Jeremiah 17:23 (WEB)

Passage

But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:21 Yahweh says, “Be careful, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 17:22 Don’t carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Don’t do any work, but make the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.

Jeremiah 17:23 But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.

Jeremiah 17:24 It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,” says Yahweh, “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein;

Jeremiah 17:25 then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "didn", "listen", "turn", "neck", "stiff", "might", and "hear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "didn" and "listen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Don t carry a burden out of..." into verse 24's "It will happen if you diligently listen...", so "didn" and "listen" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "didn" and "listen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.