Hananiah

HANANIAH han-a-ni'-a (chananyahu, chananyah; Ananias; also with aspirate, "Yahweh hath been gracious"):

This was a common name in Israel for many centuries.

(1) A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:24).

(2) A captain of Uzziah's army (2 Chronicles 26:11).

(3) Father of one of the princes under Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:12).

(4) One of the sons of Heman and leader of the 16th division of David's musicians (1 Chronicles 25:4,23).

(5) Grandfather of the officer of the guard which apprehended Jeremiah on a charge of desertion (Jeremiah 37:13).

(6) A false prophet of Gibeon, son of Azzur, who opposed Jeremiah, predicting that the yoke of Babylon would be broken in two years, and that the king, the people and the vessels of the temple would be brought back to Jerusalem. Jeremiah would be glad if it should be so, nevertheless it would not be. The question then arose, Which is right, Jeremiah or Hananiah? Jeremiah claimed that he was right because he was in accordance with all the great prophets of the past who prophesied evil and their words came true. Therefore his words are more likely to be true. The prophet of good, however, must wait to have his prophecy fulfilled before he can be accredited. Hananiah took off the yoke from Jeremiah and broke it in pieces, symbolic of the breaking of the power of Babylon. Jeremiah was seemingly beaten, retired and received a message from Yahweh that the bar of wood would become a bar of iron, and that Hananiah would die during the year because he had spoken rebellion against Yahweh (Jeremiah 28 passim).

(7) One of Daniel's companions in Babylon whose name was changed to Shadrach (Daniel 1:7,11,19).

(8) A son of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:19,21).

(9) A Levite, one of the sons of Bebai, one of those who married foreign wives (Ezra 10:28; 1 Esdras 9:29).

(10) One of the perfumers (the King James Version "apothecaries") who wrought in rebuilding the wall under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:8).

(11) One who helped to repair the wall above the horse gate (Nehemiah 3:30). This may be the same person as number 10.

(12) A governor of the castle, i.e. the birah or fortress, and by Nehemiah placed in charge of the whole city of Jerusalem, because "he was a faithful man, and feared God above many" (Nehemiah 7:2).

(13) One of those who sealed the covenant under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:23); a Levite.

(14) A priest who was present at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:12,41).

J. J. Reeve

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Bibliography Information

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'HANANIAH'".  "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia".  1915.