The term "stiff-necked" is a metaphorical expression found in the Bible, primarily used to describe a stubborn or obstinate attitude, particularly in relation to disobedience or resistance to God's will. This term is often associated with the Israelites in the Old Testament, highlighting their recurrent rebellion and unwillingness to heed divine instruction.

Biblical Usage and Context

The phrase "stiff-necked" appears multiple times in the Scriptures, often in contexts where God, through His prophets or leaders, addresses the Israelites' persistent disobedience. The imagery of a stiff neck is drawn from the behavior of an animal, such as an ox, that refuses to be guided by a yoke. This metaphor effectively conveys the idea of a people who resist divine guidance and correction.

One of the earliest instances of this term is found in Exodus 32:9, where God speaks to Moses after the Israelites create and worship the golden calf: "The LORD also said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.'" . Here, the term underscores the Israelites' quick departure from the covenant they had just entered with God, demonstrating their rebellious nature.

In Deuteronomy 9:6, Moses reminds the Israelites of their stubbornness: "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." . This passage emphasizes that the Israelites' possession of the Promised Land is due to God's faithfulness, not their merit, highlighting their need for humility and repentance.

Prophetic Rebuke and Call to Repentance

The prophets frequently used the term "stiff-necked" to call the people of Israel to repentance. In 2 Chronicles 30:8, Hezekiah urges the people, "Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you." . This plea reflects the consistent prophetic message that repentance and submission to God are necessary to avert divine judgment.

Jeremiah also uses this term in his warnings to Judah. In Jeremiah 7:26, God laments through the prophet, "Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers." . This highlights the increasing severity of their rebellion and the resulting consequences.

New Testament Reference

In the New Testament, the term "stiff-necked" is used by Stephen in his speech before the Sanhedrin. In Acts 7:51, he declares, "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did." . Stephen's use of the term connects the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to the historical pattern of Israel's resistance to God's messengers.

Theological Implications

The concept of being "stiff-necked" serves as a cautionary illustration of the human tendency toward pride and self-will, which can lead to spiritual downfall. It underscores the importance of humility, obedience, and a responsive heart to God's guidance. The repeated use of this term throughout Scripture highlights God's patience and desire for His people to turn back to Him, despite their persistent rebellion.

In summary, "stiff-necked" is a vivid biblical metaphor that encapsulates the struggle between human stubbornness and divine authority, serving as a timeless reminder of the need for repentance and submission to God's will.(a.) Stubborn; inflexibly obstinate; contumacious; as, stiff-necked pride; a stiff-necked people.STIFF-NECKED

stif'-nekt (qesheh `oreph, literally, "hard of neck"): As it is figuratively used, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, the word means "stubborn," "untractable," "not to be led." The derivation of the idea was entirely familiar to the Jews, with whom the ox was the most useful and common of domestic animals. It was especially used for such agricultural purposes as harrowing and plowing (Judges 14:18 1 Corinthians 9:9).

The plow was usually drawn by two oxen. As the plowman required but one hand to guide the plow, he carried in the other an "ox-goad." This was a light pole, shod with an iron spike. With this he would prick the oxen upon the hind legs to increase their speed, and upon the neck to turn, or to keep a straight course when deviating. If an ox was hard to control or stubborn, it was "hard of neck," or stiff-necked. Hence, the figure was used in the Scriptures to express the stubborn, untractable spirit of a people not responsive to the guiding of their God (Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3 Deuteronomy 9:6 2 Chronicles 36:13 Jeremiah 17:23, etc.). See also the New Testament where sklerotrachelos, is so translated (Acts 7:51), "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit.". Compare Baruch 2:30, 33.

Arthur Walwyn Evans

4644. sklerotrachelos -- stiff-necked
... stiff-necked. From skleros and trachelos; hardnaped, ie (figuratively) obstinate --
stiffnecked. see GREEK skleros. see GREEK trachelos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4644.htm - 6k7186. qasheh -- hard, severe
... churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, + impudent, obstinate,
prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful, stiff((necked)), stubborn, + in ...
/hebrew/7186.htm - 6k

6203. oreph -- back of the neck, neck
... stiff-necked. From araph; the nape or back of the neck (as declining); hence, the
back generally (whether literal or figurative) -- back ((stiff-)neck((-ed). ...
/hebrew/6203.htm - 6k

Stiff-Necked Idolaters and Pliable Christians
... STIFF-NECKED IDOLATERS AND PLIABLE CHRISTIANS. 'Hath a nation changed their
gods, which are yet no gods? but My people have changed ...
/.../stiff-necked idolaters and pliable christians.htm

The Highway of Holiness
... To be broken means to be "not I, but Christ." There is in every one of us a proud,
stiff-necked "I." The stiff neck began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 4 the highway of.htm

John Chapter i. 32, 33
... His are those burning words: "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears,
ye do always resist the Holy Spirit." Mighty impetuosity; but it is the dove ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate vi john chapter i.htm

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
... Not by the merit of their devotion, as Moses often hinted, did the Jews become the
people of God; they were ever stiff-necked and continually rebelled against ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/ninth sunday after trinity carnal.htm

A Loving Call to Reunion
... up to desolation, as ye see.8. Now, be ye not stiffnecked, as your ... in a variety of
ways; namely, turning to Jehovah, not being stiff-necked, yielding selves to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a loving call to reunion.htm

Expositions of Holy Scripture
... THE SYMPATHY OF GOD. HOW TO MEET GOD. 'THE GOD OF THE AMEN'. STIFF-NECKED IDOLATERS
AND PLIABLE CHRISTIANS. FORSAKING JEHOVAH. A COLLOQUY BETWEEN A PENITENT AND ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/

Evans -- the Fall and Recovery of Man
... Man is a hard-hearted and stiff-necked sinner; loving darkness rather than light,
because his deeds are evil; eating sin like bread, and drinking iniquity like ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/evans the fall and.htm

Mercy's Master Motive
... The generation following were stiff-necked and rebellious like their fathers,
and they continually went astray after false gods. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/mercys master motive.htm

Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief.
... has been maintained. It has often been said, that they were stiff-necked
and hard-hearted beyond the rest of the world. Now, even ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vi miracles no remedy.htm

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
... But this people was stiff-necked, heedless, and unthankful, and did not do as God
had commanded by the mouth of His servants, but was continually self-willed ...
/.../vii sermon for the fourth.htm

Stiffnecked (9 Occurrences)
... See also the New Testament where sklerotrachelos, is so translated (Acts 7:51),
"Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ...Stiffnecked (9 Occurrences). ...
/s/stiffnecked.htm - 11k

Stiff-necked (18 Occurrences)
Stiff-necked. Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked. Stiffness . Noah Webster's Dictionary ...
Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked. Stiffness . Reference Bible.
/s/stiff-necked.htm - 14k

Obstinate (12 Occurrences)
... NAS NIV). Exodus 32:9 Yahweh said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and
behold, they are a stiff-necked people. (See NAS). Exodus ...
/o/obstinate.htm - 10k

Stiff (23 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 9:6 Know therefore, that Yahweh your God doesn't give you this good
land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people. ...
/s/stiff.htm - 14k

Stubborn (40 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 9:6 Know therefore, that Yahweh your God doesn't give you this good
land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people. ...
/s/stubborn.htm - 18k

Neck (97 Occurrences)
... Compare sklerotracholes, "stiffnecked" (Acts 7:51). ... God doesn't give you this good
land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people ...
/n/neck.htm - 45k

Necked (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp. & pp) of Neck. 2. (a.) Having (such) a neck; -- chiefly used in composition;
as, stiff-necked. 3. (a.) Cracked; -- said of a treenail. ...
/n/necked.htm - 7k

Consume (136 Occurrences)
... Exodus 33:3 to a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst
of you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way ...
/c/consume.htm - 40k

Destroy (379 Occurrences)
... Exodus 33:3 Go up to that land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up
among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, for fear that I send destruction ...
/d/destroy.htm - 37k

Uncircumcised (48 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Uncircumcised (48 Occurrences). Acts 7:51 "You stiff-necked
and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! ...
/u/uncircumcised.htm - 25k

What does the Bible say about being stiff-necked? | GotQuestions.org

What is unrepentance? What does it mean to be unrepentant? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about being stubborn / stubbornness? | GotQuestions.org

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