Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze. New Living Translation For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze. English Standard Version Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, Berean Standard Bible For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze. King James Bible Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; New King James Version Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze, New American Standard Bible “Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron tendon And your forehead bronze, NASB 1995 “Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze, NASB 1977 “Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew, And your forehead bronze, Legacy Standard Bible Because I know that you are stiff, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze, Amplified Bible “Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron tendon And your brow is bronze [both unyielding], Christian Standard Bible Because I know that you are stubborn, and your neck is iron and your forehead bronze, Holman Christian Standard Bible Because I know that you are stubborn, and your neck is iron and your forehead bronze, American Standard Version Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; Contemporary English Version I knew you were stubborn and hardheaded. English Revised Version Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; GOD'S WORD® Translation I know that you are stubborn. Like iron, you are hardheaded. Like bronze, nothing gets through your thick skull. Good News Translation I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze. International Standard Version Because I knew that you are obstinate, and because your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze, Majority Standard Bible For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze. NET Bible I did this because I know how stubborn you are. Your neck muscles are like iron and your forehead like bronze. New Heart English Bible Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze; Webster's Bible Translation Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; World English Bible Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow bronze; Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFrom My knowing that you are obstinate, "" And your neck—a sinew of iron, "" And your forehead—bronze, Young's Literal Translation From my knowing that thou art obstinate, And a sinew of iron thy neck, And thy forehead brass, Smith's Literal Translation From my knowledge that thou wert hard, and thy neck an iron sinew, and thy forehead of brass: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleFor I knew that thou art stubborn, and thy neck is as an iron sinew, and thy forehead as brass. Catholic Public Domain Version For I knew that you are stubborn, and that your neck is like an iron sinew, and that your forehead is like brass. New American Bible Because I know that you are stubborn and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze, New Revised Standard Version Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBecause I knew that you are obstinate and your neck is an iron sinew and your brow brass; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated I know that you are hard and your neck sinew is of iron, and your forehead is brass OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Because I knew that thou art obstinate, And thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; Brenton Septuagint Translation I know that thou art stubborn, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy forehead brazen. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Israel's Stubbornness…3I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze. 5Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’… Cross References Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. Ezekiel 2:4 They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Deuteronomy 9:6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Nehemiah 9:16-17 But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. / They 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. Psalm 78:8 Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God. Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts. Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Romans 2:5 But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Hebrews 3:8 do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, Exodus 32:9 The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. 2 Kings 17:14 But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. 2 Chronicles 30:8 Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you. Psalm 95:8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, Proverbs 29:1 A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery. Treasury of Scripture Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass; I knew Isaiah 46:12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: Psalm 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. Zechariah 7:11,12 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear… obstinate. Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Ezekiel 3:4-7 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them… Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: and they Exodus 32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Exodus 33:3,5 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way… Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. they brow Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. Ezekiel 3:7-9 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted… Jump to Previous Brass Bronze Brow Cord Forehead Hard Heart Iron Neck Obstinate Sinew Sinews StubbornJump to Next Brass Bronze Brow Cord Forehead Hard Heart Iron Neck Obstinate Sinew Sinews StubbornIsaiah 48 1. God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies9. He saves them for his own sake 12. He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence 16. He laments their backwardness 20. He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon For I knew that you are stubborn; This phrase highlights God's omniscience and His understanding of Israel's character. The term "stubborn" reflects Israel's repeated resistance to God's commands and guidance. Historically, Israel's stubbornness is evident in their frequent idolatry and disobedience, despite witnessing God's miracles and receiving His law. This stubbornness is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, seen in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 32) and during the period of the judges (Judges 2:11-19). The stubbornness of Israel serves as a warning to believers about the dangers of hardening one's heart against God. your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah during a time of moral and spiritual decline. 2. Judah The southern kingdom of Israel, which Isaiah primarily addressed. The people of Judah were often resistant to God's messages delivered through the prophets. 3. God The speaker in this verse, expressing His knowledge of the stubbornness of His people. 4. Babylonian Exile Although not directly mentioned in this verse, the context of Isaiah includes prophecies about the coming Babylonian captivity due to the people's persistent disobedience. 5. Stubbornness The condition of the people of Judah, described metaphorically as having a neck of iron and a forehead of bronze, indicating their resistance to God's guidance. Teaching Points Understanding StubbornnessRecognize that stubbornness is a spiritual condition that can prevent us from hearing and obeying God's voice. It is often rooted in pride and self-reliance. The Danger of a Hardened Heart A "neck of iron" and "forehead of bronze" symbolize a refusal to submit to God. This hardness can lead to spiritual blindness and separation from God's blessings. God's Omniscience God knows our hearts and our tendencies. His awareness of our stubbornness is not to condemn us but to call us to repentance and transformation. Call to Repentance Just as God called Judah to turn from their stubborn ways, He calls us to examine our hearts and turn back to Him in humility and obedience. The Role of Prophets and Scripture Prophets like Isaiah were sent to guide and correct. Today, Scripture serves as our guide, and we must be open to its teachings to avoid the pitfalls of stubbornness.(4) Because I knew that thou art obstinate . . .--The point is that Jehovah foresees not only the conquests of Cyrus, but the obduracy of His own people. In Egypt (Jeremiah 44) and in Babylon, as of old, they were still a stiff-necked people, inclined (Isaiah 48:5), to ascribe their deliverance to another god, and to worship that god in the form of a graven image.Verse 4. - I knew that thou art obstinate; literally, hard, or stiff - the adjective used in the phrase translated in our version "stiff-necked." The idea is still more forcibly expressed in the following clause - thy neck is an iron sinew; or rather, a band of iron, as stiff as if it were made-of the hardest metal. And thy brow brass. The exact simile here used does not occur elsewhere in Scripture. It seems to be the origin of our expressions, "brazen,... brazen-faced," "to brazen a thing out." The forehead may be hardened for a good or for a bad purpose; in obstinacy or in a determination to resist evil (comp. Isaiah 1:7 and Ezekiel 3:8 with Jeremiah 5:3; Ezekiel 3:7; Zechariah 7:12). Here the hardening is evil, marking defiance and self-will. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew For I knewמִדַּעְתִּ֕י (mid·da‘·tî) Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular Strong's 1847: Knowledge that כִּ֥י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction you אָ֑תָּה (’āt·tāh) Pronoun - second person masculine singular Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you are stubborn; קָשֶׁ֖ה (qā·šeh) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 7186: Hard, severe your neck עָרְפֶּ֔ךָ (‘ā·rə·pe·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6203: The nape, back of the neck, the back is iron בַּרְזֶל֙ (bar·zel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1270: Iron, an iron implement and your forehead וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ (ū·miṣ·ḥă·ḵā) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 4696: Brow, forehead [is] bronze. נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ (nə·ḥū·šāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5154: Copper, bronze Links Isaiah 48:4 NIVIsaiah 48:4 NLT Isaiah 48:4 ESV Isaiah 48:4 NASB Isaiah 48:4 KJV Isaiah 48:4 BibleApps.com Isaiah 48:4 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 48:4 Chinese Bible Isaiah 48:4 French Bible Isaiah 48:4 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 48:4 Because I knew that you are obstinate (Isa Isi Is) |
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