Jeremiah 28 Bible study questions are for small groups, Sunday classes and personal readers who want to work through one of the sharpest confrontations in the book of Jeremiah. The chapter pits Jeremiah against the prophet Hananiah over whether Babylon’s grip on Judah would soon be broken. The questions below move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it should shape daily faithfulness.
Jeremiah 28 at a Glance
The chapter opens in the temple courts during the early reign of Zedekiah. Hananiah, a prophet from Gibeon, announces before priests and people that the exile will end within two years and the temple articles will return. Jeremiah answers with a public “Amen,” but then warns that true prophecy is proven over time, and that prophets of peace must be tested by what actually happens.
The scene turns when Hananiah breaks the wooden yoke Jeremiah wears. God then sends Jeremiah back with a message: wooden bars have been replaced by iron. The chapter closes with Jeremiah’s judgment on Hananiah and the prophet’s death later that same year, which confirms that the word came from the LORD.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the verse that supports each answer, and keep interpretation for the next section.
Jeremiah 28:1-4
1 That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD’s house, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2 “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried to Babylon. 4 I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD; ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
(WEB)
Read this opening to set the scene and the specific claims Hananiah makes. Hearing the promises in full helps the group see why they were so appealing and why they needed testing.
Jeremiah 28:6
Even the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so. May the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all those who are captives, from Babylon to this place.
(WEB)
Jeremiah’s “Amen” is short but significant. Reading it aloud shows how a faithful prophet can express hope for God’s blessing while still holding firmly to the truth.
Jeremiah 28:8-9
8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet happens, then the prophet will be known, that the LORD has truly sent him.”
(WEB)
These verses contain the test Jeremiah proposes for recognizing a true prophet. Reading them together gives the group a clear standard to discuss during the interpretation questions.
Jeremiah 28:13-14
13 “Go, and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘The LORD says, “You have broken the bars of wood, but you have made in their place bars of iron.” 14 For the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, “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. I have also given him the animals of the field.”’”
(WEB)
God’s response turns the wooden bar into an iron yoke. Reading this aloud helps the group feel the weight of the reversal and the seriousness of speaking falsely in God’s name.
Jeremiah 28:15-16
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”
(WEB)
Jeremiah’s direct confrontation and the announcement of Hananiah’s death bring the chapter to its climax. Reading these verses reminds the group that God takes His word and His people’s trust seriously.
Memory Verse for Jeremiah 28
Jeremiah 28:9
The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet happens, then the prophet will be known, that the LORD has truly sent him.”
(WEB)
This verse gives a simple standard for testing claims made in God’s name. Memorizing it equips believers to listen carefully, to measure words against what Scripture and history confirm, and to hold to truth with humility.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to You as people who long for peace and who sometimes prefer comfortable words to honest truth. Give us hearts that love what is true more than what is pleasant. Help us to weigh what we hear against Your word, and to speak with courage and gentleness when we must. Steady us when our faithfulness is opposed, and teach us to wait for Your timing with patient trust. Keep us from false hope and from cynicism, and let our lives show that You are faithful. Amen.
