Topic
Neck
59 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1897–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Deuteronomy 28:48Easton · ISBE
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
- Joshua 10:24Easton · ISBE
And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near,…
- Isaiah 10:27Easton · ISBE
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
- Romans 16:4Easton · ISBE
Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
- Genesis 1:13ISBE
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
- Genesis 27:40ISBE
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
- Genesis 33:4ISBE
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
- Genesis 45:14ISBE
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
- Genesis 46:29ISBE
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
- Exodus 13:13ISBE
And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
- Exodus 32:9ISBE
And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
- Exodus 33:3ISBE
Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
Show 47 more
- Exodus 33:5 ISBE
- Exodus 34:9 ISBE
- Exodus 34:20 ISBE
- Leviticus 5:8 ISBE
- 1 Samuel 4:18 ISBE
- 2 Samuel 22:41 Easton
- 2 Chronicles 30:8 ISBE
- 2 Chronicles 36:13 ISBE
- Nehemiah 3:5 ISBE
- Nehemiah 9:16 ISBE
- Nehemiah 9:17 ISBE
- Nehemiah 9:29 ISBE
- Psalms 75:5 ISBE
- Psalms 110:1 ISBE
- Proverbs 1:9 ISBE
- Proverbs 3:3 ISBE
- Proverbs 3:12 ISBE
- Proverbs 6:21 ISBE
- Proverbs 29:1 ISBE
- Song of Songs 4:4 ISBE
- Song of Songs 7:4 ISBE
- Isaiah 3:16 ISBE
- Isaiah 8:8 ISBE
- Isaiah 30:28 ISBE
- Isaiah 48:4 ISBE
- Jeremiah 7:26 ISBE
- Jeremiah 27:2 Easton
- Jeremiah 27:8 ISBE
- Jeremiah 27:11 ISBE
- Jeremiah 27:12 ISBE
- Jeremiah 28:11 ISBE
- Jeremiah 28:14 ISBE
- Jeremiah 30:8 ISBE
- Ezekiel 16:11 ISBE
- Daniel 5:7 ISBE
- Daniel 5:16 ISBE
- Daniel 5:29 ISBE
- Baruch 2:33 ISBE
- Baruch 4:25 ISBE
- Matthew 18:6 ISBE
- Mark 9:42 ISBE
- Luke 15:20 ISBE
- Luke 17:2 ISBE
- Acts 7:51 ISBE
- Acts 15:10 ISBE
- Acts 20:37 ISBE
- Romans 16:20 ISBE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 6 references
Used sometimes figuratively. To “lay down the neck” (Rom. 16:4) is to hazard one’s life. Threatenings of coming judgments are represented by the prophets by their laying bands upon the people’s necks (Deut. 28:48; Isa. 10:27; Jer. 27:2). Conquerors put their feet on the necks of their enemies as a sign of their subjection (Josh. 10:24; 2 Sam. 22:41).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 66 references
nek (tsawwar, tsawwa'r, tsawwaron, tsawwa'rah, Aramaic tsawwar (Da 5:7,16,29), `oreph, miphreqeth (1Sa 4:18); nostos, "back" (Baruch 2:33); occasionally the words garon (Isa 3:16; Eze 16:11), and gargeroth, plural of gargarah, literally, "throat" (Pr 1:9; 3:3,12; 6:21), are translated "neck"): The neck is compared with a tower for beauty (So 4:4; 7:4) and is decorated with necklaces and chains (Pr 1:9; 3:3,12; 6:21, Hebrew gargeroth; Eze 16:11, Hebrew garon, "throat"; Da 5:7,16,29, Hebrew tsawwar). It is also the part of the body where the yoke, emblem of labor and hardship, dependence and subjection, is borne (De 28:48; Jer 27:8,11,12; 28:14; Ac 15:10). "To shake off the yoke," "to break the yoke," or "to take it off" is expressive of the regaining of independence and liberty, either by one's own endeavors or through help from outside (Ge 27:40; Isa 10:27; Jer 28:11; 30:8). Certain animals which were not allowed as food (like the firstborn which were not redeemed) were to be killed by having their necks (`oreph) broken (Ex 13:13; 34:20); the turtle-doves and young pigeons, which were sacrificed as sin offerings or as burnt offerings, had their heads wrung or pinched off from their necks (Le 5:8). In 1Sa 4:18 the Hebrew word miphreqeth signifies a fracture of the upper part of the spinal column caused by a fall.
It was a military custom of antiquity for the conqueror to place his foot upon the vanquished. This custom, frequently represented in sculpture on many an Egyptian temple wall, is referred to in Jos 10:24; Baruch 4:25 and probably in Ro 16:20 and Ps 110:1. Paul praises the devotion of Aquila and Priscilla, "who for my life laid down their own necks" (Ro 16:4).
See FOOTSTOOL.
To "fall on the neck" of a person is a very usual mode of salutation in the East (Ge 33:4; 45:14; 46:29; /RAPC Tob 11:9,13; Lu 15:20; Ac 20:37). In moments of great emotion such salutation is apt to end in weeping on each other's neck.
Readiness for work is expressed by "putting one's neck to the work" (Ne 3:5). Severe punishment and calamity are said to "reach to the neck" (Isa 8:8; 30:28).
The Lord Jesus speaks of certain persons for whom it were better to have had a millstone put around the neck and to have been drowned in the sea. The meaning is that even the most disgraceful death is still preferable to a life of evil influence upon even the little ones of God's household (Mt 18:6; Mr 9:42; Lu 17:2).
To "make the neck stiff," to "harden the neck" indicates obstinacy often mingled with rebellion (Ex 32:9; 33:3,5; 34:9; 2Ch 30:8; 36:13; Ne 9:16,17,29; Ps 75:5 (the Revised Version margin "insolently with a haughty neck"); Pr 29:1; Jer 7:26). Compare sklerotracholes, "stiffnecked" (Ac 7:51). Similarly Isaiah (48:4) speaks of the neck of the obstinate sinner as resembling an iron sinew.
H. L. E. Luering
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.