Deuteronomy 31:27
For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Moses doesn't just predict their future failure; he points out that their rebellion against God is already happening, even with him still present. This isn't about a future lapse, but a present, ongoing reality that will only intensify without his immediate guidance.
Moses is addressing the Israelites on the brink of their entry into the Promised Land, knowing his own death is imminent. He has just charged Joshua to lead them and has written down a song as a witness against them. This verse highlights Moses' deep understanding of their persistent unfaithfulness, even as he stands before them, predicting their greater straying after he is gone.
Understand the original words
meri · Hebrew Adjective
A state of defiance, disobedience, or resistance against God’s established authority and word; it implies a refusal to submit to God's rule.
qashah oref · Hebrew Adjective Phrase
A state of being hard-hearted or obstinate; it denotes a refusal to yield, listen, or repent, characterized by a stiff neck and a hardened heart.
Moses' words highlight a recurring theme in Israel's history: their deep-seated tendency towards rebellion, which even his close guidance couldn't fully cure, foreshadowing the challenges they would face after his passing.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under Moses' leadership, marking the beginning of their covenant relationship.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
The Israelites spend 40 years in the wilderness due to their repeated disobedience and lack of faith, a period marked by God's provision and their persistent rebellion.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses' Final Charge to Israel
On the plains of Moab, shortly before his death, Moses delivers his final instructions and warnings to the Israelites, including the Song of Moses and the handing over of leadership to Joshua.
c. 1406 BC
Moses' Death
Moses ascends Mount Nebo and dies, having seen the Promised Land but not entering it himself due to a past act of disobedience.
This passage describes a similar pattern of Israel's persistent rebellion against God, even after facing His judgments, highlighting the deep-seated nature of their unfaithfulness that Moses observed.
Nehemiah 9:16-17This prayer recounts Israel's history of rebellion and stubbornness, directly echoing Moses' assessment of their character and showing how this theme continued throughout their journey.
Psalm 78:8This psalm explicitly calls for Israel not to be like their ancestors who were a 'stubborn and rebellious generation,' reinforcing the idea that this trait was a long-standing characteristic that Moses recognized.
Hebrews 3:8This New Testament passage directly quotes from Psalms and points to the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness as a warning to believers, showing the enduring significance of their stubbornness that Moses foresaw.
calvinDeuteronomy 31:14-30: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation."
- And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Josh…
clarkeDeuteronomy 31:27: "For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?"
While I am yet alive - ye have been rebellious - Such was the disposition of this people to act contrary to moral goodness that Moses felt himself justified in inferring what would take place from what had already happened. 1. Never was a people more fully and faithfully warned, and from this very circumsta…
Moses doesn't just predict their future failure; he points out that their rebellion against God is already happening, even with him still present. This isn't about a future lapse, but a present, ongoing reality that will only intensify without his immediate guidance.
Moses is addressing the Israelites on the brink of their entry into the Promised Land, knowing his own death is imminent. He has just charged Joshua to lead them and has written down a song as a witness against them. This verse highlights Moses' deep understanding of their persistent unfaithfulness, even as he stands before them, predicting their greater straying after he is gone.
Moses is addressing the Israelites on the brink of their entry into the Promised Land, knowing his own death is imminent. He has just charged Joshua to lead them and has written down a song as a witness against them. This verse highlights Moses' deep understanding of their persistent unfaithfulness, even as he stands before them, predicting their greater straying after he is gone.
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c. 1406-1399 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin the military conquest of the Promised Land, dividing it among the twelve tribes.
c. 1399 BC onwards
Period of the Judges
Following Joshua's death, Israel enters a cycle of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance, demonstrating the ongoing struggle with their rebellious nature.
"For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death!" — Moses doesn't just predict their future failure; he points out that their rebellion against God is already happening, even with him still present. This isn't about a future lapse, but a present, on…
