Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

JEREMIAH 28:13KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 28:13 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 28:13 mean?

Jeremiah 28:13 records God’s message to the prophet Hananiah: although Hananiah broke the wooden yoke Jeremiah wore as a symbol of Babylon’s rule, God says the people will now face an even harsher yoke of iron instead. This means that rejecting God’s warning will lead to even stronger oppression.

In this scene, Jeremiah is told by God to confront Hananiah, who had falsely promised the people freedom from Babylon. Jeremiah had worn a wooden yoke (a farming tool placed on animals) as a sign of coming submission to Babylon, but Hananiah broke it, claiming God would break Babylon’s power. God responds by saying that, because Hananiah broke the wooden yoke, He will replace it with one of iron—showing that resistance will only make things worse.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 28:13

  • The word "yokes" (עֹלֹת, ʿolot) refers to the wooden frame placed on animals, used here as a symbol of submission or servitude. The shift from wood to iron (בַּרְזֶל, barzel) emphasizes a move from a lighter, bearable burden to something much heavier and unbreakable.
  • "Broken" (שָׁבַרְתָּ, shavarta) means to shatter or destroy. Hananiah’s act of breaking the wooden yoke was meant to symbolize liberation, but God turns the meaning around, saying this act only brings about a harsher fate.
  • "Make" (עָשִׂיתָ, asita) is used here to show that Hananiah’s actions have real consequences—the people will now have to bear yokes of iron, not just in symbol but in reality.

Why Jeremiah 28:13 matters

  • Jeremiah 28:13 clarifies that symbolic actions (like breaking the yoke) do not change God’s message or plans; in fact, defying God’s warning can lead to more severe consequences.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of false prophecy and the danger of misleading people with promises of easy solutions.
  • This moment connects to the larger story of Jeremiah’s warnings about Babylon, showing that ignoring God’s message does not make the problem go away—it can actually make it worse.

Where else these words appear

“yokes” Hebrew H4133 · used in 10 verses

  • Leviticus 26:13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.
  • Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
  • Jeremiah 28:12 Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

“Hananiah” Hebrew H2608 · used in 28 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 3:19 And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister:
  • Nehemiah 7:2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
  • Jeremiah 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

“iron” Hebrew H1270 · used in 70 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • 2 Samuel 23:7 But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
  • Psalms 107:10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

“broken” Hebrew H7665 · used in 145 verses

  • Genesis 19:9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
  • Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
  • Jeremiah 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: