2 Chronicles 30:8

Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Hezekiah addresses the gathered remnant of Israel and Judah during the restoration of Passover worship. He commands them to abandon the rebellious posture of their ancestors and restore covenant loyalty at the consecrated sanctuary.

The words — The text uses תַקְשׁוּ (tak.Shu), meaning "you harden," with עָרְפְּכֶם ('a.re.pe./Khem), meaning "your necks," to forbid stubborn resistance. It pairs תְּנוּ (te.nu), "give," with יָד (yad), "a hand," to demand active submission to Yahweh.

The thread — The "stiff neck" motif appears in Exodus 32:9 as a diagnosis of ancestral rebellion and in Deuteronomy 10:16 as a command to cease it. The request for God's fierce anger to turn away mirrors the covenantal condition in 2 Chronicles 29:10.

Why it lands — The verse requires a concrete shift from inherited defiance to deliberate temple service and covenant obedience. It establishes returning to the sanctuary as the direct mechanism for averting divine judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

Cross-references

Exodus 32:9 The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
2 Chronicles 29:10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.
Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
Deuteronomy 6:17 You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.
Joshua 24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
2 Kings 23:26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger.
1 Chronicles 29:24 All the officials and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.
2 Chronicles 28:11 Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.”
2 Chronicles 28:13 “You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from the LORD and to add to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Israel.”