Jeremiah 28:1
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
This verse belongs to the record of Jeremiah's controversy with false prophets, connected with letters sent to the captives in Babylon and to the authorities in Jerusalem. It dates Hananiah's confrontation with Jeremiah to the fourth year and fifth month of Zedekiah's reign, taking place in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people. It introduces Hananiah as a false prophet who opposed Jeremiah's severe warnings, including his message of submission to Babylon. His public words falsely promised prosperity, specifically that the exiled people and the temple vessels would soon return with deliverance within two years, contradicting God's warning. His reassuring message strengthened the people to resist Jeremiah's counsel and increased their hostility toward him.