Jeremiah 44 5

Jeremiah 44:5 kjv

But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

Jeremiah 44:5 nkjv

But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.

Jeremiah 44:5 niv

But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.

Jeremiah 44:5 esv

But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods.

Jeremiah 44:5 nlt

But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods.

Jeremiah 44 verses

Jeremiah 44 5 meaning

Jeremiah 44:5 expresses God's lament over the persistent and deliberate disobedience of the people of Judah. It highlights their active refusal to heed divine warnings, turning a deaf ear and stubbornly resisting God's commands and corrective instruction. Their actions were not merely negligent but an intentional act of rebellion, choosing their own ways over God's clear guidance and discipline. This verse succinctly encapsulates centuries of Israel's spiritual decline and sets the stage for God's impending judgment.

Jeremiah 44 5 Context

Jeremiah chapter 44 is set after the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent assassination of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon. A Jewish remnant, fearing further Babylonian retribution, defied God's explicit command through Jeremiah and fled to Egypt (Jer 42:13-22), dragging Jeremiah with them. They settled in various Egyptian cities (Tahpanhes, Migdol, Noph/Memphis, Pathros). In this chapter, Jeremiah delivers a final, devastating prophecy to this remnant in Egypt, reminding them of the calamities that befell Jerusalem due to their idolatry and sin. Jeremiah 44:5 specifically refers to the long history of their ancestors' disobedience, which serves as a powerful preamble and a warning that the same judgment awaits them in Egypt if they persist in their idolatrous ways, especially the worship of the "Queen of Heaven." The original audience, by hearing this verse, was confronted with their lineage of rebellion and the inevitable consequences. The polemic is direct: the disasters suffered were not because God failed them, but because they utterly and repeatedly rejected His guidance for foreign deities and practices.

Jeremiah 44 5 Word analysis

• But they: The Hebrew conjunction `וְלֹא` (ve-lo, "and not" or "but not") signals a contrast to God's diligent sending of prophets and warnings in the previous verse (Jer 44:4). "They" refers primarily to the ancestors of Judah, whom the remnant in Egypt are mirroring in their behavior.
• did not listen: `שָׁמְעוּ` (sham'u), from the root `שָׁמַע` (shama), which means more than mere auditory perception; it implies hearing with the intent to obey and heed. Their failure was active rejection, not passive oversight. It's a key word throughout Jeremiah, depicting Israel's fundamental spiritual failure.
• or incline their ear: `וְלֹֽא־הִטּוּ֙ אֶת־אָזְנָ֔ם` (ve-lo hittu et-oznam). `הִטּוּ` (hitu) from `נָטָה` (natah) means "to stretch out," "to bend," "to incline." `אָזְנָ֔ם` (oznam) means "their ear." This phrase suggests a deliberate refusal to make an effort to listen, to tune in to God's message. It's an active gesture of closing off the means of reception.
• but stiffened their neck: `כִּֽי־הִקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֗ם` (ki-hikshu et-'orpam). `הִקְשׁוּ` (hikshu) comes from `קָשָׁה` (qashah), "to be hard," "stubborn," "severe." `עָרְפָּ֗ם` ('orpam) is "their neck." This is a strong, recurring Biblical metaphor for unyielding stubbornness, unrepentance, and outright defiance against God's will (e.g., Exod 32:9). Like a stubborn ox that refuses to submit to the yoke, they resisted divine authority.
• so as not to listen to Me: `לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלַ֔י` (le-vilti shemo'a elay). `לְבִלְתִּ֖י` (le-vilti) is a preposition meaning "so as not to" or "without," indicating the explicit purpose or intention behind their stubbornness. Their "stiffened neck" was directly aimed at not hearing God, showing active rebellion. The repetition of `שָׁמַע` here re-emphasizes the intentional nature of their disregard for God's voice, delivered directly by Him through His prophets.
• or accept My instruction: `וּלְבִלְתִּ֖י קַחַ֥ת מוּסָרִֽי׃` (u-le-vilti qachat musari). `קַחַ֥ת` (qachat) from `לָקַח` (laqach), "to take," "to receive," or "to accept." `מוּסָרִֽי׃` (musari) is "My instruction," "My discipline," or "My correction." This `מוּסָר` (musar) goes beyond mere commands; it encompasses the whole body of God's benevolent training, chastisement, and wisdom intended to guide His people toward righteousness and flourishing. They rejected not only the commands but also the very path to life God offered.

• "did not listen or incline their ear": These two phrases are often paired, describing a comprehensive rejection of hearing. It signifies not just indifference but an active closing of the physical and mental faculties to divine communication. They refused both superficial hearing and attentive listening.
• "stiffened their neck, so as not to listen to Me or accept My instruction": This phrase beautifully links the internal attitude of rebellion (stiff-necked) with its external manifestation and deliberate purpose (not listening, not accepting). Their stubbornness was a willful choice to defy God Himself and reject His transformative wisdom and discipline (`musar`), leading them away from the covenant path and towards self-destruction. The directness of "to Me" underscores the personal nature of their affront against God.

Jeremiah 44 5 Bonus section

The concept of a "stiff neck" (Hebrew: qasheh 'oreph) is more than a mere metaphor; it is a profound theological statement. It portrays a creature, originally made for submission to its Creator's will (like an ox to the yoke), now actively refusing that role. This defiance is not against an arbitrary rule but against God's musar, which always has the good of His people at its heart. The irony here is that God's instruction, meant to lead them to life and security, was the very thing they stubbornly spurned in favor of death-bringing idolatry. The consistent repetition of "they did not listen or incline their ear" by Jeremiah across different messages emphasizes a fundamental pattern of national apostasy, showing the prophets' despair at a cycle of rebellion that seemingly could not be broken by human means alone. Their rejection of divine guidance culminated in embracing Canaanite cults, offering cakes and incense to a goddess, directly antithetical to God's singularity and sovereignty.

Jeremiah 44 5 Commentary

Jeremiah 44:5 pierces the core of Judah's spiritual malady, painting a picture of deliberate and persistent rebellion. God had tirelessly communicated through His prophets, offering guidance, warning, and loving correction, yet the people actively shut their ears and hardened their hearts. This was not simply a lack of understanding or a momentary lapse; it was a deeply ingrained, generations-long stance of stubborn defiance. By stiffening their necks, they purposefully chose to resist divine authority and rejected the musar—the holistic, life-giving instruction and discipline God intended for their well-being. This verse explains the logical consequence for such sustained rejection: the catastrophic judgment that had already fallen upon Jerusalem and awaited those who continued this pattern in Egypt, proving that true peace and security lie in obedience, not in the stubborn pursuit of self-will or pagan gods like the "Queen of Heaven." Their ancestors' history became a mirror reflecting their own impending doom unless they repented, illustrating the profound seriousness of rejecting God's Word.