Attention in Listening
Ezekiel 3:7
But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they will not listen to me…


In the act of listening we are not only distinctly conscious of sounds so faint that they would not excite our notice but for the volitional direction of the attention, but we can single out these from the midst of others by a determined and sustained effort, which may even make us quite unconscious of the rest so long as that effort is kept up. Thus a person with a practised "musical ear" (as it is commonly but erroneously termed, it being not the ear, but the brain, which exerts this power), whilst listening to a piece of music played by a large orchestra, can single out any one part in the harmony and follow it through all its mazes; or can distinguish the sound of the weakest instrument in the whole band and follow its strain through the whole performance. And an experienced conductor will not only distinguish when some instrumentalist is playing out of tune, but will at once single out the offender from the midst of a numerous band.

(Carpenter, "Mental Physiology.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

WEB: But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they will not listen to me: for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.




The Danger of Abused Privileges
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