Bible Strands
Jeremiah 17:23
Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah speaks to the people of Judah immediately after commanding Sabbath observance (Jeremiah 17:22) and before detailing the conditional blessings for compliance (Jeremiah 17:24). The prophet describes the ongoing refusal of Israel to heed divine instruction.
The words — The Hebrew verb יָקְשׁוּ (yak.shu) means "they stiffened," describing a deliberate physical posture of resistance. It stands in direct contrast to the verbs הִטּוּ (hi.tu) "they inclined" and שָׁמְעוּ (sha.me'u) "they listened," which the text states they refused to perform.
The thread — Jeremiah 7:24 records the same refusal to listen or incline the ear, noting instead that the people followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. Acts 7:51 applies this identical posture to the audience, identifying them as stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears who continually resist the Holy Spirit.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of deliberate resistance and a conscious decision to stop ignoring correction. It requires the reader to replace the refusal to listen with the active posture of inclining the ear to receive divine discipline.
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
But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 29:1 A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.
- Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Jeremiah 7:24 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
- Jeremiah 11:10 They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.
- Jeremiah 19:15 “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and on all the villages around it every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”
- Isaiah 48:4 For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.
- Jeremiah 32:33 They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.
- Ezekiel 20:21 But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.
- Zephaniah 3:7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction.’ Then her dwelling place would not be cut off despite all for which I punished her. But they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.
- Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.