME elements in verses 9 and 15 present the Lord′s rule for judging prophets and the Lord′s judgment against Hananiah which stresses the importance of truthful prophecies. The EXTRA b′ element begins Jeremiah′s argument as a COMPARISON between the false prophecy to an iron yoke. The false and true prophecies are presented as a contrast in the two C LAST/LAST elements. The people expect prophets to speak truth for if they don′t they will die.
4) The CLOSING SUMMARY in verse 16 is an INTERJECTION, a prophecy that Hananiah will die because he rebelled against the Lord by delivering a false prophecy. Verse 17, a prologue, confirms the truth of that prophecy: he died. Show More Rhetoric Show Less Rhetoric
PARALLEL SYMMETRY (IMPERFECT):
... the prophet Hananiah declared some false prophecies ...
a genealogy marker
BEGINNING MARKER: Now in the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, (v1A)
the prophet Hananiah spoke to Jeremiah
PRELIMINARY: Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, (v1B)
... Hananiah′s false prophecies ...
a divine oracle
SUB-UNIT MARKER: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, (v2A)
the Lord has broken the yoke in Babylon
FRAME
′I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (v2B)
return the vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar
A
′Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord′s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. (v3)
return the exiles
B
′I am also going to bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,′ declares the Lord, (v4A)
no text
C
the Lord will break the yoke in Babylon
FRAME
′for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.′” (v4B)
... Jeremiah spoke against those prophecies ...
a change of speaker
SUB-UNIT MARKER: Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, (v5)
may the Lord return the vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar
A′
and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord confirm your words which you have prophesied to bring back the vessels of the Lord′s house (v6A)
may the Lord return the exiles from Babylon
B′
and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place. (v6B)
EXTRA: an imperative
C′
“Yet hear now this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people! (v7)
prophets of old spoke of many negative things
preliminary: The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence. (v8)
a true prophet is one that those things come to pass
frame
The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.” (v9)
a change of characters
sub-unit marker: Then Hananiah the prophet (v10A)
Hananiah broke Jeremiah′s yoke
a
took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. (v10B)
no text
b
Hananiah′s false prophecy: the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar will be broken
c
Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ′Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.′” (v11A)
a change of scene
sub-unit marker: Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way. (v11B)
the Lord spoke to Jeremiah after his yoke was broken
a′
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, (v12)
EXTRA: you have created a worse problem, one of iron
b′
“Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ′Thus says the Lord, “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron.” (v13)
the Lord′s true prophecy: Nebuchadnezzar′s yoke will be upon these people
c′
′For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.”′” (v14)
Hananiah is a false prophet and the people trust in a lie
frame
Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. (v15)
CLOSING SUMMARY: Hananiah, you will die because of your false prophecy
SUM
“Therefore thus says the Lord, ′Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.′” (v16)
a postscript
ENDING MARKER: So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month. (v17)