Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to skim over the phrase "they did worse than their fathers," but notice how God shifts from speaking to them about "your fathers" in earlier verses to speaking about them to Jeremiah as "their fathers." This isn't just about increased sin; it marks a growing distance and displeasure from God, as if their rebellion has made them too hardened to even address directly anymore.
Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just declared that He wants obedience, not mere sacrifices, highlighting that ritual without listening is worthless. Jeremiah's audience, however, has consistently ignored God's messengers and clung to their sinful ways, even surpassing the wickedness of previous generations. This refusal to listen and persistent stubbornness marks a point of deep divine disappointment and alienation.
God’s message wasn't just noise; it was a divine invitation. Why did Israel keep missing the point, even when God spoke directly?
Jeremiah is delivering God's words, and the opening of this verse uses powerful imagery of refusal. "Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear" paints a picture of active rejection. It wasn't just that they couldn't hear; they wouldn't. To "incline their ear" means to purposefully turn and pay attention. They shut their spiritual ears, choosing instead to embrace stubbornness. This wasn't a passive state but a deliberate choice to ignore God's voice, spoken through His prophets, urging them toward obedience and away from destruction.
Why does the Bible so often describe stubbornness as a 'stiffened neck'? What does this posture reveal about the heart?
The phrase "but stiffened their neck" is a potent metaphor. Imagine an ox refusing to move forward, its neck rigid and unyielding against the yoke. This is exactly what Israel was doing with God's commands. They refused to bend, to submit, to be led. Their fathers had been warned against this very trait (Deuteronomy 31:27), but this generation outdid them. This isn't just about being stubborn; it's about a refusal to accept God's authority and guidance, a prideful resistance to His will that ultimately seals their doom.
Generations typically aim to surpass their predecessors, but Israel was heading in the opposite direction. How did they get so much worse?
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The accusation that they "did worse than their fathers" is a chilling indictment. It implies not just repeating past sins, but escalating them. Each generation witnessed the consequences of disobedience, yet instead of learning, they dug deeper into rebellion. This progressive spiritual decay shows that sin isn't static; it has momentum. When people reject God's word and harden their hearts, their capacity for wickedness grows. This downward spiral leads to a state where they actively choose paths more destructive than those who came before them, filling the cup of their iniquity.
Understand the original words
shama' · Hebrew Verb
In a biblical context, listening implies an active, responsive hearing that leads to obedience; to not listen is a willful rejection of God's authority.
qashah 'oreph · Hebrew Verb phrase
A metaphorical expression denoting stubbornness and rebellion against God, referencing the practice of using oxen that refused to submit to the yoke.
This verse highlights a deep spiritual sickness in Judah, where each generation seemed to outdo the last in disobedience. Jeremiah's words point to a repeated pattern of rebellion, even worse than that of their ancestors who faced dire consequences like exile.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event serves as a stark warning of the consequences of disobedience for the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins His Ministry
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy, beginning his long ministry during the reign of King Josiah. He faces the challenge of calling a nation back to God amidst growing apostasy.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
A significant religious reformation is enacted in Judah, prompted by the discovery of the Book of the Law. While Josiah's reign sees a temporary return to faithfulness, many people do not truly turn their hearts to God.
c. 609 BC
Death of King Josiah
King Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo. His death marks a turning point, and Judah quickly descends back into wickedness under subsequent kings.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Jehoiakim, Babylonian forces under Nebuchadnezzar conquer Judah. Influential citizens and artisans, including Daniel, are taken captive to Babylon.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans are exiled to Babylon. This event intensifies Jeremiah's warnings about impending judgment.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar finally destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, bringing the Southern Kingdom of Judah to an end and exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon.
This passage describes Israel's ancestors as stiff-necked and rebellious even during Moses' lifetime, highlighting a long-standing pattern of disobedience that Jeremiah is now echoing about his own generation.
Nehemiah 9:16-17This prayer recounts Israel's history of pride and rebellion, including their refusal to listen to God's commands and their stiffening of their necks, reinforcing the persistent theme of disobedience.
Acts 7:51Stephen directly accuses his listeners of being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, showing how this language of stubborn rebellion against God and His messengers continued through to the New Testament era.
Jeremiah 16:12This verse uses the same phrase, stating that Jeremiah's generation was even more wicked than their fathers, underscoring the theme of progressive deterioration in their faithfulness to God.
ellicottJeremiah 7:26: "Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers."
(26) Worse than their fathers. —The rapid survey of the past makes it doubtful whether the comparison is made between the generations that came out of Egypt and their immediate followers, or between those followers and their successors. Probably the general thought was that the whole history of Israel had been one of progressive deterioration, reaching its climax…
henryJeremiah 7:21-28: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh."
7:21-28 God shows that obedience was required of them. That which God commanded was, Hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God. The promise is very encouraging. Let God's will be your rule, and his favour shall be your happiness. God was displeased with disobedience. We understand the gospel as little as the Jews understood the law, if we think that even t…
It's easy to skim over the phrase "they did worse than their fathers," but notice how God shifts from speaking to them about "your fathers" in earlier verses to speaking about them to Jeremiah as "their fathers." This isn't just about increased sin; it marks a growing distance and displeasure from God, as if their rebellion has made them too hardened to even address directly anymore.
God has just declared that He wants obedience, not mere sacrifices, highlighting that ritual without listening is worthless. Jeremiah's audience, however, has consistently ignored God's messengers and clung to their sinful ways, even surpassing the wickedness of previous generations. This refusal to listen and persistent stubbornness marks a point of deep divine disappointment and alienation.
God has just declared that He wants obedience, not mere sacrifices, highlighting that ritual without listening is worthless. Jeremiah's audience, however, has consistently ignored God's messengers and clung to their sinful ways, even surpassing the wickedness of previous generations. This refusal to listen and persistent stubbornness marks a point of deep divine disappointment and alienation.
"Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers." — It's easy to skim over the phrase "they did worse than their fathers," but notice how God shifts from speaking to them about "your fathers" in earlier verses to speaking about them to Jeremiah as…
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Last reviewed October 2026