What is the meaning of Jeremiah 7:26?

Yet they would not listen to Me

- God repeats a lament heard throughout prophetic writings: His people hear the words but refuse to obey (Jeremiah 25:4; Luke 11:28).

- “Listen” in Scripture always carries the sense of active, trusting obedience (James 1:22).

- The verse assumes God’s prior faithfulness—He has clearly spoken, warned, and invited (Isaiah 55:6). Their refusal is willful, not from lack of revelation.

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Or incline their ear

- The picture is of leaning in to catch every word; Israel instead turns away (Jeremiah 17:23).

- True hearing involves deliberate attention, humility, and a readiness to change (Psalm 78:1; Isaiah 55:3).

- The contrast highlights that even minimal openness—“inclining” the ear—was absent.

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But they stiffened their necks

- A “stiff neck” evokes an ox refusing its yoke (Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 10:16).

- The posture signals pride, resistance to correction, and self-reliance (Proverbs 29:1; Acts 7:51).

- Hardened hearts shut out conviction, making repentance increasingly unlikely.

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And did more evil than their fathers

- Sin deepens when ignored; each generation drifted further (Jeremiah 16:12; Judges 2:19).

- Spiritual decline rarely plateaus; it accelerates unless interrupted by repentance (2 Timothy 3:13).

- God’s righteous judgment intensifies because accumulated revelation has been spurned (Luke 12:47–48).

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summary

Jeremiah 7:26 lays out a tragic downward spiral: refusal to obey, refusal even to listen, hard-hearted resistance, and finally a worsening legacy of evil. The verse underscores God’s faithfulness in speaking and the urgent need for responsive, humble obedience, warning that hardening the heart today breeds deeper sin tomorrow.