Exodus 32:9
ESV
And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
NIV
"I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people.
NASB
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
CSB
The Lord also said to Moses: "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
NLT
Then the Lord said, 'I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
NKJV
And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!
What does Exodus 32:9 mean?
God is expressing His anger with the people of Israel. While Moses is on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18), they are building and worshipping an idol (Exodus 32:1–6). This directly conflicts with commandments (Exodus 20:3–6) the Lord has already given to them. This comes after Israel responded to God's incredible miracles (Exodus 12:29–30; 14:21–31) with doubt and disbelief (Exodus 14:10–12; 17:3).The expression translated as "stiff-necked" uses the analogy of an animal holding its head rigidly to prevent the master from fitting it with the yoke. It can also imply the person who refuses to bow their head. In either case, it's a sign of rebellion and disobedience. The Israelites have a habit of pushing back against God's commands (Exodus 16:19–21). Construction of the golden idol is merely the latest example. He even refers to them as "your people" (Exodus 32:7) and "this people" rather than "my people" (Exodus 3:7; 6:7; 12:31).
To further depict irritation, the Lord suggests that He could obliterate the Israelites and start over with Moses (Exodus 32:10). God has no intent to do this, of course (Exodus 32:13), but He ensures that Moses understands the seriousness of the situation.
