Zechariah 7:11

Zec 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Ver. 11. But they refused to hearken] Being a nation void of counsel, Deu 32:28, not willing to know what they should do, lest they should do what they would not. Nay (said they once, when they had nothing else to say), but we will have a king.

And pulled away the shoulder] As untamed heifers do from the yoke, or untoward porters from the burden. The Vulgate rendereth it: Averterunt scapulam recedentem, making it a metaphor from those that scornfully turn their backs upon their betters when they like not their commands; as the Earl of Essex did once upon Queen Elizabeth; whereat she, waxing impatient, gave him a cuff on the ear, bidding him be gone with a mischief. Sides and shoulders should be set to God’s work, Zep 3:9.

And stopped their ears] Heb. They made heavy their ears. See here how they proceeded by fit degrees from bad to worse (for Nemo repente fit turpissimus), noted in the many "ands" here used. There is a concatenation of vices as well as of graces; and he that is one step down the ladder of hell knoweth not where he shall stop, till he break his neck at the very bottom. Wherefore principiis obsta. Meddle not with sin; it is modest and maidenlike at first, but who knows what it may come to? We have heard of virgins so modest at first as to blush at the motions of an honest love, who, being once corrupt and debauched, have grown boldly lascivious so as to solicit others, so as to prostitute themselves to all comers. Keep thee, therefore, far from an evil matter, Exo 23:7; have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness, Eph 5:11. Circa serpentis antrum positus non eris diu illaesus (Isidore). He that plays upon the hole of the asp may be suddenly stung.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7:11 Your ancestors refused to listen: They ignored God’s commands (see Jer 11:10). • stubbornly turned away (or set a defiant shoulder): The idiom signifies haughty stubbornness (see Neh 9:29). • Put their fingers in their ears places full responsibility upon the people for their obstinacy (cp. Isa 6:10). The same expression is used of Pharaoh when he “became stubborn” (or “hardened his heart”) against God and refused to release the Hebrews (Exod 8:32).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And would not carry the Lord’s burden, which was sweet and easy, but would bear their own, which was heavy and grievous to the flesh, thinking to merit thereby: which similitude is taken of oxen, which shrink at the yoke, Neh. 9:29.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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

stopped . . . ears-- (Isa 6:10; Jer 7:26; Act 7:57).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. Pulled away the shoulder] From under the yoke of the law, like an unbroken or restive bullock in the plough.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Prophet here by referring to the fathers more sharply reproves the Jews of his age; for he saw that they differed but little from their fathers. The sum of what he says is, that the Jews in all ages dealt unfaithfully and perversely with God; for how much soever they boasted of their care and zeal for religion they yet sought to satisfy God only by vain trifles. This then was the Prophet’s object. For it is certain that there ever had been some pretense to religion in that nation but it was mere dissimulation for they were in the mean time intent on their ceremonies and when God seriously remonstrated with them their obstinacy and perverseness before concealed instantly appeared.

He therefore says that they refused to hear. He does not now accuse the dead except for this purpose to teach the people of his acre. He saw that they were solicitous about fasting at appointed seasons, while at the same time they regarded almost as nothing the main requirements of the law, even mercy, and justice, and uprightness. These are indeed the three things, which Christ mentions. (Matthew 23:23.) He then intimates that this doctrine was not new, and that their fathers had been sufficiently warned and instructed, but that they wilfully, and as it were designedly rebelled against God. In short, he pulls off their mask of ignorance; for as men for the most part seek to extenuate their sins by the plea, that they had not been clearly or seasonably taught, the Prophet declares that there was not any excuse of this kind, because they had been refractory and untameable, they had refused to hear

To set forth more fully this perverseness, he afterwards says, that the shoulder of withdrawing had been presented by them. The Hebrews say that men serve with the shoulder, when they are submissive, and tractable, and willingly undergo the burden laid on them, according to what we have seen in Zephaniah 3:1. The Prophet now, on the contrary, says that the Jews had a refractory shoulder, as they refused to bear the yoke, but shook off every fear of God. The reason for the metaphor is this — that as burdens are carried on the shoulder, so the Lord lays the law on our shoulders, that the flesh may not lasciviate at pleasure, but be kept under restraint. He hence says, that they had presented a rebellious shoulder. The word סררת, sarret, is properly rendered declining; but some render it perverse, and others contumacious: since the meaning is the same, I contend not about the word. It is enough to know that the contumacy of the Jews is what is here condemned; for they had been wholly unteachable, and had refused to submit to God and to his word.

He afterwards mentions their ears, They made heavy their ears, lest they should hear. In short, the Prophet sought by all means to prove the Jews guilty, that they might not adduce anything to extenuate their sin: for they had in every way, with the most determined wickedness, refused to obey God, when his teaching was sufficiently clear and intelligible.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(11) Pulled away the shoulder.—Better, offered a stubborn shoulder (Neh_9:29), as an ox that refuses to receive the yoke.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. pulled away the shoulder] Neh_9:29; Hos_4:16.

stopped] Lit. made heavy, i.e. dull. Comp. Isa_6:10. The same word is used of the eyes, Gen_48:10, and of the tongue, Exo_4:10.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried,.... The Lord by the former prophets called them to repentance and obedience:

and they would not hear; his words, nor obey his voice:

so they cried: when they were besieged in Jerusalem, and were carried captive into Babylon:

and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts; so as to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies; see Pro 1:24.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But they gave a backsliding shoulder - Like a restive animal, which would not endure the yoke, dull and stupid as the beasts: as Hosea says, “Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer” Hos 4:16. Nehemiah confesses the same; “they gave a backsliding shoulder and hardened their neck and would not hear” Neh 9:29.

And made heavy their ears - Fulfilling in themselves what God foretold to Isaiah would be the result of his preaching, “make their ears heavy.” The heart, which will not hearken, becomes duller by the outward hearing, as Paul says, “The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected” Heb 6:7-8.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Depart, so to leave the burden on their partner. (Hebrew) (Calmet) --- Literally, "giving way;" recedentem. Pope Sixtus V, recedentes. Septuagint, "they gave a contemptuous back," (Haydock) like a slave, whom the whip cannot correct.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

But they refused to hearken; they wilfully were ignorant, ant, would not consider nor understand.

Pulled away the shoulder; next they shift from doing their duty, withdraw their shoulder from the yoke of the law, Neh 9:29; Hos 4:16.

And stopped their ears; and to make it highest contempt, they act the deaf man, stop their ears, and so turn their backs on God.

That they should not hear; all this out of an obstinate resolution to be unacquainted with God’s will and their own duty.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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. (Neh_9:29 Hos_4:16) Stopped their ears. Made their ears heavy. Ta wta autwn ebarunan (Septuagint); Isa_6:10 Isa_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.

The history of ungodliness.

I GERM. The question is Self or God, our own will or God"s will. Must be settled. Pressed by prophet after prophet. The answer shows the state of the heart. "Refused to hear.

II PROGRESS. There is growth in evil, as in good Stages. "First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.

1. Wilful refusal. "Pulled away the shoulder." Sinners will not submit to be guided by the higher will. Angry and fretted, they will not bow to God"s yoke.

2. Insolent rejection. "Stopped their ears." Warnings and counsels are in vain. Pride rises to insolence. Refusal, to determined opposition and rebellion.

3. Settled obduracy. (Ver. 12) This implies a steady process. The bad is more and more gaining the mastery. Every fresh victory brings the time nearer when the evil becomes "unconquerable" (Greek adhamas).

III CONSUMMATION. (Ver. 13) The end is come.

1. Ruined character.

2. Blasted life.

3. Hopeless future.

Oh! where is that mysterious bourne, By which our path is crossed, Beyond which God himself hath sworn That he who goes is lost? "How far may we go on in sin? How long will God forbear? Where does hope end, and where begin The confines of despair? "An answer from the skies is sent, "Ye that from God depart, While it is called today, repent, And harden not your heart. (Alexander) F.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pulled away - Withdrew their shoulder from the yoke of the law.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

set their shoulders stubbornly

This is an image of an ox refusing to allow its owner to put a yoke on its shoulders. This metaphor represents the people being stubborn. AT: "became stubborn" (See: Metaphor)

They stopped up their ears so they would not hear

This is an image of people putting something into their ears so they would not hear the message from Yahweh. This metaphor represents the people not being willing to hear and obey. AT: "They refused to listen" (See: Metaphor)

They made their hearts as hard as rock so they would not hear the law or the words of Yahweh of hosts

The people refusing to hear and obey Yahweh are compared to their being as unyielding as rock. Here the heart represents the will of a person. AT: "They stubbornly refused to hear the law or the words of Yahweh of hosts" (See: Simile)

in earlier times

"in the past"

by the mouth of the prophets

Here the "mouth of the prophets" is a metonym for the words that the prophets speak. AT: "through the words of the prophets" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

heart

law

Yahweh of hosts

send

Holy Spirit

anger

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.