The Meaning of Deuteronomy 31:27 Explained

Deuteronomy 31:27

KJV: 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?

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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!

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Deuteronomy 31:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 31:14-29 - The Charge To His Successor
Moses had already announced that Joshua would succeed him; but in view of the great difficulties which confronted the new leader, it was expedient that the guiding pillar should give him the symbol and pledge of God's endorsement.
Two other sources of their allegiance were proposed. First, a song. National songs lay hold on memory and have a powerful effect in stirring the deepest emotions. This song, composed under the divine impulse, embodied the substance of the preceding pleadings and exhortations, and was suitable to be taught to the generations that followed. Be sure that nothing more efficiently preserves religion than noble hymns! Learn and teach them! Secondly, the book. See Deuteronomy 31:24, etc. We have already heard of this. See Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4-7. No doubt it was to this necessity of recording the Law and chronicling the story of the Exodus that we owe the origin of the sacred books which bear the name of Moses. See John 5:46. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 31

1  Moses encourages the people
7  He encourages Joshua
9  He delivers the law unto the priests to be read in the seventh year
14  God gives a charge to Joshua
19  and a song to testify against the people
24  Moses delivers the book of the law to the Levites to keep
28  He makes a protestation

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 31:27 mean?

For I know - your rebellion and your neck stiff [If] today while I am yet alive with you this day rebellious you have been against Yahweh then much more how after my death
כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶֽת־ מֶרְיְךָ֔ וְאֶֽת־ עָרְפְּךָ֖ הַקָּשֶׁ֑ה הֵ֣ן בְּעוֹדֶנִּי֩ חַ֨י עִמָּכֶ֜ם הַיּ֗וֹם מַמְרִ֤ים הֱיִתֶם֙ עִם־ יְהֹוָ֔ה וְאַ֖ף כִּי־ אַחֲרֵ֥י ؟ מוֹתִֽי

יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֶרְיְךָ֔  your  rebellion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מְרִי  
Sense: rebellion.
עָרְפְּךָ֖  your  neck 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
הַקָּשֶׁ֑ה  stiff 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָשֶׁה  
Sense: hard, cruel, severe, obstinate.
הֵ֣ן  [If]  today 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
בְּעוֹדֶנִּי֩  while  I  am  yet 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb, first person common singular
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
חַ֨י  alive 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
עִמָּכֶ֜ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
הַיּ֗וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מַמְרִ֤ים  rebellious 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
הֱיִתֶם֙  you  have  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עִם־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
יְהֹוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְאַ֖ף  then  much  more 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
כִּי־  how 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אַחֲרֵ֥י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
؟ מוֹתִֽי  my  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.