Deuteronomy 9:13 kjv
Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
Deuteronomy 9:13 nkjv
"Furthermore the LORD spoke to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people.
Deuteronomy 9:13 niv
And the LORD said to me, "I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed!
Deuteronomy 9:13 esv
"Furthermore, the LORD said to me, 'I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stubborn people.
Deuteronomy 9:13 nlt
"The LORD also said to me, 'I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.
Deuteronomy 9 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 32:9 | The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.” | God's assessment during Golden Calf incident. |
| Exod 33:3 | “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people.” | Consequence of their stiff-neckedness. |
| Exod 33:5 | “…Put off your ornaments, that I may decide what to do with you.” | Moses relaying God's command due to their nature. |
| Exod 34:9 | Moses said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people...” | Moses interceding despite their nature. |
| Deut 10:16 | Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. | Call to internal change to combat stubbornness. |
| 2 Kgs 17:14 | They would not listen, but stiffened their neck, like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. | Recurrent rebellion of the Northern Kingdom. |
| Neh 9:16 | But they and our fathers acted proudly and stiffened their neck and did not obey Your commandments. | Historical account of Israel's consistent pride. |
| Neh 9:17 | They refused to obey and did not remember the wonders that You had done for them... stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. | Refusal to return to Egypt shows defiance. |
| Psa 78:8 | And not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation... | Warning against repeating ancestral stubbornness. |
| Isa 48:4 | Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze... | Prophetic rebuke of Israel's stubbornness. |
| Jer 7:26 | Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they acted worse than their fathers. | Increasing disobedience over generations. |
| Prov 29:1 | He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. | Proverbial warning against persistent stubbornness. |
| Zech 7:11-12 | But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears...made their hearts diamond-hard. | Rejection of God's Word leads to hardness. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." | Stephen's condemnation of Israel's rejection of Christ. |
| Rom 2:5 | But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath... | Unrepentant hearts lead to divine judgment. |
| Heb 3:7-12 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion..." | Warning against the heart-hardening of ancestors. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry... | Linking stubbornness to serious spiritual offense. |
| Luke 13:34 | O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children...and you were not willing! | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's unwillingness. |
| Rom 10:21 | But as to Israel He says, "All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people." | God's persistent appeal to rebellious Israel. |
| Ps 95:8-10 | Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness...where your fathers tested me... | Remembering past hardening and testing God. |
Deuteronomy 9 verses
Deuteronomy 9 13 Meaning
This verse conveys the LORD's immediate, profound divine assessment of the Israelite nation's character, particularly at a moment of egregious rebellion (the Golden Calf incident). It reveals God's direct observation and definitive judgment that this people is inherently and consistently obstinate, unyielding, and unwilling to submit to His authority and covenant demands. It highlights their deeply ingrained disposition of resistance, despite experiencing His mighty acts of deliverance and covenant formation.
Deuteronomy 9 13 Context
Deuteronomy 9 serves as a stark reminder to Israel that their inheritance of the Promised Land is solely by God's grace and covenant faithfulness, not due to any inherent righteousness on their part. Moses vividly recounts pivotal moments of their rebellion, especially the egregious idolatry of the Golden Calf at Mount Horeb (Sinai). This specific verse, Dt 9:13, occurs as Moses reminds them of the LORD's immediate reaction and condemnation during that foundational act of defiance, emphasizing that their stiff-necked character was evident from the very beginning of their journey as a covenant people. It's a preemptive warning against pride and self-righteousness, highlighting their consistent history of disobedience to underscore the depth of God's patience and faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 9 13 Word analysis
- Furthermore: Links this verse to the preceding narrative in Dt 9, where Moses recounts Israel's immediate fall into idolatry at Mount Horeb after receiving the Law. It signals a direct revelation from God concerning the people's character.
- the LORD: Refers to Yahweh (יהוה, YHWH), the covenant God of Israel. This is His personal, immutable name, emphasizing His unique sovereignty, holiness, and direct engagement with His people in both judgment and steadfast love. The pronouncement comes from the ultimate authority.
- said to me: Indicates direct divine communication to Moses. This phrase establishes the immediate divine origin and absolute authority of the statement that follows. Moses, as God's chosen mediator and prophet, receives this unfiltered truth about the people's heart condition.
- 'I have seen this people': Reveals God's omniscience and His perfect, unhindered knowledge of their true nature, not just their actions. This is not mere observation but a comprehensive, judicial assessment by the Divine Judge. It signifies a profound, divine verdict on their disposition, contrasting human superficial judgment.
- and indeed,: An emphatic interjection (הִנֵּה - hinnēh in Hebrew, "behold!"), emphasizing the undeniable and certain truth of God's observation. It underscores the severity and factual accuracy of the following characterization.
- they are a stiff-necked people': Hebrew: qesheh-oreph (קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף). This idiomatic phrase literally means "hard of neck." It originates from the imagery of an ox or stubborn animal refusing to yield to the yoke or the plowman's guiding hand, stiffening its neck against control. Metaphorically, it describes individuals who are stubbornly unyielding, uncooperative, proud, obstinate, and defiant toward authority, particularly God's. It signifies a disposition of deep-seated resistance to divine will, refusing correction or submission to God's commandments. This highlights an internal, rebellious heart that prefers self-will over divine guidance, a chronic spiritual condition evident throughout Israel's history and reflective of humanity's fallen nature. It indirectly serves as a polemic against the easy placation of gods in ancient pagan beliefs, asserting Yahweh's demand for genuine heart submission.
Deuteronomy 9 13 Bonus section
The recurrent "stiff-necked" description throughout Scripture underscores the unchanging nature of sin and humanity's persistent resistance to divine authority, irrespective of divine blessings or warnings. This persistent description is not merely an indictment but a profound theological statement on human depravity, setting the stage for the necessity of radical, heart-level transformation that only God can bring about, culminating in the New Covenant's promise of a new heart (Ezek 36:26). The phrase is used by God Himself, Moses, the psalmists, prophets, and even Stephen, indicting an unbroken line of spiritual obstinacy within the covenant people, ultimately demonstrating that salvation comes not from human obedience, but from God's initiating and transforming grace.
Deuteronomy 9 13 Commentary
Deuteronomy 9:13 is a powerful divine pronouncement articulating God's profound insight into the intrinsic nature of the Israelite people. It's more than a description of a single act of disobedience; it's a deep assessment of their character: "stiff-necked" signifies an ingrained, defiant stubbornness that resists God's will and wisdom. This character flaw was not an anomaly but a persistent disposition from the very beginning of their covenant relationship, demonstrating humanity's deep-seated rebellion against divine authority. Despite experiencing divine rescue and covenant promises, their inclination was to harden their hearts, refusing to bow under the easy yoke of God's guidance. This verse serves as a crucial theological truth: human merit cannot earn God's favor or inherit His promises. Instead, it underscores the need for divine grace and a radical, internal transformation – a circumcised heart – to overcome this fundamental stubbornness. It is a timeless warning against pride, self-will, and presumptuous rebellion, urging constant humility and repentance.