Proverbs 29:1
New International Version
Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

New Living Translation
Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

English Standard Version
He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

Berean Standard Bible
A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.

King James Bible
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

New King James Version
He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

New American Standard Bible
A person often rebuked who becomes obstinate Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

NASB 1995
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

NASB 1977
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Legacy Standard Bible
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

Amplified Bible
He who hardens his neck and refuses instruction after being often reproved (corrected, criticized), Will suddenly be broken beyond repair.

Christian Standard Bible
One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly — beyond recovery.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly— beyond recovery.

American Standard Version
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy

Contemporary English Version
If you keep being stubborn after many warnings, you will suddenly discover you have gone too far.

English Revised Version
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be broken, and that without remedy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A person who will not bend after many warnings will suddenly be broken beyond repair.

Good News Translation
If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected, one day you will be crushed and never recover.

International Standard Version
After many rebukes, the stiff-necked man will be broken incurably, without any warning.

Majority Standard Bible
A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.

NET Bible
The one who stiffens his neck after numerous rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.

New Heart English Bible
He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

Webster's Bible Translation
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

World English Bible
He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A man often reproved, hardening the neck, "" Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.

Young's Literal Translation
A man often reproved, hardening the neck, Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.

Smith's Literal Translation
A Man of reproofs hardening the neck, shall be suddenly broken, and no healing.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The man that with a stiff neck despiseth him that reproveth him, shall suddenly be destroyed: and health shall not follow him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The man who, with a stiff neck, treats the one who corrects him with contempt will be suddenly overwhelmed to his own destruction, and reason shall not follow him.

New American Bible
Those stiff-necked in the face of reproof in an instant will be shattered beyond cure.

New Revised Standard Version
One who is often reproved, yet remains stubborn, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
HE who refuses reproof and stiffens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The man that does not receive rebuke and hardens his neck will quickly be ruined and there will be no healing for him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be broken, and that without remedy.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A reprover is better than a stiff-necked man: for when the latter is suddenly set on fire, there shall be no remedy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Stiff-Necked will Be Destroyed
1A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery. 2When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.…

Cross References
Hebrews 12:25
See 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?

Isaiah 48:4
For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.

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.

Jeremiah 19:15
“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and on all the villages around it every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

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!

Ezekiel 3:7
But 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.

Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.

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.

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

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.

Nehemiah 9:29
You 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 turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

Psalm 81:11-12
But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. / So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.

Isaiah 30:9-11
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. / Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Jeremiah 7:24-26
Yet 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. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.


Treasury of Scripture

He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Proverbs 1:24-31
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; …

1 Samuel 2:25,34
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them…

1 Kings 17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

hardeneth

2 Chronicles 36:13
And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

Nehemiah 9:29
And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

Isaiah 48:4
Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

shall

Proverbs 6:15
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Proverbs 28:18
Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

Isaiah 30:13,14
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant…

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Broken Destroyed Hard Hardeneth Hardening Hardens Hating Healing Heart Making Neck Often Rebuked Rebukes Remedy Reproof Reproved Sharp Stiffens Stiff-Necked Suddenly Words
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Broken Destroyed Hard Hardeneth Hardening Hardens Hating Healing Heart Making Neck Often Rebuked Rebukes Remedy Reproof Reproved Sharp Stiffens Stiff-Necked Suddenly Words
Proverbs 29
1. observations of public government
15. and of private
22. Of anger, pride, thievery, cowardice and corruption














A man who remains stiff-necked
The phrase "stiff-necked" is a vivid metaphor used throughout the Bible to describe stubbornness and an unwillingness to change or heed correction. In Hebrew, the term often translates to "qasheh-oref," which literally means "hard of neck." This imagery is drawn from the behavior of oxen that resist the yoke, symbolizing a person who resists guidance or discipline. Historically, the Israelites were often described as stiff-necked in their relationship with God, highlighting a recurring theme of rebellion and the need for repentance. In a conservative Christian perspective, this phrase serves as a warning against pride and the refusal to submit to God's will, emphasizing the importance of humility and openness to divine correction.

after much reproof
"Reproof" refers to correction or criticism intended to lead someone back to the right path. The Hebrew word "tokhachah" implies a form of discipline that is meant to be constructive, not punitive. The phrase "after much reproof" suggests a repeated and patient attempt to guide someone towards righteousness. In the biblical context, God often sent prophets to reprove His people, urging them to return to His commandments. This highlights God's patience and mercy, as He provides numerous opportunities for repentance. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this underscores the importance of heeding God's warnings and the counsel of wise leaders, as persistent disobedience can lead to dire consequences.

will suddenly be shattered
The word "suddenly" indicates an unexpected and swift consequence. The Hebrew root "petha" conveys the idea of something happening abruptly, without warning. "Shattered" translates from the Hebrew "shabar," meaning to break or destroy. This imagery suggests a complete and irreversible destruction, akin to a clay pot that is smashed beyond repair. In the biblical narrative, sudden judgment often came upon those who ignored God's warnings, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. For conservative Christians, this serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine judgment. It calls believers to live in a state of readiness and obedience, aware that God's patience, though vast, is not limitless.

beyond recovery
The phrase "beyond recovery" implies a state of irreparable damage. In Hebrew, "marpe" often refers to healing or restoration, and the negation here suggests a condition where healing is no longer possible. This serves as a stark warning about the consequences of persistent rebellion against God. In the broader scriptural context, it echoes the fate of those who harden their hearts against God, such as Pharaoh in the Exodus narrative. From a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the urgency of repentance and the peril of delaying it. It emphasizes the need for a responsive heart to God's correction, as there comes a point where the opportunity for repentance may be lost. This verse, therefore, calls believers to a life of continual self-examination and alignment with God's will.

XXIX.

(1) Hardeneth his neck.--And will not bear the "easy yoke" of God. (Comp. Matthew 11:29-30.)

Shall suddenly be destroyed.--Literally, shattered, like a potter's vessel that cannot be mended (Jeremiah 19:11; Isa. xxx 14).

And that without remedy.--For what more can be done for him, if he has despised God's warnings? (Comp. Hebrews 6:4, sqq.)

Verse 1. - He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck; literally, a man of reproofs - one who has had a long experience of rebukes and warnings. Compare "a man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3). The hardening of the neck is a metaphor derived from obstinate draught animals who will not submit to the yoke (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 27:8). Christ calls his yoke easy, and bids his followers to bear it bravely (Matthew 11:29. etc.). The reproofs may arise from the Holy Spirit and the conscience, from the teaching of the past, or from the counsel of friends. The LXX. (as some other Jewish interpreters) takes the expression in the text actively, "A man who reproves (ἐλέγχων) is better than one of stiff neck." Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy (Proverbs 6:15; Proverbs 15:10). The incorrigible and self-deluding sinners shall come to a fearful and sudden end, though retribution be delayed (comp. Job 34:20; Psalm 2:9; Jeremiah 19:11). And there is no hope in their end; despising all correction, they can have no possibility of restoration. We may refer, as an illustration, to that terrible passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 6:4, etc.), and to the fate of the Jews unto the present day. Septuagint, "For when he is burning suddenly, there is no remedy."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A man who
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

remains stiff-necked
מַקְשֶׁה־ (maq·šeh-)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7185: To be hard, severe or fierce

after much reproof
תּ֭וֹכָחוֹת (tō·w·ḵā·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8433: Chastisement, correction, refutation, proof

will suddenly
פֶּ֥תַע (pe·ṯa‘)
Adverb
Strong's 6621: A wink, moment

be shattered
יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר (yiš·šā·ḇêr)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces

beyond recovery.
מַרְפֵּֽא׃ (mar·pê)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4832: Curative, a medicine, a cure, deliverance, placidity


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 29:1 He who is often rebuked and stiffens (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 28:28
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