Zechariah 7:11

11 And they refuse to attend, And they give a refractory shoulder, And their ears have made heavy against hearing.

Zechariah 7:11 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 7:11

But they refused to hearken
. That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them: and pulled away the shoulder;
from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" {f}; a refractory one, that slides back, like a backsliding or refractory heifer, that will not admit of the yoke, ( Hosea 4:16 ) so these could not bear the yoke of the law, nor the burden of duty; nor suffer the words of exhortation, or receive the admonitions given them: and stopped their ears, that they should not hear;
like the deaf adder, ( Psalms 58:4 Psalms 58:5 ) they would not hear, and pretended they could not; which was an instance of contempt to the speakers.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (trro Ptk) "scapulam aversam", Pagninus; "deflectentem", Montanus; "rebellem", Munster, Tigurine version; "refractarium", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ben Melech.

Zechariah 7:11 In-Context

9 `Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, saying: True judgment judge ye, And kindness and mercy do one with another.
10 And widow, and fatherless, Sojourner, and poor, ye do not oppress, And the calamity of one another ye do not devise in your heart.
11 And they refuse to attend, And they give a refractory shoulder, And their ears have made heavy against hearing.
12 And their heart they have made adamant, Against hearing the law, and the words, That Jehovah of Hosts sent by His Spirit, By the hand of the former prophets, And their is great wrath from Jehovah of Hosts.
13 And it cometh to pass, as He called, And they have not hearkened, So do they call, and I do not hearken, Said Jehovah of Hosts.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.