Oreph means the back of the neck or nape, and it appears about 33 times. Its primary theological use is in the phrase 'stiff-necked' — an animal that refuses to bend its neck to the yoke or rider. When applied to Israel, it becomes the Bible's most persistent metaphor for stubborn resistance to God's authority and correction.
God first calls Israel 'stiff-necked' (qesheh-oreph) in Exodus 32:9 — immediately after the golden calf incident. This assessment recurs in Exodus 33, 34, and throughout Deuteronomy and the historical books, becoming almost a refrain in Israel's relationship with God. To turn one's back (oreph) on someone was a gesture of utter rejection — the opposite of turning one's face (panim) to them. Stephen's final sermon in Acts 7:51 calls his audience 'stiff-necked' (using the LXX idiom), connecting the OT pattern directly to rejection of Jesus. The theological message: repentance is literally a turning — from the oreph (back) to the panim (face) toward God.