Definition and Nature:
Stubbornness, in a biblical context, refers to an obstinate resistance to change or correction, often characterized by a refusal to listen to God or heed His commands. It is frequently associated with a hardened heart and a rebellious spirit. The Bible portrays stubbornness as a negative trait that leads individuals away from God's will and wisdom.

Biblical References:

1. Old Testament:
· Exodus 32:9 : "The LORD also said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.'" Here, God describes the Israelites as "stiff-necked," a term synonymous with stubbornness, highlighting their resistance to His guidance and commands.
· Deuteronomy 9:6 : "Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people." This passage emphasizes that the Israelites' stubbornness is not a virtue, and their blessings are due to God's grace rather than their own merit.
· Proverbs 29:1 : "A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery." This proverb warns of the consequences of persistent stubbornness, indicating that it leads to destruction and ruin.

2. New Testament:
· Acts 7:51 : "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did." Stephen, in his speech before the Sanhedrin, accuses the Jewish leaders of stubbornness, equating it with resisting the Holy Spirit and rejecting God's messengers.
· Romans 2:5 : "But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed." Paul warns that a stubborn heart, unyielding to repentance, incurs God's judgment.

Theological Implications:
Stubbornness is often linked to pride and self-reliance, which are contrary to the humility and dependence on God that Scripture advocates. It is seen as a barrier to spiritual growth and a hindrance to receiving God's blessings. The Bible encourages believers to cultivate a teachable spirit, open to correction and guidance from the Lord.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:
· Repentance and Humility: The Bible calls for a heart that is soft and responsive to God's voice. Repentance and humility are essential in overcoming stubbornness, allowing individuals to align with God's will.
· Obedience to God: Stubbornness is often a refusal to obey God's commands. Scripture emphasizes the importance of obedience as a demonstration of faith and love for God.
· Listening to Wise Counsel: Proverbs frequently advises seeking and heeding wise counsel, contrasting it with the folly of stubbornness. A willingness to listen and learn is portrayed as a path to wisdom and understanding.

Practical Application:
Believers are encouraged to examine their hearts for areas of stubbornness and to seek God's help in cultivating a spirit of obedience and humility. Engaging in regular prayer, studying Scripture, and being part of a faith community can aid in overcoming stubborn tendencies and fostering a closer relationship with God.Genesis 25:18
And they dwelled from Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brothers.
Topicalbible.org

John 1:11
He came to his own, and his own received him not.
Topicalbible.org

Acts 2:38
Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Topicalbible.org

(a.) Firm as a stub or stump; stiff; unbending; unyielding; persistent; hence, unreasonably obstinate in will or opinion; not yielding to reason or persuasion; refractory; harsh; -- said of persons and things; as, stubborn wills; stubborn ore; a stubborn oak; as stubborn as a mule.4645. skleruno -- to harden
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: skleruno Phonetic Spelling: (sklay-roo'-no)
Short Definition: I harden Definition: I harden, make hard, make stubborn. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4645.htm - 7k

4644. sklerotrachelos -- stiff-necked
... stiff-necked. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: sklerotrachelos Phonetic
Spelling: (sklay-rot-rakh'-ay-los) Short Definition: stubborn Definition: stiff ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4644.htm - 6k

4642. skleros -- hard, rough
... 4642 -- properly, hard (because out); (figuratively) stiff, stubborn (unyielding)
describing people who "won't budge" (bend, submit), or what is . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4642.htm - 6k

4643. sklerotes -- hardness
... obstinacy, perverseness. Cognate: 4643 -- hardness (literally, "hard from
being "), ie stubborn, obstinate. See 4642 (). Word Origin ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4643.htm - 6k

829. authades -- self-pleasing
... Adjective Transliteration: authades Phonetic Spelling: (ow-thad'-ace) Short Definition:
self-satisfied, arrogant Definition: self-satisfied, arrogant, stubborn ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/829.htm - 7k

5637. sarar -- stubborn or rebellious
... 5636, 5637. sarar. 5638 . stubborn or rebellious. Transliteration: sarar Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-rar') Short Definition: stubborn. Word Origin a prim. root ...
/hebrew/5637.htm - 6k

5620. sar -- stubborn, resentful, sullen, implacable
... 5619, 5620. sar. 5621 . stubborn, resentful, sullen, implacable. Transliteration:
sar Phonetic Spelling: (sar) Short Definition: sullen. ...
/hebrew/5620.htm - 6k

7186. qasheh -- hard, severe
... 2), fierce (2), hard (5), hardship (1), harsh (4), harshly (5), heavier (1), obstinate
(1), obstinate* (5), oppressed (1), severe (2), stubborn (1), stubborn ...
/hebrew/7186.htm - 6k

6203. oreph -- back of the neck, neck
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition back of the neck, neck NASB Word Usage
back (5), backs (5), became stubborn* (2), neck (11), necks (2), obstinate* (4 ...
/hebrew/6203.htm - 6k

7185. qashah -- to be hard, severe or fierce
... root Definition to be hard, severe or fierce NASB Word Usage became stubborn* (2),
cruel (1), defied* (1), hard (1), hard thing (1), hard-pressed (1), harden (2 ...
/hebrew/7185.htm - 6k

4696. metsach -- brow, forehead
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition brow, forehead NASB Word Usage forehead
(10), foreheads (2), stubborn* (1). brow, forehead, impudent. ...
/hebrew/4696.htm - 6k

3820. leb -- inner man, mind, will, heart
... 1), skill* (1), skilled* (1), skillful man* (1), skillful men* (1), skillful persons*
(1), skillful* (3), spirits (1), stouthearted* (1), stubborn-minded* (1 ...
/hebrew/3820.htm - 7k

47. abbir -- mighty, valiant
... bulls (2), chief (1), man (1), mighty (1), mighty ones (1), stallions (3), stouthearted*
(1), strong (1), strong men (1), strong ones (1), stubborn-minded* (1 ...
/hebrew/47.htm - 6k

2389. chazaq -- strong, stout, mighty
... fiercest (1), hard (2), harder (1), loud (1), might (1), mighty (20), obstinate*
(1), powerful (1), severe (3), stalwart (1), strong (19), stubborn* (1), who ...
/hebrew/2389.htm - 6k

6440. panim -- face, faces
... repulse* (2), request (1), respect (1), respected* (1), served* (4), service* (3),
shame* (2), sight (26), sight* (1), straight* (3), stubborn* (1), surface (26 ...
/hebrew/6440.htm - 8k

A Stubborn Foe Routed.
... The Great Outside Hindrance A Stubborn Foe Routed. That is the parable teaching.
Now a look at a plain out word from the Master's lips. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/a stubborn foe routed.htm

Stubborn Facts.
... Book IX. Chapter XXXII."Stubborn Facts. "Now, old man, if you have any
thing to say in answer to these things, say on." Then said ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxxii stubborn facts.htm

What Say Ye, O Minds Incredulous, Stubborn, Hardened? did that ...
... Book I. 51 What say ye, O minds incredulous, stubborn, hardened? Did ... yours?
What say ye, O minds incredulous, stubborn, hardened? ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/51 what say ye o.htm

Stubborn Little Sammy.
... Stubborn Little Sammy. At one time my sister had trouble with her little
boy, and the father said, "'Why, Sammy, you must go now ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/stubborn little sammy.htm

Pharaoh the Stubborn Ruler
... THE OLD TESTAMENT PHARAOH THE STUBBORN RULER. Then Jehovah said to Aaron,
"Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/pharaoh the stubborn ruler.htm

The Cost of Being Cruel and Stubborn
... THE OLD TESTAMENT THE COST OF BEING CRUEL AND STUBBORN. Then Jehovah said to
Moses, "Pharaoh is stubborn; he will not let the people go. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the cost of being cruel.htm

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
... thou goest to return unto Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh,
which I have put in thine hand; but I will make his heart stubborn, that he ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxiii the hardening in the.htm

A Blast of the Trumpet against False Peace
... king, you have an unquiet spirit and therefore you can for music, and it hath its
charms, doubtless, charms not only to soothe the stubborn breast, but to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a blast of the trumpet.htm

The Will.
... In like manner the will's strength does not lie in stubborn obstinacy, but rather
in that pliancy which enables it to dispose itself as circumstances may ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter ix the will.htm

Bethphage
... buildings of Jerusalem. I. In the place cited in the margin, the case
"of a stubborn judge" (or elder) is handling. For when, by ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 37 bethphage.htm

Stubborn (40 Occurrences)
... unreasonably obstinate in will or opinion; not yielding to reason or persuasion;
refractory; harsh; -- said of persons and things; as, stubborn wills; stubborn...
/s/stubborn.htm - 18k

Stubborn-hearted (1 Occurrence)
Stubborn-hearted. Stubborn, Stubborn-hearted. Stubbornly .
Multi-Version Concordance Stubborn-hearted (1 Occurrence). ...
/s/stubborn-hearted.htm - 6k

Stubborn-minded (1 Occurrence)
Stubborn-minded. Stubbornly, Stubborn-minded. Stubbornness .
Multi-Version Concordance Stubborn-minded (1 Occurrence). ...
/s/stubborn-minded.htm - 6k

Stubbornly (10 Occurrences)
... and hearkened not unto Thy commandments, but sinned against Thine ordinances, which
if a man do, he shall live by them, and presented a stubborn shoulder, and ...
/s/stubbornly.htm - 9k

Stiff-necked (18 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Stubborn; inflexibly obstinate; contumacious; as,
stiff-necked pride; a stiff-necked people. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/s/stiff-necked.htm - 14k

Stiffnecked (9 Occurrences)
... literally, "hard of neck"): As it is figuratively used, both in the Old Testament
and in the New Testament, the word means "stubborn," "untractable," "not to ...
/s/stiffnecked.htm - 11k

Rebellious (63 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey
the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and, though they chasten ...
/r/rebellious.htm - 26k

Unyielding (4 Occurrences)
... Exodus 7:14 Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. ... But the heart of
Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn't let the people go. (See NIV). ...
/u/unyielding.htm - 7k

Behaved (21 Occurrences)
... behaved worse than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing
down to them; they did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways ...
/b/behaved.htm - 12k

Backslide
... shobhabh; shobhebh, in Jeremiah, 4 times: all meaning "turning back or away,"
"apostate," "rebellious." carar, in Hosea 4:16 = "stubborn," "rebellious"; the ...
/b/backslide.htm - 88k

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