complete verse (Jeremiah 17:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 17:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “But your forefathers were stiff-necked (dry-headed) so that they did not listen to what I was saying, and (they) ignored me. They made the heads deaf, refused to hear my words and did not follow my will.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “but they never listened to me. They are hard headed! They would not accept my disciplining to them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “but they did not listen to me or obey me. When I did things to correct them, they stubbornly refused to pay attention to what I said or to accept it.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 17:23

Incline their ear is a biblical idiom meaning “obey” or “pay attention to.” It is parallel in meaning to listen. See 7.24, where the same two verbs are used, but Revised Standard Version has “obey” for the first one.

Stiffened their neck is an idiom meaning “be stubborn” or “refuse to obey.” See 7.26.

They might not … receive instruction: Compare 2.30, where instruction is rendered “correction” by Revised Standard Version.

New Jerusalem Bible renders the entire verse as follows:

• They would not hear, would not pay attention; they deliberately refused to listen or accept instruction.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .