Zechariah 7:11-13
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The phrase "pulled away the shoulder" vividly paints a picture of stubbornness, like an ox refusing the yoke of God's law. What's striking is that "stopped their ears" isn't just about not hearing, but actively making their ears heavy and dull, a deliberate choice to become unresponsive to God's truth.
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts,
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just asked the people why they are observing these fasts, implying their heart isn't in it and that their true focus should be on justice and mercy. This verse describes the people's stubborn rejection of God's message, picturing them turning away like a stubborn animal refusing its yoke and actively blocking their ears to avoid hearing any further instruction or correction. This sets the stage for God to explain the severe consequences of their persistent disobedience and refusal to listen.
Ever feel like you're pushing against an invisible force when you know you should do something? The people Zechariah is addressing had a physical image for this kind of resistance.
The verse paints a vivid picture of refusal.
A "Stubborn Shoulder"
The phrase "turned a stubborn shoulder" isn't just about being difficult; it's a powerful metaphor drawn from farming and animal training.
We often say 'I didn't hear you' when we simply didn't want to listen. Zechariah describes a far more intentional act of spiritual deafness.
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The refusal to listen wasn't accidental; it was a deliberate choice with serious implications.
Making Ears Heavy
Understand the original words
katheph sorereth · Hebrew Noun phrase
A metaphorical gesture indicating persistent, active rebellion against God’s authority and instruction, likened to a stubborn ox refusing the yoke.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The seat of human intellect, will, and emotion; in this context, it represents the inner core of a person that determines their moral orientation toward God.
shamir · Hebrew Noun
A term often associated with 'adamant' or 'emery stone,' symbolizing a heart that is impenetrable, unresponsive, and resistant to the conviction of God’s word.
torah · Hebrew Noun
Hebrew: 'Torah'; refers to God's divine instruction, guidance, and legal requirements for His people, which reflect His holy character.
Yahweh Sabaoth · Hebrew Proper noun phrase
A title emphasizing God's sovereignty over the entire created order, including the angelic hosts and the armies of heaven; He is the Commander-in-Chief.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The third person of the Trinity, the active agent of God in creation, prophecy, and the empowerment/sanctification of believers.
nabi · Hebrew Noun
A person commissioned by God to speak His divine message to His people; they are the mouthpiece for God's truth, often calling for repentance.
qetseph · Hebrew Noun
God’s settled, righteous, and holy indignation against sin; it is not arbitrary rage but a consistent response of His character against rebellion.
Zechariah's strong words of defiance were spoken to people who had recently returned from exile and were rebuilding the Temple. Their ancestors' stubborn refusal to listen to God's prophets led to the destruction of the Temple and their exile, yet the same hard-heartedness lingered even after their return.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event served as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported a group of prominent citizens, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
A larger group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon after a rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem and the Temple were spared for the moment.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, the center of Israelite worship. The majority of the remaining population was exiled to Babylon.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
After returning from exile, the Jewish people, under leaders like Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest, rebuilt and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is a backdrop to Zechariah's prophecy.
c. 518 BC
Zechariah's Prophetic Ministry
Zechariah delivered his prophecies, including this verse, during the crucial period of rebuilding the Temple after the Babylonian exile. He challenged the people's hearts and motives regarding their worship and obedience.
This passage describes Israel's historical refusal to listen to God's commands, using the striking image of a 'stubborn shoulder,' mirroring the willful disobedience described in Zechariah.
Hosea 4:16Hosea likens stubborn Israel to a 'backsliding heifer,' an image of resistance and refusal to be led, which powerfully echoes the 'stubborn shoulder' and closed ears in Zechariah.
Isaiah 6:10This prophecy describes a spiritual deafness and blindness that God decrees upon a people who refuse to listen, directly paralleling the intentional stopping of ears to avoid hearing God's message in Zechariah.
Jeremiah 7:26Jeremiah recounts how God sent prophets to a disobedient people who refused to listen or heed His words, highlighting the persistent rejection of divine communication that Zechariah addresses.
Acts 7:57Stephen, in his defense, accuses his listeners of acting just like their ancestors, who 'resisted the Holy Spirit' and 'stopped their ears,' directly referencing the same willful deafness described in Zechariah.
pooleZechariah 7:11: "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear."
But they refused to hearken; they wilfully were ignorant, ant, would not consider nor understand. Pulled away the shoulder; next they shift from doing their duty, withdraw their shoulder from the yoke of the law, Nehemiah 9:29 Hosea 4:16 . And stopped their ears; and to make it highest contempt, they act the deaf man, stop their ears, and so turn their backs on God. Th…
cambridgeZechariah 7:11: "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear."
11 . pulled away the shoulder ] Nehemiah 9:29 ; Hosea 4:16 . stopped ] Lit. made heavy, i.e. dull. Comp. Isaiah 6:10 . The same word is used of the eyes, Genesis 48:10 , and of the tongue, Exodus 4:10 .
The phrase "pulled away the shoulder" vividly paints a picture of stubbornness, like an ox refusing the yoke of God's law. What's striking is that "stopped their ears" isn't just about not hearing, but actively making their ears heavy and dull, a deliberate choice to become unresponsive to God's truth.
God has just asked the people why they are observing these fasts, implying their heart isn't in it and that their true focus should be on justice and mercy. This verse describes the people's stubborn rejection of God's message, picturing them turning away like a stubborn animal refusing its yoke and actively blocking their ears to avoid hearing any further instruction or correction. This sets the stage for God to explain the severe consequences of their persistent disobedience and refusal to listen.
God has just asked the people why they are observing these fasts, implying their heart isn't in it and that their true focus should be on justice and mercy. This verse describes the people's stubborn rejection of God's message, picturing them turning away like a stubborn animal refusing its yoke and actively blocking their ears to avoid hearing any further instruction or correction. This sets the stage for God to explain the severe consequences of their persistent disobedience and refusal to listen.
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit…" — The phrase "pulled away the shoulder" vividly paints a picture of stubbornness, like an ox refusing the yoke of God's law. What's striking is that "stopped their ears" isn't just about not hearing, b…
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Last reviewed October 2026
