The Meaning of Jeremiah 7:26 Explained

Jeremiah 7:26

KJV: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

YLT: And they have not hearkened unto Me, Nor inclined their ear, and harden their neck, They have done evil above their fathers.

Darby: but they have not hearkened unto me, nor inclined their ear; and they have hardened their neck: they have done worse than their fathers.

ASV: yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff: they did worse than their fathers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet they hearkened  not unto me, nor inclined  their ear,  but hardened  their neck:  they did worse  than their fathers. 

What does Jeremiah 7:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In spite of these instructions, each succeeding generation of Israelites did not listen or pay attention. Instead they became obstinate in their disobedience and did even more evil than their fathers had done.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 7

1  Jeremiah is sent to call to true repentance, to prevent the Jews' captivity
8  He rejects their vain confidence,
12  by the example of Shiloh
17  He threatens them for their idolatry
21  He rejects the sacrifices of the disobedient
29  He exhorts to mourn for their abominations in Tophet;
32  and the judgments for the same

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 7:26 mean?

And yet not they did obey Me or incline - their ear but stiffened their neck they did worse than their fathers
וְל֤וֹא שָׁמְעוּ֙ אֵלַ֔י וְלֹ֥א הִטּ֖וּ אֶת־ אָזְנָ֑ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ עָרְפָּ֔ם הֵרֵ֖עוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם

וְל֤וֹא  And  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמְעוּ֙  they  did  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֵלַ֔י  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִטּ֖וּ  incline 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אָזְנָ֑ם  their  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙  but  stiffened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָשָׁה  
Sense: to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
עָרְפָּ֔ם  their  neck 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
הֵרֵ֖עוּ  they  did  worse 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם  than  their  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.