Deuteronomy 31:27

27 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!

Deuteronomy 31:27 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:27

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 Exodus 16:12 ) ( 17:3 ) , speaking against his ministers, ( Exodus 16:2 ) ( Numbers 12:1 ) ( Numbers 14:2 ) ( Numbers 16:3 Numbers 16:41 ) ( 20:2 ) ; 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 Deuteronomy 9:24 ) ;

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.

Deuteronomy 31:27 In-Context

25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying,
26 Take this book of the law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee;
27 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!
28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and take heaven and earth to witness against them.
29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and will turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and mischief will befall you at the end of days; because ye do evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.