The confrontation between Hananiah and Jeremiah reaches a climax as Hananiah takes the yoke-bars from Jeremiah’s neck and breaks them. He then claims to speak on the Lord’s behalf as he explains his actions, Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.
Hananiah has clearly understood the meaning of Jeremiah’s symbolic act and message in Jeremiah 27:1–15 and by his actions and message he completely contradicts Jeremiah. Babylon’s dominance will be broken within two years. The implication is that Judah and the other nations mentioned in Jeremiah 27:3 are already under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, but that yoke will not last long. Hananiah is saying that whatever judgment there may have been from the Lord is passing and by implication there is no need for repentance. This contradicts Jeremiah’s message that calls on the nations to submit to Nebuchadnezzar since the Lord’s judgment has not yet come in all its fullness. Not only is Hananiah contradicting Jeremiah, but he is rejecting the Lord’s command, spoken by Jeremiah, to submit to the Babylonians.1
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them.