Jeremiah had been commanded by God to wear a wooden yoke (27 v2) to symbolise how the people will be slaves under the yoke of the King of Babylon. But now a prophet called Hananiah comes to contradict the message of Jeremiah (v1-4). He claims to speak on behalf of the Lord and says that the yoke of the King of Babylon is broken, that all the vessels taken from the temple will be returned along with King Jeconiah and all the exiles.

Jeremiah responds (v5-6) and says, “Amen! May the Lord do so” (v6). Jeremiah would love it that such deliverance would come and not further judgment on his people. But Jeremiah then tells a story of how previously there were two prophets, one who prophesied ‘war, famine and pestilence’ and another prophet prophesied ‘peace’ (v8-9). When what the first prophet prophesied about war etc took place, this proved that the first prophet truly was from God. Jeremiah is showing that he will be proved to be from God.

Hananiah responds by breaking the wooden yoke Jeremiah was wearing (v10). The Lord responds by saying to Jeremiah that he must tell Hananiah that the wooden yoke has been replaced with an iron yoke (v12-14).