Jeremiah 17:23 (YLT)

Passage

And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they stiffen their neck not to hear, And not to receive instruction.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:21 Thus said Jehovah, Take ye heed to yourselves, And ye bear not a burden on the day of rest, Nor have ye brought <FI>it<Fi> in by the gates of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 17:22 Nor do ye take out a burden from your houses on the day of rest, Yea, any work ye do not do, And ye have sanctified the day of rest, As I have commanded your fathers.

Jeremiah 17:23 And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they stiffen their neck not to hear, And not to receive instruction.

Jeremiah 17:24 And it hath been, if ye certainly hearken unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, So as not to bring in a burden By the gates of this city on the day of rest, And to sanctify the day of rest, So as not to do in it any work--

Jeremiah 17:25 Then entered by the gates of this city have kings and princes, Sitting on the throne of David, Riding in a chariot, and on horses, They, and their princes, the man of Judah, And inhabitants of Jerusalem, And this city hath remained to the age.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hearkened", "inclined", "stiffen", "neck", "receive", and "instruction". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hearkened" and "inclined", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Nor do ye take out a burden..." into verse 24's "And it hath been if ye certainly...", so "hearkened" and "inclined" 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 "hearkened" and "inclined" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.