Jeremiah 17:23

Rest and sabbath Obedience

²¹ Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

²² Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

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

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

²⁵ Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.
KJV: But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
WEB: But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
ASV: But they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
DARBY: but they hearkened not, neither inclined their ear, but hardened their neck, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.
BLB: They did not listen and they did not incline their ear, and they stiffened their neck, that they would not hear, and they would not receive discipline.

ÅB: Men de hørte ikke og vendte ikke sitt øre til; de gjorde sin nakke hård, så de ikke hørte og ikke tok imot tukt.
OTB: Men de lyttet ikke eller bøyde sine ører; de var stivnakkede og ville ikke lytte eller ta imot disiplin.
B1930: Men de hørte ikke og vendte ikke sitt øre til; de gjorde sin nakke hård, så de ikke hørte og ikke tok imot tukt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Proverbs 29:1
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Read in context
Acts 7:51
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Read in context
Jeremiah 19:15
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
Read in context
Jeremiah 11:10
They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:24–26
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
Read in context
Jeremiah 32:33
And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
Read in context
Zechariah 7:11–12
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Read in context
Isaiah 48:4
Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
Read in context