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.