Isaiah 48:4

4 Because I saw that your heart was hard, and that your neck was an iron cord, and your brow brass;

Isaiah 48:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 48:4

Because I knew that thou art obstinate
Or "hard" ^F1, hard hearted, an obdurate and rebellious people, contradicting and gainsaying: and thy neck is as an iron sinew;
stiffnecked, inflexible, not compliant with the will of God, and his commands; unwilling to admit his yoke, and bear it: and thy brow brass;
impudent, not ashamed of sin, nor blushing at it, refusing to receive correction for it, having a whore's forehead. This the Lord knew and foreknew, and therefore declared before hand what would come to pass unto them; who otherwise would have had the assurance to have ascribed them to themselves, or their idols, and not to him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (hta hvq yk) "quod durus tu es", Pagninus, Montanus; "te durum esse", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vitringa.

Isaiah 48:4 In-Context

2 For they say that they are of the holy town, and put their faith in the God of Israel: the Lord of armies is his name.

3 I gave word in the past of the things which came about; they came from my mouth, and I made them clear: suddenly I did them, and they came about.

4 Because I saw that your heart was hard, and that your neck was an iron cord, and your brow brass;

5 For this reason I made it clear to you in the past, before it came I gave you word of it: for fear that you might say, My god did these things, and my pictured and metal images made them come about.

6 All this has come to your ears and you have seen it; will you not give witness to it? I am now making clear new things, even secret things, of which you had no knowledge.