Original Word: שְׁרִירוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: shriyruwth
Pronunciation: sher-ee-rooth'
Phonetic Spelling: (sher-ee-rooth')
KJV: imagination, lust
NASB: stubbornness
Word Origin: [from H8324 (שָׁרַר - To be firm) in the sense of twisted, i.e. firm]

1. obstinacy

imagination, lust

From sharar in the sense of twisted, i.e. Firm; obstinacy -- imagination, lust.

see HEBREW sharar

Word Origin
from the same as shor
Definition
firmness, stubbornness
NASB Translation
stubbornness (10).

שְׁרִירוּת, usually שְׁרִרות noun feminine firmness, always = stubbornness; only construct ׳שׁ, followed by ׃לֵב : Jeremiah 9:13; Jeremiah 13:10; Jeremiah 23:17; Deuteronomy 29:18; Psalm 81:13 (שְׁרִירוּת); לִָ ם הָרָע ׳שׁ Jeremiah 3:17; Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 11:8 (׳שְׁרִי), so (לִבּוֺ) Jeremiah 16:12; Jeremiah 18:12.

Concept Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 8307, שְׁרִירוּת, expresses a willful inner obstinacy—a conscious resolve to pursue one’s own way despite God’s revealed will. The term is paired nine times with “heart” (לֵב) and once with “evil plans,” painting a picture of entrenched self-direction that resists covenantal obedience.

Canonical Distribution

Occurrences span the Torah (Deuteronomy 29:19), the Psalter (Psalm 81:12), and eight texts in Jeremiah (3:17; 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17). This concentration in Jeremiah underscores the prophet’s diagnosis of Judah’s apostasy immediately preceding the Babylonian exile.

Covenantal Backdrop

Deuteronomy 29:19 introduces שְׁרִירוּת within the renewal of the Sinai covenant on the plains of Moab. The warning exposes a heart that presumes covenant security while planning disobedience: “I will have peace, even though I keep walking in the stubbornness of my heart”. The Mosaic framework therefore equates stubbornness with covenant breach and invokes both corporate curses and personal judgment.

Psalmic Commentary

Psalm 81:12 provides the theological principle behind historical judgment: “So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices”. Divine abandonment is not passivity but a judicial act—God hands over the obstinate to the fruit of their choice, confirming that stubbornness invites greater slavery to sin (compare Romans 1:24-28).

Jeremian Emphasis

Jeremiah repeatedly uses שְׁרִירוּת to unveil Judah’s persistent rebellion.
• Jeremiah 7:24 links stubbornness with backward movement, a reversal of redemptive progress.
• Jeremiah 9:14 and 11:8 show that historical disobedience is rooted in an unyielding heart, explaining why prophetic preaching met resistance.
• In Jeremiah 18:12 the people openly confess, “We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act on the stubbornness of his evil heart.” Here שְׁרִירוּת becomes the open manifesto of apostasy.

The term thus bridges diagnosis (stubborn heart) and prognosis (imminent exile).

Theological Themes

1. Human Responsibility: שְׁרִירוּת never excuses sin; it highlights deliberate choice against divine instruction.
2. Divine Forbearance and Judgment: God’s patience allows space for repentance, yet persistent stubbornness triggers covenant sanctions.
3. Inner Versus Outer Worship: The term focuses on heart disposition rather than ceremonial compliance, anticipating prophetic calls for internal transformation (Ezekiel 36:26).

Historical Significance

The Babylonian exile vindicated the prophetic warning against שְׁרִירוּת. Post-exilic communities, as seen in Ezra-Nehemiah, sought to guard against a repetition of that stubbornness by renewed devotion to Torah and corporate confession (Nehemiah 9:16-30 echoes the theme with different vocabulary).

New Testament Resonance

Though the Hebrew word is absent from the Greek Scriptures, its concept surfaces in passages such as Acts 7:51 (“You stiff-necked people … you always resist the Holy Spirit”) and Romans 2:5 (“Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself”). These texts affirm canonical continuity: the obstinate heart remains the barrier to salvation apart from regenerative grace.

Pastoral and Homiletical Application

• Preach the deceitfulness of sin: stubbornness often masquerades as autonomy or peace (Deuteronomy 29:19).
• Warn against incremental hardening: every act of disobedience reinforces שְׁרִירוּת unless interrupted by repentance.
• Offer the remedy of the new covenant: God promises to replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19), fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3-6).

Practical Discipleship Considerations

1. Self-Examination: Encourage believers to pray Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to expose any hidden stubbornness.
2. Corporate Accountability: Like Jeremiah, the church must confront communal patterns of obstinacy, not merely individual failings.
3. Hope in Restoration: Jeremiah 24:7 anticipates a heart that “returns” to the Lord; stubbornness is not irreversible when met by divine grace.

Key References for Study and Teaching

Deuteronomy 29:19; Psalm 81:12; Jeremiah 3:17; Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 9:14; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 13:10; Jeremiah 16:12; Jeremiah 18:12; Jeremiah 23:17.

בִּשְׁרִיר֖וּת בִּשְׁרִיר֣וּת בִּשְׁרִר֖וּת בִּשְׁרִר֣וּת בִּשְׁרִר֤וּת בִּשְׁרִר֥וּת בשרירות בשררות שְׁרִר֖וּת שְׁרִר֣וּת שְׁרִר֥וּת שררות biš·ri·rūṯ biš·rî·rūṯ bishriRut bišrirūṯ bišrîrūṯ šə·ri·rūṯ šərirūṯ sheriRutInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts