Jeremiah 17:23But they didn't listen, neither turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~600 BC. Jeremiah reflects on 600 years of history — from Moses to his own time — watching his people repeatedly ignore God's warnings about their destructive patterns.
The emotion here: weary grief, like watching the same tragedy repeat for centuries
The original word
qashach (קָשַׁח) — to make hard or stiff; like leather left in the sun becomes brittle and inflexible
Why it matters
This phrase 'stiff-necked' comes from oxen who stiffen their necks against the yoke, making them impossible to guide
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 17:23
God isn't angry about rule-breaking — He's heartbroken about relationship-breaking
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about God being angry at disobedience, but it's actually about God being sad that His people keep hurting themselves by refusing His protection.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 17:23
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 17:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 17:23 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Yahweh. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include disobedience, stubbornness, rejection of instruction. Notable phrases: didn't listen; made their neck stiff; might not receive instruction.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 17:23 mean to you, today?
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