שְׁרִירוּת (she.ri.rut)
she.ri.rut
stubbornness
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sherirut describes a state of being fixed or unyielding, translating most often as stubbornness or hardness. Its root conveys the idea of firmness or stability, but in biblical usage it carries a negative weight, describing a heart that refuses to bend or respond to divine instruction. The word appears seven times in the Hebrew Bible, with the majority of occurrences found in the book of Jeremiah.
In these contexts, sherirut characterizes the spiritual condition of Israel and its leaders who persistently reject God’s warnings. It is not merely occasional disobedience but a deep-seated rigidity that makes repentance difficult. For instance, Jeremiah uses this term to describe the people’s refusal to listen to the prophets sent to call them back to covenant faithfulness.
Translators typically render sherirut as "stubbornness" or "hardness of heart," capturing the sense of a will that has become set against change. This usage highlights the tragedy of a relationship broken not by weakness, but by an obstinate refusal to yield, illustrating how persistent resistance can harden the human spirit over time.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sherirut describes a heart that has become fixed in its ways, refusing to bend even when correction is offered. It captures more than simple disobedience; it points to a deep-seated rigidity where one chooses their own path over divine guidance. This stubbornness is not usually born of weakness, but of an obstinate will that resists change.
Understanding this term helps us see the seriousness of spiritual hardening. When we repeatedly ignore gentle prompts toward repentance or truth, our hearts can become set against them. The biblical narrative shows how this condition isolates us from God’s intended peace and direction. Recognizing this tendency in ourselves is the first step toward remaining soft-hearted and open to correction.
Yet there is hope in this reality. Because sherirut describes a human condition rather than an unchangeable nature, it implies that the heart can still be turned. We are invited to examine where we might be walking in our own counsel, trusting that God’s patience allows us to return before our hearts become too fixed.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ [the] stubbornness of4×
- [the] stubbornness of3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁרִר֥וּת1×
- שְׁרִר֣וּת1×
- שְׁרִר֖וּת1×
- בִּ/שְׁרִר֤וּת1×
- בִּ/שְׁרִר֣וּת1×
- בִּ/שְׁרִר֖וּת1×
- בִּ/שְׁרִיר֖וּת1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 3:17
At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘Yahweh’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Yahweh’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
This verse contrasts the future restoration of Jerusalem with the past failure caused by the stubbornness of their evil heart, showing that obedience is required for true gathering to Yahweh.
-
Jeremiah 18:12
But they say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
Here the people explicitly declare they will follow their own plans and the stubbornness of their heart, highlighting a conscious rejection of God’s corrective word.
-
Jeremiah 7:24
But they didn’t listen or turn their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
The text links walking in the stubbornness of their evil heart with moving backward rather than forward, illustrating how rigidity leads to spiritual regression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sherirut mean in the Bible?
Where does this word appear most often?
How is sherirut different from simple disobedience?
Every Occurrence (7 verses across 1 books)
Jeremiah 7 verses
At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘Yahweh’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Yahweh’s name,…
Jeremiah 7:24But they didn’t listen or turn their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart,…
Jeremiah 11:8Yet they didn’t obey, nor turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil heart. Therefore I…
Jeremiah 13:10This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other…
Jeremiah 16:12You have done evil more than your fathers, for behold, you each walk after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that…
Jeremiah 18:12But they say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow the stubbornness of his…
Jeremiah 23:17They say continually to those who despise me, ‘Yahweh has said, “You will have peace;”’ and to everyone who walks in…