Numbers 32:14

32:14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites.

Jude 1:19

1:19 These people are divisive, ¹  worldly, ²  devoid of the Spirit. ³ 

Jeremiah 7:26

7:26 But your ancestors ⁴  did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate ⁵  and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”

Jeremiah 9:14

9:14 Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to ⁶  the gods called Baal, ⁷  as their fathers ⁸  taught them to do.

Jeremiah 16:12

16:12 And you have acted even more wickedly than your ancestors! Each one of you has followed the stubborn inclinations of your own wicked heart and not obeyed me. ⁹ 

Matthew 23:32

23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!

Acts 7:51

7:51 “You stubborn ¹⁰  people, with uncircumcised ¹¹  hearts and ears! ¹²  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ¹³  did!

¹ tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”

² tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).

³ tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”

⁴ tn Or “But your predecessors…”; Heb “But they….” There is a confusing interchange in the pronouns in vv. 25-26 which has led to some leveling in the ancient versions and the modern English versions. What is involved here are four levels of referents, the “you” of the present generation (vv. 21-22a), the ancestors who were delivered from Egypt (i.e., the “they” of vv. 22b-24), the “you” of v. 25 which involves all the Israelites from the Exodus to the time of speaking, and the “they” of v. 26 which cannot be the ancestors of vv. 22-24 (since they cannot be more wicked than themselves) but must be an indefinite entity which is a part of the “you” of v. 25, i.e., the more immediate ancestors of the present generation. If this is kept in mind, there is no need to level the pronouns to “they” and “them” or to “you” and “your” as some of the ancient versions and modern English versions have done.

⁵ tn Heb “hardened [or made stiff] their neck.”

⁶ tn Heb “they have gone/followed after.” See the translator’s note at 2:5 for the idiom.

⁷ tn Heb “the Baals,” referring either to the pagan gods called “Baals” or the images of Baal (so NLT).

⁸ tn Or “forefathers,” or “ancestors.” Here the referent could be the immediate parents or, by their example, more distant ancestors.

⁹ sn For the argumentation here compare Jer 7:23-26.

¹⁰ sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.

¹¹ tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.

¹² tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)

¹³ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”