Jeremiah 17:23

23 Their ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention. Instead, they became stubborn; they would not obey me or learn from me.

Jeremiah 17:23 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 17:23

But they obeyed not
Or, "heard not" ^F3; so as to observe and do; that is, their fathers did not; this command was very early disobeyed, and more or less in all intervening times: neither inclined their ear;
or listened attentively to what was said to them; but if they heard at all, it was in a very indifferent and careless manner, as if they cared not whether they heard or not; whereas persons intent on hearing bow the head, and turn the ear; and if they have one better than another, will turn that, in order to take in what they are attentive to; but so did not the Jewish fathers: but made their neck stiff;
or "hard" ^F4; and would not bend it, to take upon them the yoke of the commandments: a metaphor taken from untamed oxen, that will not submit the neck to the yoke, but draw back from it. The Septuagint and Arabic versions understand all this, not of the Jewish fathers of old, but of their children, even of the then present generation, rendering the words, "but hardened their neck more than their fathers"; they were more stiffnecked, refractory, and disobedient than they were; this was always the character of this people; as were the fathers, so were the children, if not worse; see ( Acts 7:51 ) ; that they might not hear nor receive instruction;
about the command of the sabbath, or any other: or "correction", or "discipline" ^F5; the yoke of which they were as unwilling to bear as the yoke of the commandments, ( Jeremiah 31:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (wemv al) "non audiverunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.
F4 (Mpre ta wvqyw) "sed obturarunt cervicem suam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "indurarunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.
F5 (rowm) "discliplinam", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 17:23 In-Context

21 Tell them that if they love their lives, they must not carry any load on the Sabbath; they must not carry anything in through the gates of Jerusalem

22 or carry anything out of their houses on the Sabbath. They must not work on the Sabbath; they must observe it as a sacred day, as I commanded their ancestors.

23 Their ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention. Instead, they became stubborn; they would not obey me or learn from me.

24 "Tell these people that they must obey all my commands. They must not carry any load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath. They must observe the Sabbath as a sacred day and must not do any work at all.

25 Then their kings and princes will enter the gates of Jerusalem and have the same royal power that David had. Together with the people of Judah and of Jerusalem, they will ride in chariots and on horses, and the city of Jerusalem will always be filled with people.