Zechariah 7:11
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. | But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. | But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedZechariah is answering a question about fasting by recalling what the LORD told Judah through the earlier prophets: do true justice, show mercy, and do not oppress the weak. This verse tells how their fathers answered that call. They refused, turned away, and shut their ears, and the exile followed. Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:7Zechariah 7:9Zechariah 7:10Zechariah 7:11Zechariah 7:12Zechariah 7:14
SpeakingThe LORD of hosts, speaking through the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 7:8Zechariah 7:9Zechariah 7:13Zechariah overview
ToAll the people of the land and the priests, who had returned from exile. Some had sent men to ask whether they should keep weeping in the fifth month. Zechariah 7:2Zechariah 7:3Zechariah 7:5Zechariah overview
Also involvedThe earlier generation who lived in Jerusalem while it prospered and heard the former prophets. They are the 'they' of this verse. Zechariah 7:7Zechariah 7:12Zechariah 1:4
The verse gives three pictures of refusal. They would not pay attention. They gave a stubborn shoulder, turning away from God. And they made their ears heavy so they would not hear. Verse 12 adds that they made their hearts hard as stone, and great wrath came. Zechariah 7:11Zechariah 7:12Strong's H7181Strong's H5414HStrong's H3802Strong's H5637Strong's H3513JNehemiah 9:29
The message was given in Jerusalem. A delegation had come to the house of the LORD to ask the priests and prophets about fasting. Zechariah 7:2Zechariah 7:3Zechariah overview
The eventsThe refusal happened before the exile, 'when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity.' Zechariah recalled it in the ninth month of the fourth year of Darius. Zechariah 7:1Zechariah 7:7
WrittenTraditional and most scholars agree: Zechariah gave chapters 1-8 in 520-518 BC. This message is dated about 518 BC. Zechariah overviewZechariah 7:1
HereGod answers the fasting question by pointing past ritual to obedience. He asks the people whether their fasts during the seventy years were really for him. He reminds them that their fathers would not hear his word about justice and mercy, and so the scattering came. Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 7:6Zechariah 7:7Zechariah 7:9Zechariah 7:10Zechariah 7:13Zechariah 7:14
In the whole of ScriptureZechariah opens his book with the same warning: 'Be ye not as your fathers... they did not hear, nor hearken unto me' (1:4). Nehemiah 9:29 and Jeremiah 35:15 describe Israel's history the same way: God sent prophets, and the people would not hear. Zechariah 1:4Nehemiah 9:29Jeremiah 35:15Zechariah overview
For readersReligious practice cannot stand in for hearing and doing what God says. Stopping the ears against God's word is a choice. Scripture shows it again when the crowd 'stopped their ears' against Stephen (Acts 7:57). Zechariah 7:5Zechariah 7:11Acts 7:57Psalms 58:4
- stubbornסָרַר
The word means to be stubborn or rebellious. Together with 'gave' and 'shoulder,' the Hebrew says they gave a stubborn shoulder, a picture of rebellion. Nehemiah 9:29 uses a like picture: 'withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck.' Strong's H5637Strong's H5414HStrong's H3802Nehemiah 9:29
- made heavyכָּבֵד
Its meanings include to make heavy, dull, or unresponsive. The verse says they did this 'that they should not hear,' so it was done on purpose. Strong's H3513JZechariah 7:11
- hearשָׁמַע
Its meanings run from hearing to listening to obeying. Refusing to hear here means refusing to obey the commands of verses 9-10. Strong's H8085GZechariah 7:9Zechariah 7:10Zechariah 7:13
Takeaway
God's people did not fail to hear because God was silent. They turned their shoulder and shut their ears on purpose. Zechariah urges his hearers not to repeat it, but to listen and practice justice and mercy. Zechariah 7:11Zechariah 7:12Zechariah 1:4Zechariah 7:9
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.
Who ruled
- King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC
Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription
- Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC
A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8
- High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC
Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2
- Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC
The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13
What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
- 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleThe first return
Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops
The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24
- 525 BCWarPersia conquers Egypt
Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16
- 522-521 BCWarDarius crushes the revolts
When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11
- 520 BCGod's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build
In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1
- c. 520-519 BCRulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree
Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12
- 515 BCBuildingThe second temple is finished
The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9
- 490-479 BCWarPersia's wars with Greece
Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13
- 445 BCBuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls
Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15
- 332 BCWarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza
Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and they refused | וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ | vay-ma-'a-NU | H3985 | to refuseמָאֵן (ma.en) (Piel) to refuse |
| to pay attention | לְהַקְשִׁ֔יב | le-hak-SHIV | H7181 | to listenקָשַׁב (qa.shav) 1) to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen 1a) (Qal) incline, attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen 1b) (Hiphil) to pay attention, give attention |
| and they gave | וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ | vai-yi-te-NU | H5414H | to give: giveנָתַן (na.tan) : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted … |
| a shoulder | כָתֵ֖ף | kha-TEF | H3802 | shoulderכָּתֵף (ka.teph) 1) shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope 1a) shoulder, shoulder-blade (of man) 1b) shoulder, shoulder-pieces (of animals) 1c) side, slope (of mountain) 1d) supports (of laver) |
| stubborn | סֹרָ֑רֶת | so-RA-ret | H5637 | to rebelסָרַר (sa.rar) 1) to rebel, be stubborn, be rebellious, be refractory 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be stubborn 1a2) stubborn, rebel (subst) |
| and ears their | וְאָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם | ve-'a-ze-nei-HEM | H0241G | earאֹ֫זֶן (o.zen) : ear 1) ear, as part of the body 2) ear, as organ of hearing 3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation |
| they made heavy | הִכְבִּ֥ידוּ | hikh-BI-du | H3513J | to honor: honourכָּבֵד (ka.vad) : honour/glory 1) to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be heavy 1a2) to be heavy, be insensible, be dull 1a3) to be honoured 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be made heavy, be honoured, enjoy honour, be made abundant 1b2) to get oneself glory or honour, gain glory 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to make heavy, make dull, make insensible 1c2) to make honourable, honour, glorify 1d) (Pual) to be made honourable, be honoured 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to make heavy 1e2) to make heavy, make dull, make unresponsive 1e3) to cause to be honoured … |
| from hearing | מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃ | mi-she-MO-a' | H8085G | to hear: hearשָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.