Itching ears
The phrase "itching ears" comes from the New Testament, specifically
2 Timothy 4:3-4.
"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
The passage warns that there will come a time when people will reject sound, biblical teaching. They will not tolerate the truth, preferring instead teachings that align with their personal desires and lifestyles.
"Itching ears" symbolises a desire to hear only what is pleasing or convenient. Some will seek out teachers and messages that affirm their own views and ways of living, rather than challenging or convicting them to live according to God's truth. And then the passage indicates that many teachers will arise to fulfil these desires, leading people away from the truth. These false teachers will tell people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.
The concept of "itching ears" serves as a powerful warning against the dangers of seeking out teachings that conform to personal desires rather than adhering to the truth of Scripture. It calls us to remain steadfast in our commitment to sound doctrine and to be discerning about the messages we listen to.
Kent Hughes: 'People love to hear something different and sensational (“what their itching ears want to hear” is literally “tickled in their hearing”). So they seek teachers who will confirm their illusions’.1
1 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 247). Crossway Books.