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,
Ver. 1. And it came to pass the same year,] scil., Wherein Jeremiah spake to Zedekiah and the priests. Jer 27:12
In the beginning.] In his first year, dividing his reign into three parts.
That Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet,] i.e., The pretended prophet. Dictum κατα δοξαν. A priest he seemeth to have been by his country, Gibeon, Joshua 21:13 ; Jos 21:17 and a prophet he taketh upon him to be, preacheth pleasing things through flattery, and for filthy lucre likely. He saw how ill Uriah and Jeremiah had sped by telling the truth. He resolveth, therefore, upon another course. These false prophets would ever, with the squirrel, build and have their holes open to the sunny side: ever keep in with the princes and please the people.