But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What’s easily missed is how this verse presents the people's condition not as a single act, but as a two-stage disease: first, a heart that "draws back" from God out of dislike, and second, a will that then actively rebels. They haven't just strayed; they've "turned aside and gone away," implying a progressive and complete departure from what is right.
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just described how even the powerful forces of nature like the sea obey God's commands. Now, he turns to the people of Jerusalem, contrasting their stubborn disobedience with the elements' perfect compliance. This verse explains that their hearts actively turn away from God and then defiantly push against Him, showing a deep-seated refusal to return to His ways.
Jeremiah uses two powerful words to describe the people's inner rebellion. What's the difference between them, and why does it matter?
Jeremiah highlights the dual nature of their inner rebellion with the phrases 'a stubborn and rebellious heart.'
Turning Away
The word translated 'stubborn' (or 'revolting') speaks to a passive turning away, a drawing back from God. It's like a subtle drift, a slow departure from what is right, often because obedience feels difficult or undesirable.
Active Defiance
The word 'rebellious' describes a more active opposition. This isn't just drifting; it's a conscious defiance, a fight against God's authority and ways. It's the will actively resisting and opposing Him.
Together, these words paint a picture of a heart that both passively withdraws from God and actively fights against Him. It's a comprehensive state of spiritual alienation.
It's one thing to turn away, but the verse emphasizes they have truly 'gone.' What does this finality imply?
The verse concludes with a stark declaration: 'they have turned aside and gone away.' This isn't a temporary lapse or a minor detour; it signifies a complete departure.
The Journey Away
'Turned aside' implies a deliberate shift from the right path. 'Gone away' suggests they've continued on this new, wrong trajectory, moving further and further from God's presence and His ways.
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A State of Departure
This isn't about regretting a mistake and intending to return. It describes a settled state, a hardened position where the people are so far removed from God that they are effectively 'gone.' Their rebellion has led them to a place of spiritual distance and alienation.
Understand the original words
sarar · Hebrew Adjective/Verb
A persistent, obstinate, or refractory spirit that resists God’s authority and refuses to submit to His will.
marah · Hebrew Adjective
Deliberate defiance or opposition against God’s established authority and commands; a refusal to comply with His revealed word.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The internal seat of human personality, will, intellect, and moral decision-making; it is the center of human response to God.
Jeremiah's prophecy of a stubborn, rebellious heart speaks powerfully into a time when Judah's spiritual and political foundations were crumbling. The repeated cycles of rebellion, judgment, and exile meant that for many, their hearts had become so hardened that they had 'turned aside and gone away' from God permanently.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the deportation of many Israelites and the settlement of foreigners in the land. This event marked a significant loss of national identity and religious purity for many.
c. 622 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
During a renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the High Priest Hilkiah discovers a scroll believed to be a copy of Moses' Law. King Josiah reads it, leading to a sweeping religious reform throughout Judah.
c. 609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah, a righteous king who had led Judah in reforms, is killed in battle against the Egyptians at Megiddo. His death plunges the kingdom into political instability and moral decline.
605 BC— this verse
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Babylonians at Carchemish. As a result, he begins deporting Judean nobles and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion by King Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem and deports more of the elite, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This event leaves Jerusalem weakened and with a puppet king.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the end of Judah as an independent nation.
This passage uses similar language to describe a 'stubborn and rebellious son' who disobeys his parents, highlighting the ingrained, willful defiance that Jeremiah accuses his people of.
Psalm 78:8This psalm speaks of a generation that did not keep God's covenant and turned away from His testimonies, directly echoing Jeremiah's lament about a people with a 'rebellious heart' who have 'turned aside.'
Hebrews 12:1This New Testament passage calls believers to 'throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles' and 'run with perseverance the race marked out for us,' contrasting with the stubborn refusal to turn back that marks Jeremiah's people.
Romans 1:18Paul describes how 'the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,' a sentiment that aligns with Jeremiah's portrayal of a people actively turning away from God's ways.
Jeremiah 6:28This verse provides further context within Jeremiah himself, describing the people as 'all of them are rebels, utterers of slander, who have corrupted themselves,' reinforcing the theme of deep-seated rebellion and deviation from God.
clarkeJeremiah 5:23: "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone."
They are revolted and gone - They have abandoned me, and are gone farther and farther into transgression. They are gone entirely away from truth and righteousness.
pooleJeremiah 5:23: "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone."
They are not only revolted from me, and gone back, but they continue obstinate, and will not return, Psalm 78:8 , as the next clause intimates, where God shows their obstinacy by the effect of it. Gone, viz. from me, they persist in their courses, no reclaiming of them; for they are not only revolted, but they are gone quite away, and are irreclaimable.
What’s easily missed is how this verse presents the people's condition not as a single act, but as a two-stage disease: first, a heart that "draws back" from God out of dislike, and second, a will that then actively rebels. They haven't just strayed; they've "turned aside and gone away," implying a progressive and complete departure from what is right.
Jeremiah has just described how even the powerful forces of nature like the sea obey God's commands. Now, he turns to the people of Jerusalem, contrasting their stubborn disobedience with the elements' perfect compliance. This verse explains that their hearts actively turn away from God and then defiantly push against Him, showing a deep-seated refusal to return to His ways.
Jeremiah has just described how even the powerful forces of nature like the sea obey God's commands. Now, he turns to the people of Jerusalem, contrasting their stubborn disobedience with the elements' perfect compliance. This verse explains that their hearts actively turn away from God and then defiantly push against Him, showing a deep-seated refusal to return to His ways.
"But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away." — What’s easily missed is how this verse presents the people's condition not as a single act, but as a two-stage disease: first, a heart that "draws back" from God out of dislike, and second, a will th…
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Last reviewed October 2026