Jeremiah 17 23

Jeremiah 17:23 kjv

But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

Jeremiah 17:23 nkjv

But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.

Jeremiah 17:23 niv

Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline.

Jeremiah 17:23 esv

Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.

Jeremiah 17:23 nlt

but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.

Jeremiah 17 verses

Jeremiah 17 23 Meaning

Jeremiah 17:23 vividly describes the unyielding stubbornness of the people of Judah, specifically their deliberate refusal to heed God's warnings and instructions delivered through His prophets. It asserts that despite divine calls for repentance and adherence to the covenant, particularly concerning the sanctity of the Sabbath, they actively chose not to listen, turn their attention, or receive corrective discipline. This willful resistance, characterized by "stiffening their neck," was a conscious decision to reject God's guidance and remain set on their own path of disobedience, ultimately leading to severe consequences.

Jeremiah 17 23 Context

Jeremiah 17:23 stands as a pivotal verse within a section (v. 19-27) where the prophet Jeremiah delivers a specific word from the Lord regarding the sanctity of the Sabbath day. This prophetic oracle, given to the kings of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, underscores the profound importance of observing the Sabbath as a sign of the covenant between God and His people. God promised continued blessing and royal succession if they honored the Sabbath, but explicitly warned of judgment—fire consuming Jerusalem's gates and palaces—if they disregarded it.

Against this backdrop of a clear divine injunction with stipulated consequences, verse 23 expresses God's lament and frustration over Judah's consistent historical and contemporary failure to respond positively to such divine overtures. It represents not merely one isolated act of defiance, but a deeply ingrained pattern of resistance to God's instruction, serving as the immediate reason for the impending judgment foretold throughout the book. Historically, this period leads directly to the Babylonian exile, a time of widespread idolatry, social injustice, and covenant breaking, despite persistent warnings from Jeremiah and other prophets.

Jeremiah 17 23 Word analysis

• But (וְלֹא - wĕlō’): This connective particle here functions adversatively, indicating a strong contrast to the positive response that was expected or desired, signaling a turn from hope to lament over their failure.
• they did not listen (שָׁמְעוּ - shāmĕʿū): The root verb shamaʿ (שמע) means "to hear," but in a theological context, it inherently implies "to obey" or "to heed." Thus, "they did not listen" signifies a deliberate failure to hear in a way that would lead to obedience, extending beyond mere auditory perception. It denotes rejection of God's authority.
• or incline their ear (הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם - hiṭṭū 'eṯ-'oznām): This is a Hebrew idiom meaning to pay careful attention, to lean in, to genuinely receive what is being said. The negation signifies not just passive neglect, but an active refusal to give audience or consideration to God's words. It expresses a closed posture to divine revelation.
• but stiffened their neck (הִקְשׁוּ אֶת־עָרְפָּם - hiqšū 'eṯ-'ārfām): The verb qāšāh (קשה) means "to harden" or "to make stiff," and ʿōrep (עָרְפָּם) is the back of the neck. "Stiffened their neck" is a vivid metaphor describing obstinate refusal to submit or bend to a master's will, similar to a stubborn animal that refuses the yoke or turns away from guidance. It conveys willful rebellion and defiance of authority. This metaphor is deeply rooted in Israel's history (Exo 32:9) and speaks of an inherent disinclination to follow God.
• in order not to hear (לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹועַ - lĕviltî shĕmôaʿ): The prefixed preposition lĕviltî signifies purpose or intention, emphasizing that their stiff-necked behavior was specifically for the purpose of not hearing. This moves beyond mere failure or neglect to a deliberate, calculated intent to avoid understanding and obedience, demonstrating conscious rebellion.
• and receive instruction (וּלְקַחַת מוּסָר - ûlĕqaḥaṯ mûsār): The word mûsār (מוסר) encompasses discipline, correction, moral training, or rebuke. To "receive instruction" implies embracing God's corrective teaching for moral and spiritual improvement. The combined phrase means they actively sought to avoid any divine guidance or discipline that would call them to repentance.

Words-group analysis:

• "But they did not listen or incline their ear": This double negative statement (not listening, not inclining) emphasizes a thorough and deliberate refusal to engage with God's message on any level, from passive hearing to active attention. It showcases both internal resistance (not hearing in the obedient sense) and external refusal (not physically orienting to listen).
• "but stiffened their neck in order not to hear": This phrase clarifies the reason for their prior failure to listen—it was rooted in a conscious act of rebellion and stubbornness. Their physical posture mirrored their spiritual disposition. The purpose clause ("in order not to hear") reveals an active intention to remain ignorant or disobedient, rejecting truth that demands a change of heart and behavior.
• "not to hear and receive instruction": This grouping connects the act of hearing (or rejecting it) directly with the reception of God's guidance and discipline. For the ancient Israelites, "hearing" the Law meant incorporating it into life. Their refusal to hear instruction implied a complete rejection of divine authority, discipline, and the path to righteousness, indicating they chose self-will over God's covenantal demands.

Jeremiah 17 23 Bonus section

The "stiff-necked" metaphor in Jeremiah 17:23 is a profound echo of the recurring narrative pattern established during the Exodus and wilderness wanderings. It signifies a fundamental theological problem: resistance to divine authority, not merely disobedience to rules. The same Hebrew word group, qāšāh ʿōrep, used for Israel at Sinai (Exo 32:9; 33:3, 5), describes their unbroken continuity of rebellion. For Judah to continue exhibiting this behavior in Jeremiah's time meant they had not learned from their past, embodying the deep-seated "deceitful and desperately sick" heart described in verse 9 of the same chapter. Furthermore, the rejection of mûsār (instruction/discipline) points to an unwillingness to accept God's method of refining and perfecting His people. Without mûsār, there can be no true transformation or walking in covenant faithfulness, rendering their spiritual condition hopeless from a human perspective. Their intentional deafness made them responsible for the ensuing judgments, fulfilling the principle that those who reject divine light walk in darkness, culminating in the destruction of the temple and the Babylonian exile, which was God's ultimate mûsār for His unyielding people.

Jeremiah 17 23 Commentary

Jeremiah 17:23 captures the tragic essence of Judah's persistent rebellion against God. It moves beyond a mere lack of attention to an ingrained, intentional obstinacy that became a defining characteristic of the nation. The deliberate parallelism in "did not listen or incline their ear" highlights a multifaceted rejection of God's spoken word—it wasn't just passive ignorance but an active disengagement. Crucially, the "stiffened their neck" metaphor, deeply embedded in biblical narrative, portrays them as defiant subjects refusing their rightful King, an image evocative of an unpliable animal resisting the yoke of its master. This "stiff-necked" disposition was not an emotional outburst but a hardened will, explicitly aimed "in order not to hear and receive instruction" (Hebrew mûsār), which signifies both moral correction and transformative discipline. Their rejection of mûsār meant they were unwilling to be molded by God for their own good. This repeated and conscious dismissal of divine counsel, warnings, and invitations for repentance across generations solidified their path to judgment, demonstrating that true spiritual hearing involves not just the ear but a pliable heart ready to obey and be discipled by God's truth. It underlines the dire consequences of continually hardening one's heart against God's loving pursuit.