Jeremiah 7 26

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 verses

Jeremiah 7 26 Meaning

Jeremiah 7:26 describes the persistent and escalating rebellion of the people of Judah against God. It conveys their willful refusal to listen to God's warnings and instructions, their deliberate closing off to His word, and their obstinate defiance against His will. Not only did they reject God, but their wickedness surpassed that of their ancestors, signifying a profound spiritual decline and an intensified state of sinfulness across generations. This verse highlights the chosen people's unyielding disobedience and their historical pattern of hardening their hearts against divine guidance, culminating in a worse state than those who came before them.

Jeremiah 7 26 Context

Jeremiah 7:26 is part of the famous "Temple Sermon" (Jeremiah 7:1-15), one of Jeremiah's most impactful prophetic messages. This sermon directly confronts the false security and complacent attitude of the people of Judah, who believed their presence in the Jerusalem Temple and adherence to its rituals would protect them, regardless of their immoral conduct and idolatry. Jeremiah declares that God requires genuine obedience and righteousness, not mere religious observance.

Chapter 7 broadly outlines Judah's numerous covenant violations: oppression, injustice, idolatry (vv. 5-11). God's repeated attempts to call them back through His prophets are emphasized. Verse 26, specifically, connects the present generation's actions to a historical pattern of disobedience. It states that not only did they reject God's word like their forefathers, but their rebellion was even more severe, thus compounding their guilt and necessitating a greater judgment. The historical context is a time just before the Babylonian exile, a period of severe spiritual decay in Judah where social injustice, religious syncretism, and a refusal to heed prophetic warnings were rampant, leading to inevitable divine judgment.

Jeremiah 7 26 Word analysis

• But they hearkened not unto me (וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֵלַי - v'lo sham'u elay):

  • וְלֹא (v'lo): "And not," emphasizing a continuation or contrast to an expected response.
  • שָׁמְעוּ (sham'u): The verb "to hear" (שָׁמַע - shama'). In biblical Hebrew, shama' often means more than just auditory perception; it implies attentive hearing that leads to understanding, consideration, and especially obedience. Therefore, "hearkened not" signifies a refusal to obey God's commands and teachings, a deliberate act of non-compliance.
  • אֵלַי (elay): "Unto me," emphasizing that their rejection was directed specifically at God and His direct communication through His prophets.
  • This phrase indicates a profound and willful disregard for God's divine word.

• nor inclined their ear (וְלֹא הִטּוּ אֶת־אָזְנָם - v'lo hitu et-oznam):

  • הִטּוּ (hitu): From the root נָטָה (natah), meaning "to stretch out, incline, turn aside."
  • אֶת־אָזְנָם (et-oznam): "Their ear."
  • "Inclining one's ear" is an idiom for listening carefully, paying close attention, or being receptive (Psa 116:2; Prov 2:2). Thus, "nor inclined their ear" means they actively withheld their attention and refused to be receptive to God's message. It implies a conscious closing off, a deliberate act of tuning God out.
  • This deepens the preceding "hearkened not," moving from passive refusal to active resistance in listening.

• but hardened their neck (כִּי הִקְשׁוּ אֶת־עָרְפָּם - ki hiqshu et-or-pam):

  • כִּי (ki): "But, for," indicating a strong contrast or explanation for their behavior.
  • הִקְשׁוּ (hiqshu): From the root קָשָׁה (qashah), "to be hard, severe, obstinate." In the Hiphil stem, "to make hard, harden."
  • אֶת־עָרְפָּם (et-or-pam): "Their neck."
  • "Hardening the neck" is a pervasive biblical metaphor for obstinacy, stubbornness, and rebellious unwillingness to submit (Ex 32:9; Deut 9:6; Neh 9:16; Acts 7:51). Just as a stubborn ox refuses to yield to the yoke, so the people refused to bear the "yoke" of God's law or His will. It represents a defiant posture against divine authority.
  • This is the strongest expression of their resistance, showing intentional, unyielding rebellion against God.

• they did worse than their fathers (הֵרֵעוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם - hereu me'avoteihem):

  • הֵרֵעוּ (hereu): From the root רָעַע (ra'a), meaning "to be bad, evil, wicked." In the Hiphil, "to do evil, act wickedly." "They made themselves evil," or "they acted more wickedly."
  • מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם (me'avoteihem): "From their fathers," or "more than their fathers." The preposition מִן (min) here denotes comparison, indicating a higher degree of evil.
  • This is a crucial comparison. It signifies that the current generation's wickedness was not merely a continuation but an escalation of their ancestors' sins. They not only repeated past errors but surpassed them in their transgressions, indicating a deepening moral and spiritual decline. It underlines the gravity of their sin and the cumulative effect of generations of rebellion.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "hearkened not... nor inclined their ear": These two phrases form a powerful parallel synonymous pairing, emphasizing a complete rejection of God's communication. The first (hearkened not) refers to a general refusal to obey God's verbal instructions. The second (nor inclined their ear) specifically highlights the deliberate act of non-receptivity, the intentional refusal to pay attention or even hear God's words when He spoke through His prophets. This portrays an active closing of the self to divine truth.
  • "but hardened their neck": This serves as the reason or the consequence (introduced by 'but') of their not hearing and inclining their ear. Their active stubbornness, an innate spiritual recalcitrance, prevented them from receiving God's word. It highlights a deeply rooted spiritual malady that manifests in outward disobedience.
  • "they did worse than their fathers": This climactic statement functions as a severe judgment, asserting that the present generation has reached a new nadir of sinfulness. It positions their actions not just as independent transgressions but as a part of an accumulating historical guilt, pushing God's patience to its breaking point beyond what even previous generations had done. This signifies a progressive and worsening cycle of sin.

Jeremiah 7 26 Bonus section

• The progression from "not hearkening" to "not inclining the ear" to "hardening the neck" to "doing worse" is a deliberate rhetorical strategy by Jeremiah to emphasize the deepening depravity and escalating nature of Israel's sin. It illustrates a downward spiral of disobedience becoming progressively more willful and severe.
• The phrase "hardened their neck" implicitly critiques their violation of the covenant, which metaphorically placed them under God's 'yoke' of commandments. Their refusal to 'bend the neck' signified a rejection of this covenant relationship and its obligations, effectively refusing God's rule over them.
• This verse functions as a lament as much as an indictment. Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet," continually calls out Israel's rebellion while deeply grieving the consequences this defiance will bring upon them. It shows the tension between God's righteous anger and His prolonged patience and persistent efforts to save His people.
• The escalating sin "worse than their fathers" suggests that their knowledge of their fathers' failures did not serve as a deterrent but perhaps emboldened them, or at least provided no constraint against deeper transgression. They learned from history only how to intensify their rebellion.

Jeremiah 7 26 Commentary

Jeremiah 7:26 is a poignant indictment illustrating the deep-seated spiritual apostasy of Judah. It outlines a progression of rebellion, moving from a general refusal to obey God's word, to an active disengagement from hearing His voice, culminating in a defiant, stubborn resistance against divine authority, metaphorical of a beast unwilling to submit to its master's guidance. The ultimate condemnation lies in the declaration that their actions surpassed the wickedness of previous generations, signaling a critical peak in their national sinfulness. This was not a moment of weakness but a sustained, deliberate pattern of defiance against a God who repeatedly reached out to them. The historical and prophetic witness consistently highlights that God spoke through His prophets, urging repentance and return to the covenant, but these warnings were met with persistent spiritual deafness and unyielding resolve to walk in their own ways. The "worse than their fathers" aspect underlines that covenant responsibility intensifies with continued divine revelation and persistent warning; continued rejection under such conditions elevates the level of guilt. The verse sets the stage for the severe judgment Jeremiah prophesied, indicating that the nation's spiritual state left no alternative but divine intervention through judgment to correct or purge the sin. It reminds us that prolonged disobedience and willful rejection of God's clear word do not go unnoticed, nor are they without consequences.