Isaiah 48:4

4 I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze.

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 And yet you are proud to say that you are citizens of the holy city and that you depend on Israel's God, whose name is the Lord Almighty.

3 The Lord says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen.

4 I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze.

5 And so I predicted your future long ago, announcing events before they took place, to keep you from claiming that your idols and images made them happen.

6 "All I foretold has now taken place; you have to admit my predictions were right. Now I will tell you of new things to come, events that I did not reveal before.