Stubbornness is a trait that is addressed many times throughout the Bible. Here is an overview of some key Bible verses that discuss stubbornness and what the Bible says about this challenging trait.
Proverbs 29:1
“Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.”
This verse in Proverbs warns that stubbornly rejecting correction or criticism can lead to one’s downfall. A stubborn person who refuses to listen to wisdom or advice from others risks facing major consequences.
1 Samuel 15:23
“Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.”
In this verse, stubbornness is equated to the sin of idolatry. A stubborn heart rejects God’s will and desires to do things its own way. This is offensive to God. Stubbornly rebelling against God is just as evil as worshipping false idols.
2 Chronicles 36:13
“He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath of loyalty in God’s name. Zedekiah was stubborn and refused to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
This verse describes King Zedekiah’s stubborn rebellion against King Nebuchadnezzar, even after swearing an oath of loyalty in God’s name. His stubbornness led to destructive consequences for Judah. Stubbornness often includes rebellion and can lead to disaster.
Nehemiah 9:16-17
“But they and our ancestors became arrogant and stubborn and refused to obey your commands. They refused to listen and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. They became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt.”
This passage describes how the Israelites stubbornly rejected God’s commands and leadership, appointing false leaders to take them back to Egypt. Their stubbornness represents a hardness of heart and rebellion against God that can lead to terrible consequences.
Jeremiah 7:24
“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts.”
This verse describes the people’s stubborn disobedience and refusal to listen to God. Stubbornness often involves following our own sinful desires rather than obeying God’s word. It represents a heart bent on resisting God’s will.
James 4:6-7
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God.”
These verses contrast pride and stubborn self-will with humility and submission to God. Stubborn pride provokes God’s opposition, while humility invites his grace. Submitting to God in humility is the antidote to stubbornness.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.”
In describing the godlessness of the last days, this passage includes disobedience and pride. A stubborn, prideful heart rejects God’s authority and pursues its own pleasures. This stubborn rebellion provokes God’s judgment.
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you – I, Paul, who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
In this passage, Paul describes arguments and proud obstacles that set themselves against God’s truth as “strongholds” that need to be demolished. Stubborn mindsets and reasoning that resist the knowledge of God need to be taken captive and made obedient to Christ through humility and grace.
Titus 1:7-9
“Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
In describing the qualities of spiritual leaders, this passage contrasts stubborn overbearing attitudes with the virtues of self-control, uprightness, and sound doctrine. Good leaders gently correct and teach rather than being stubbornly rigid.
Hebrews 3:7-11
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”‘”
This passage refers back to Israel’s stubborn rebellion in the wilderness after being freed from Egypt. Their hearts were hard and went astray. Stubbornness leads to disobedience, testing God’s patience. The consequence is missing out on God’s rest and blessing.
Romans 2:5
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Stubborn unrepentance stores up God’s wrath and leads to judgment. Refusing to admit wrong and turn from sin results from a rebellious and prideful heart. Stubbornness prevents repentance and acceptance of God’s grace.
1 Peter 5:5-6
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
These verses again contrast pride with humility. Stubborn pride provokes God’s opposition, while humility invites God’s grace and favor. Humbly submitting to God allows him to lift us up.
Proverbs 26:12
“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”
Wise in one’s own eyes represents stubborn pride and resistance to wisdom. There is more hope in correcting a fool’s error than a stubborn person’s prideful “wisdom.” Humility goes hand in hand with true wisdom.
Proverbs 28:14
“Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.”
Fear of the Lord brings blessing, while a stubborn hardened heart leads to trouble. Stubbornly resisting God’s conviction hardens the heart and leads to consequences.
Isaiah 48:4
“I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.”
God described Israel’s stubbornness as having “iron necks” and “bronze foreheads.” Their stubborn hardness of heart prevented them from drawing near to God and discerning his purpose for them.
Romans 9:18
“Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.”
This verse describes how God sometimes sovereignly hardens people’s stubborn hearts to accomplish his purposes. When people persist in stubborn unbelief, God may confirm them in their rebellion as a form of judgment.
Psalm 78:8
“They would not be like their ancestors – stubborn, rebellious and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.”
This verse summarizes the history of Israel’s stubborn rebellion against God. Their unfaithfulness flowed from refusing to give their hearts fully to God. Stubbornness prevents wholehearted devotion to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 2:30
“But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.”
God used Sihon’s stubbornness to accomplish his purposes, hardening his spirit and heart. Stubbornness sometimes brings about God’s intended outcomes, even through those in rebellion against him.
2 Kings 17:14
“But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.”
This passage associates the people’s stubbornness with having “stiff necks” – a picture of pride and resistance to God’s work. Trusting fully in God softens and humbles one’s heart.
Proverbs 29:1
“Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.”
This verse in Proverbs warns that stubbornly rejecting correction or criticism can lead to one’s downfall. A stubborn person who refuses to listen to wisdom or advice from others risks facing major consequences.
Galatians 6:7-8
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
These verses warn against stubbornly sowing to the flesh, which represents our sinful desires and tendencies. Such stubbornness leads to destruction, while humbly sowing to the Spirit brings eternal life.
James 1:22
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Stubbornness often involves deceiving ourselves by hearing but not obeying God’s Word. We are called not just to listen, but to humbly submit and put God’s commands into practice.
Psalm 32:9
“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”
Stubbornness is compared to a horse or mule without understanding that must be forcibly controlled. God wants us to draw near willingly and obediently, not stubbornly resist his lead.
Proverbs 21:29
“The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways.”
Stubborn wickedness represents a prideful front, while the upright thoughtfully and humbly consider their actions. Stubbornness often accompanies a pretense of bold confidence.
Ezekiel 2:3-4
“He said: ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.'”
God described Israel’s ongoing stubborn rebellion and obstinance. Their hard hearts rejected God’s word and prophets. Stubbornness leads to resisting God’s work in our lives.
2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”
Correcting stubbornness requires patience, care, and persistence. Harsh rebukes often backfire, while patient instruction reflects God’s heart of love for the stubborn.
1 Corinthians 10:9
“We should not test Christ,as some of them did – and were killed by snakes.”
The Israelites’ stubborn testing of Christ provoked his judgment. Stubbornly presuming upon God’s grace and putting him to the test is dangerous ground.
In summary, stubbornness is a heart condition that the Bible consistently portrays as a destructive sin leading to bad consequences. It manifests as rebellion against God’s will, pride, resistance to wisdom, and testing God’s patience. Scripture offers hope – God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Turning from stubbornness requires surrendering our will to God’s in humility and trust by the power of the Holy Spirit.