Jeremiah 7:26 kjv
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
Jeremiah 7:26 nkjv
Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
Jeremiah 7:26 niv
But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.'
Jeremiah 7:26 esv
Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
Jeremiah 7:26 nlt
But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful ? even worse than their ancestors.
Jeremiah 7 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 7:26 | "Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck to avoid keeping my law." | Deut 31:27 (Predicts rebellion) |
| Jeremiah 11:8 | "But they did not obey, nor incline their ear, but walked according to the stubborn inclination of their evil heart." | Neh 9:17 (Similar historical account of disobedience) |
| Ezekiel 20:8 | "But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. None of them cast away the abominations of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Yet I considered pouring out my wrath on them..." | Acts 7:51 (New Testament parallel on hardened hearts) |
| Matthew 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling." | Luke 11:47 (Jesus laments Jerusalem's rejection) |
| Romans 10:21 | "But of Israel he says, 'All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.'" | Ps 65:2 (God hears prayer) |
| Hebrews 4:2 | "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them who heard it." | 1 Cor 10:11 (Lessons from Israel's history) |
| 1 John 5:3 | "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." | John 14:15 (Jesus on keeping commandments) |
| Jeremiah 17:23 | "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction." | Deut 28:45 (Consequences of disobedience) |
| Ps 40:6 | "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears you have given me. Burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not required." | Ps 51:16-17 (Emphasis on obedience over sacrifice) |
| 2 Kings 17:14 | "but they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God." | Isa 63:10 (Israel's history of grieving the Spirit) |
| Ps 81:11 | "But my people would not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me." | John 5:43 (Jesus sent in his Father's name) |
| Lev 18:4-5 | "You shall My ordinances and keep them and walk in them. I am the LORD." | Gal 3:12 (Law leads to death if not by faith) |
| Rom 11:32 | "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy that all." | Rom 11:30-32 (God's sovereign mercy) |
| Deut 5:32-33 | "You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live..." | Deut 6:18 (Living according to God's ways) |
| John 1:17 | "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." | Col 2:17 (Shadows of things to come) |
| Heb 12:25 | "See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we, if we reject him who speaks from heaven." | Matt 23:37 (Jesus' lament) |
| Jer 1:16 | "And I will utter my judgments against them for all their evil, in that they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods..." | Jer 2:13 (Forsaking the Fountain) |
| Ps 119:1-2 | "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart," | Matt 5:17-19 (Jesus fulfilling the law) |
| Prov 1:29-30 | "because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, they would have none of my counsel; they spurned all my counsel." | John 3:19 (Men loved darkness rather than light) |
| Deut 11:26-28 | "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God..." | Deut 30:15-20 (Covenant choice) |
Jeremiah 7 verses
Jeremiah 7 26 Meaning
This verse declares that God gave Israel statutes and rules that were good and life-giving, but they did not obey them. Their disobedience led to them not living by these commands.
Jeremiah 7 26 Context
This verse appears in Jeremiah chapter 7, a significant chapter known as the "Temple Sermon." Jeremiah is sent by God to stand at the gate of the Lord's Temple and deliver a stern message to the people of Judah, particularly the worshippers gathered there. They were bringing sacrifices and engaging in religious rituals, believing these acts secured God's favor and protection, especially from the encroaching Babylonian threat. However, their outward religiosity was a stark contrast to their inward corruption, social injustice, idolatry, and general disobedience to God's law. The verse describes the persistent and willful refusal of the people and their leaders to heed God's commands and warnings, highlighting the root cause of their impending judgment and exile. This sermon directly challenges their false security and superficial piety.
Jeremiah 7 26 Word Analysis
- "Yet" (וְעַ֗תָּה, wəʿaṯⱡā) - Implies a contrast, a continuation of the discourse with a strong contrary action from the people.
- "they did not listen" (לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֔וּ, lō’—šāmə‘ū) - Refers to a lack of obedience and heed to divine commands.
- "or incline their ear" (וְלֹֽא־הִטּ֖וּ אֶת־אָזְנָ֑ם, wəlo’—ḥiṭṭû ’eṯ-’āznām) - A strong idiom for a deliberate refusal to hear, understand, or pay attention to instruction. It signifies an active turning away from what God was saying through His prophets.
- "but stiffened their neck" (כִּ֣י אִם־הִקְשׁ֤וּ אֶת־עָרְפָם֙, kî ’im-hiqšû ’eṯ-‘årpām) - A powerful metaphor depicting stubbornness and defiance. In ancient Near Eastern culture, presenting a stiff neck to a king or an enemy meant refusing to submit or yield. This points to their hardened hearts and persistent rebellion against God's authority.
- "to avoid keeping" (לְמַ֥עַן מִשְׁמֹ֖רֶת, ləma‘ⱡa mišmåreṯ) - Indicates their action of keeping their necks stiff was a means to an end – the preservation of their state of disobedience, thereby failing to observe and uphold God's covenant.
- "My law" (אֶת־תּוֹרָתִֽי, ’eṯ-tōrāṯî) - Refers to God's instructions, statutes, commandments, and teachings given to Israel, encompassing the whole of His revealed will. This isn't just the Ten Commandments, but the entire covenant law.
Words-group Analysis
- "did not listen or incline their ear": This combination emphasizes a twofold failure – a failure to hear and a failure to internally accept and respond. It's more than just a lack of auditory reception; it's a rejection of the message's content and authority.
- "stiffened their neck to avoid keeping My law": This phrase vividly paints a picture of willful obstinacy. The people's resistance to God's law was not passive but an active effort to remain in their disobedience, actively pushing back against divine guidance.
Jeremiah 7 26 Bonus Section
The verse implies a stark contrast between God's provision of "statutes and rules" (תּוֹרָה, tôrāh) and the people's reception of them. The Hebrew word tôrāh signifies instruction, teaching, or direction, originating from the root word meaning "to shoot" or "to aim," implying direction towards a goal. God's tôrāh was intended to direct Israel towards life and holiness. Their refusal was not a simple oversight but a willful rejection of the very means God provided for them to walk in righteousness and maintain their covenant relationship with Him. This active resistance ultimately rendered their temple worship a hollow and unacceptable act in God's eyes.
Jeremiah 7 26 Commentary
Jeremiah 7:26 serves as a critical indictment against Israel's deep-seated rebellion. The people had received clear statutes and ordinances from God, designed for their life and blessing (Lev 18:5, Deut 6:18). However, they consistently chose not to obey these life-giving commands. Their action of "stiffening their neck" is a powerful idiom for outright defiance and a hardened heart, rejecting God's will even as they participated in religious ceremonies. This verse highlights the hypocrisy of offering sacrifices while refusing the foundational principles of obedience and justice upon which their covenant with God rested. It foreshadows the consequences of such persistent disobedience – judgment and exile. The NT echoes this theme in Jesus' lament over Jerusalem (Matt 23:37) and the apostle Paul's description of human fallenness (Rom 10:21).