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THE MESSAGE

Deuteronomy 31:27

"I know what rebels you are, how stubborn and willful you can be. Even today, while I'm still alive and present with you, you're rebellious against God . How much worse when I've died! So gather the leaders of the tribes and the officials here. I have something I need to say directly to them with Heaven and Earth as witnesses. I know that after I die you're going to make a mess of things, abandoning the way I commanded, inviting all kinds of evil consequences in the days ahead. You're determined to do evil in defiance of God —I know you are—deliberately provoking his anger by what you do."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Death;   Reproof;   Self-Will;   Thompson Chain Reference - Stubbornness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Rebellion against God;   Self-Will and Stubbornness;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Forgiveness;   Testimony;   Word;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Law;   Moloch;   Moses;   Writing;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Neck;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Other Laws;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Moses;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafáą­arah;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead!
Hebrew Names Version
For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
King James Version
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?
Lexham English Bible
For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck even now while I am still alive with you today, rebelling against Yahweh, and how much more after my death.
English Standard Version
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!
New Century Version
I know how stubborn and disobedient you are. You have disobeyed the Lord while I am alive and with you, and you will disobey even more after I die!
New English Translation
for I know about your rebellion and stubbornness. Indeed, even while I have been living among you to this very day, you have rebelled against the Lord ; you will be even more rebellious after my death!
Amplified Bible
"For I know your rebellion and contention and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death?
New American Standard Bible
"For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, as long as I have been alive with you until today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death?
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I knowe thy rebellion and thy stiffe necke: beholde, I being yet aliue with you this day, ye are rebellious against the Lorde: howe much more then after my death?
Legacy Standard Bible
For I know your rebellion and your stiff-neck; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; how much more, then, after my death?
Contemporary English Version
I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the Lord while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone.
Complete Jewish Bible
For I know how rebellious and stiffnecked you are! Here, even while I am still alive with you today, you have rebelled against Adonai ; so how much more will you do so after my death?
Darby Translation
for I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck. Lo, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death!
Easy-to-Read Version
I know you are very stubborn. I know you want to live your own way. Look, you refused to obey the Lord while I was with you. So I know you will refuse to obey him after I die.
George Lamsa Translation
For I know how rebellious and stiffnecked you are; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
Good News Translation
I know how stubborn and rebellious they are. They have rebelled against the Lord during my lifetime, and they will rebel even more after I am dead.
Literal Translation
For I have known your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against Jehovah. And how much more after my death!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for I knowe thy stubburnesse and thy harde neck. Beholde, whyle I am yet alyue wt you this daye, ye haue bene disobedient vnto the LORDE: how moch more after my death?
American Standard Version
For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death?
Bible in Basic English
For I have knowledge of your hard and uncontrolled hearts: even now, while I am still living, you will not be ruled by the Lord; how much less after my death?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I knowe thy rebellion and thy stiffe necke: whyle I am yet alyue with you this day, ye haue ben disobedient vnto the Lorde, and howe much more after my death?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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?
King James Version (1611)
For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiffe necke: Beholde, while I am yet aliue with you this day, yee haue bene rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For I know thy provocation, and thy stiff neck; for yet during my life with you at this day, ye have been provoking in your conduct toward God: how shall ye not also be so after my death?
English Revised Version
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?
Berean Standard Bible
For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y knowe thi stryuyng, and thin hardest nol; yit while Y lyuede and entride with you, ye diden euere stryuyngli ayens the Lord; hou myche more whanne Y schal be deed.
Young's Literal Translation
for I -- I have known thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck; lo, in my being yet alive with you to-day, rebellious ye have been with Jehovah, and also surely after my death.
Update Bible Version
For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: look, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; and how much more after my death?
Webster's Bible Translation
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?
World English Bible
For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; and how much more after my death?
New King James Version
for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death?
New Living Translation
For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the Lord . How much more rebellious will you be after my death!
New Life Bible
For I know how strong your will is and that you do not want to obey. See, while I am still alive with you today, you have gone against the Lord. How much worse it will be after my death!
New Revised Standard
For I know well how rebellious and stubborn you are. If you already have been so rebellious toward the Lord while I am still alive among you, how much more after my death!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, I, know thy perverseness, and thy stiff neck, - lo! while I am yet alive with you to-day, ye are, quarrelling, with Yahweh, and how much more after my death?
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I know thy obstinacy, and thy most stiff neck. While I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord: how much more when I shall be dead?
Revised Standard Version
For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are; behold, while I am yet alive with you, today you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more after my death!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death?

Contextual Overview

22 So Moses wrote down this song that very day and taught it to the People of Israel. 23 Then God commanded Joshua son of Nun saying, "Be strong. Take courage. You will lead the People of Israel into the land I promised to give them. And I'll be right there with you." 24After Moses had finished writing down the words of this Revelation in a book, right down to the last word, he ordered the Levites who were responsible for carrying the Chest of the Covenant of God , saying, "Take this Book of Revelation and place it alongside the Chest of the Covenant of God , your God. Keep it there as a witness. 27"I know what rebels you are, how stubborn and willful you can be. Even today, while I'm still alive and present with you, you're rebellious against God . How much worse when I've died! So gather the leaders of the tribes and the officials here. I have something I need to say directly to them with Heaven and Earth as witnesses. I know that after I die you're going to make a mess of things, abandoning the way I commanded, inviting all kinds of evil consequences in the days ahead. You're determined to do evil in defiance of God —I know you are—deliberately provoking his anger by what you do." 30 So with everyone in Israel gathered and listening, Moses taught them the words of this song, from start to finish.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I know: Deuteronomy 32:20

stiff neck: Deuteronomy 9:6, Deuteronomy 32:20, Exodus 32:8, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Psalms 78:8, Isaiah 48:4, Acts 7:51

ye have been: Deuteronomy 9:24

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:9 - a stiffnecked Exodus 32:22 - that they are Deuteronomy 9:7 - from the day Deuteronomy 9:13 - stiffnecked Deuteronomy 10:16 - stiffnecked 2 Kings 17:14 - but hardened 2 Kings 21:15 - since the day 2 Chronicles 24:17 - Now after Nehemiah 9:16 - hardened Psalms 75:5 - speak Isaiah 30:9 - this is Isaiah 65:2 - a rebellious Jeremiah 22:21 - This Ezekiel 2:4 - they Ezekiel 12:2 - thou Ezekiel 20:13 - rebelled Ezekiel 20:21 - the children Malachi 3:7 - from the Mark 10:5 - For Romans 10:21 - a disobedient Hebrews 9:14 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 31:3
That's when God said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you."
Genesis 31:14
Rachel and Leah said, "Has he treated us any better? Aren't we treated worse than outsiders? All he wanted was the money he got from selling us, and he's spent all that. Any wealth that God has seen fit to return to us from our father is justly ours and our children's. Go ahead. Do what God told you."
Genesis 31:26
"What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war? Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration—music, timbrels, flutes! But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do. If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, ‘Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.' I understand. You left because you were homesick. But why did you steal my household gods?"
Genesis 31:31
Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by brute force. But as far as your gods are concerned, if you find that anybody here has them, that person dies. With all of us watching, look around. If you find anything here that belongs to you, take it." Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
Exodus 15:20
Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing, Sing to God — what a victory! He pitched horse and rider into the sea!
Judges 6:27
Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did exactly what God had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck,.... How rebellious they were against the Lord and his laws, and how unwilling they were to admit the yoke of his commandments to be put upon them, and submit to it; this he had an experience of for forty years past:

behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; murmuring at his providences, Exodus 16:8, speaking against his ministers, Exodus 16:2; breaking his laws, particularly being guilty of idolatry, in making and worshipping the golden calf, Exodus 32:8; and even now, as in Deuteronomy 31:21, were imagining, forming, and framing in their minds something of the same kind, from the time of their coming out of Egypt unto this time they were now on the borders of Canaan; this had all along been their character; see Deuteronomy 9:7;

and how much more after my death? When he would be no more with them to instruct and advise them, to caution and reprove them, and to keep them in awe by his authority.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Moses completes the writing out of the book of the Law, and directs it to be placed by the ark of the covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:24

The “book” here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be “the Book of Moses,” called generally by the Jews “the Law” (compare Matthew 22:40; Galatians 4:21).

Deuteronomy 31:25

The Levites, which bare the ark - i. e., as in Deuteronomy 31:9, “the priests the sons of Levi.” The non-priestly Levites could not so much as enter the sanctuary or touch the ark (compare Numbers 4:15). Though in the journeys through the wilderness the ark was borne by the non-priestly Kohathites, yet on occasions of a more solemn and public character it was carried by the priests themselves (Joshua 3:3 ff, Joshua 4:9-10; Joshua 6:6, Joshua 6:12; Joshua 8:33; 1 Kings 8:3).

Deuteronomy 31:26

Put it in the side of the ark - Rather, by the side of the ark. The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark 1 Kings 8:9; the Book of the Law was to be laid up in the holy of holies close by the ark of the covenant, probably in a chest. Compare 2 Kings 22:8.

Deuteronomy 31:27

How much more after my death - Hence, Deuteronomy 31:24 and the rest of the book (with the exception of the song, Deuteronomy 31:19) must be regarded as a kind of appendix added after Moses’ death by another hand; though the Blessing Deuteronomy 33:0 is of course to be regarded as a composition of Moses.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 31:27. 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 circumstance we may see that they were under no fatal constraining necessity to commit sin against God; they might have avoided it, but they would not. God was present to help them, till by their repeated provocations they forced him to depart: wrath therefore came upon them to the uttermost because they sinned when they might have lived to the glory of God. Those who abuse God's grace shall not only have that grace taken away from them, but shall be punished for the abuse of it, as well as for the transgression. Every sin is double, and must have a twofold punishment; for 1. Grace is resisted; 2. Transgression is committed; and God will visit for both.

2. How astonishing it is that, with such examples of God's justice before their eyes, the Jews should be so little affected; and that the Gentiles, who have received the Gospel of God, should act as if God would no more punish transgression, or that he must be so partial to them as to pass by iniquities for which the hand of his justice still continues heavy upon the descendants of Jacob! Let them take heed, for if God spared not the natural branches, he will not spare them. If they sin after the manner of the Jews, they may expect to be partakers with them in their punishments. What God does to nations he will do to individuals who reject his mercy, or trample under foot his grace; the soul that sinneth, and returns not to God by repentance and faith, shall die. This is a decree of God that shall never be reversed, and every day bears witness how strictly he keeps it in view.

3. The ode composed by Moses for this occasion was probably set to some lively and affecting air, and sung by the people. It would be much easier to keep such a song in remembrance, than an equal quantity of prose. The whole would have the additional circumstances of cadence and tune to cause it to be often repeated; and thus insure its being kept in memory. Poetry, though often, nay, generally abused, is nevertheless a gift from God, and may be employed with the best effect in his service. A very considerable part of the Old Testament is written in poetry; particularly the whole book of Psalms, great part of the prophet Isaiah, the Lamentations, and much of the minor prophets. Those who speak against poetic compositions in the service of God, speak against what they do not understand. All that a man hath should be consecrated to his Maker, and employed in his service; not only the energy of his heart and mind, the physical force of his body, but also the musical tones and modulations of his voice.


 
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