But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
Parallel translations
- WEB But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
- KJV But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
- NKJV “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.
- NASB But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing.
- NLT “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their ancestors refused to listen, stubbornly turning away and stopping their ears. Persistent resistance to God's word brought ruin upon them.
Overview
Zechariah recalls the hardened refusal of the pre-exilic generation to heed the prophets. 'Turned their backs' and 'stopped their ears' picture willful, deliberate rejection of God's call. The history stands as a sober warning to the present community against the same hardness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 29
- Neh 9:29You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They stubbornly shrugged their shoulders; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.
- Hos 4:16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow?
- Jer 8:5Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.
- Ezek 3:7But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.
- Zech 1:4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD.
- Jer 35:15Again and again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.
- Acts 7:57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
- Ps 58:4–5Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,
- Heb 10:38–39But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”
- Exod 10:3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- Jer 11:10They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.
- Jer 36:31I will punish him and his descendants and servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the calamity about which I warned them but they did not listen.”
- Jer 44:16“As for the word you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!
- Isa 1:19–20If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.
- Heb 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?
- 2 Chr 33:10And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.
- Jer 7:24Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
- Jer 26:5–6and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent you again and again even though you did not listen,
- Neh 9:26But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- Jer 6:16–17This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’
- Prov 1:24–32Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
- Zeph 3:2She heeded no voice; she accepted no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she has not drawn near to her God.
- Dan 9:5we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.
- 2 Kgs 17:13–15Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”
- Isa 6:10Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- Acts 7:51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Neh 9:17They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.
- Jer 13:10These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.
- Jer 17:23Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.
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Christ at the center
The Branch who is both priest and king, the shepherd struck and the flock scattered, the king coming humble on a donkey, the one they pierced, the fountain opened for sin — Zechariah is dense with Christ.
How Zechariah 7:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.