Zechariah 7:11
◄  Zechariah 7:11  ►
New International Version (©2011)
"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.

New Living Translation (©2007)
"Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.

English Standard Version (©2001)
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.

International Standard Version (©2012)
But they refused to pay attention, turned their backs, and stopped listening.

NET Bible (©2006)
"But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"But people refused to pay attention. They shrugged their shoulders at me and shut their ears so that they couldn't hear.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But they refused to hearken, and shrugged the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

American King James Version
But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

American Standard Version
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.

Darby Bible Translation
But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.

English Revised Version
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Webster's Bible Translation
But they refused to hearken, and withdrew the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

World English Bible
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

Young's Literal Translation
And they refuse to attend, And they give a refractory shoulder, And their ears have made heavy against hearing.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:8-14 God's judgements upon Israel of old for their sins, were written to warn Christians. The duties required are, not keeping fasts and offering sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays restraint upon the heart. But they filled their minds with prejudices against the word of God. Nothing is harder than the heart of a presumptuous sinner. See the fatal consequences of this to their fathers. Great sins against the Lord of hosts, bring great wrath from his power, which cannot be resisted. Sin, if regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the success of prayer. The Lord always hears the cry of the broken-hearted penitent; yet all who die impenitent and unbelieving, will find no remedy or refuge from miseries which while here they despised and defied, but which they then will not be able to bear.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Pulled away the shoulder; they gave a stubborn, refractory shoulder, like an ox which refuses to have the yoke put on his neck, or draws hack when it feels the weight (Nehemiah 9:29; Hosea 4:16). Stopped their ears. Made their ears heavy. Τὰ ω΅τα αὐτῶν ἐβάρυναν (Septuagint); Isaiah 6:10; Isaiah 59:1. Three degrees of obduracy are named in this verse: they refused to listen; they resisted the warners; they exhibited open contempt for them. The full climax is given in the next verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But they refused to hearken,..... That is, the Jews, before the captivity, refusal to give heed to the above exhortations, and obey the voice of God in them:

and pulled away the shoulder; from serving the Lord, and supporting his interest: or "they gave", or presented, "a rebellious shoulder" (f); a refractory one, that slides back, like a backsliding or refractory heifer, that will not admit of the yoke, Hosea 4:16 so these could not bear the yoke of the law, nor the burden of duty; nor suffer the words of exhortation, or receive the admonitions given them:

and stopped their ears, that they should not hear; like the deaf adder, Psalm 58:4 they would not hear, and pretended they could not; which was an instance of contempt to the speakers.

(f) "scapulam aversam", Pagninus; "deflectentem", Montanus; "rebellem", Munster, Tigurine version; "refractarium", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ben Melech.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. pulled away the shoulder—literally, "presented a refractory shoulder"; an image from beasts refusing to bear the yoke (Ne 9:29, Margin).

stopped … ears—(Isa 6:10; Jer 7:26; Ac 7:57).

Zechariah 7:11 Parallel Commentaries

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A Call to Justice and Mercy
…10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 11But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. …

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
Nehemiah 9:29 "You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, 'The person who obeys them will live by them.' Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.
Psalm 58:4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
Proverbs 1:24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
Isaiah 46:12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness.
Jeremiah 5:3 LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
Jeremiah 7:26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.'
Jeremiah 8:5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.
Jeremiah 11:10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.
Jeremiah 17:23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline.
Jeremiah 17:27 But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.'"