σκληροτράχηλος (sklērotrachēlos)
sklērotrachēlos
stiff-necked
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective sklērotrachēlos literally describes someone with a "stiff neck," capturing a physical posture that refuses to bow or yield. In biblical usage, it becomes a metaphor for spiritual stubbornness and obstinacy. The term conveys a willful resistance to correction or authority, suggesting a heart that is hard to bend rather than merely difficult to understand.
This word appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 7:51, where Stephen addresses the Jewish leaders. He calls them "stiff-necked" and uncircumcised in heart and ears, accusing them of consistently resisting the Holy Spirit just as their ancestors did. The imagery draws on the Old Testament tradition of Israel’s rebellion, particularly during the wilderness wanderings, where a stiff neck symbolized a refusal to follow God’s guidance.
The term combines skleros, meaning hard or tough, with trachēlos, referring to the neck. This combination creates a vivid picture of someone who is rigid in their opposition, unable or unwilling to submit to divine instruction. Translators typically render it as "stiff-necked" to preserve this concrete image of resistance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The image of a stiff neck is one we might recognize from our own lives. It describes a physical rigidity that prevents us from bowing or yielding. In Acts 7:51, Stephen uses this vivid metaphor to describe spiritual stubbornness. He addresses the religious leaders as having hearts that refuse to bend toward God’s truth.
This word reminds us that resistance to the Holy Spirit is not just about disagreement. It is a posture of the heart that rejects correction and guidance. When we become rigid in our opinions or unwilling to listen, we mirror this ancient condition. The text invites us to examine where we might be holding back from God’s direction.
Yet there is hope in this warning. Recognizing our own stiffness allows us to ask for flexibility. We can pray for a heart that is soft and responsive rather than hard and resistant. This awareness opens the door to genuine repentance and a deeper reliance on the Spirit’s leading in our daily walk.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Stiff-necked1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σκληροτράχηλοι1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 7:51
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
This verse uniquely applies the term to spiritual resistance, linking physical rigidity with the refusal to yield to the Holy Spirit.