
Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Self Will?
34 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Self Will in the Bible
Discover 34 Bible verses about self will. This comprehensive collection of Scripture quotes reveals God's wisdom and guidance on self will, with verses from across the Old and New Testaments.
Top 10 Verses About Self Will
- 1Genesis 49:6
“O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. digged: or, houghed oxen”
KJV - 2Exodus 32:9
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:”
KJV - 3Exodus 34:9
“And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.”
KJV - 4Deuteronomy 9:6
“Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.”
KJV - 5Deuteronomy 9:13
“Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:”
KJV - 6Deuteronomy 9:27
“Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:”
KJV - 7Deuteronomy 21:18
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:”
KJV - 8Deuteronomy 21:19
“Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;”
KJV - 9Deuteronomy 21:21
“And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”
KJV - 10Deuteronomy 31:27
“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?”
KJV
Subtopics of Self Will
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Self Will? (30 Verses)
“O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. digged: or, houghed oxen”
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:”
“And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.”
“Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.”
“Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:”
“Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:”
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:”
“Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;”
“And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”
“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?”
“And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. corrupted: or, were corrupt ceased: Heb. let nothing fall of their”
“Now be ye not stiffnecked , as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. be ye: Heb. harden not your necks yield: Heb. give the hand”
“But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,”
“And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. a God: Heb. a God of pardons”
“And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. withdrew: Heb. they gave a withdrawing shoulder”
“Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.”
“Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.”
“And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. that: Heb. that prepared not their heart”
“They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;”
“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;”
“(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:”
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. He: Heb. A man of reproofs”
“Who gave Jacob for a spoil , and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.”
“Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; obstinate: Heb. hard”
“O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.”
“But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. imagination: or, stubbornness went: Heb. were”
“But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. correction: or, instruction”
“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.”
“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.”
“But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. pulled: Heb. they gave a backsliding shoulder stopped: Heb. made heavy”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Self Will? (4 Verses)
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”
“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,”
“But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. government: or, dominion”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Self Will
- 1
Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.
- 2
Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about self will. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.
- 3
Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.
- 4
Memorise at least one key verse about self will and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.
Practical Application
Studying what the Bible says about self will is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:
Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on self will needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about self will with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.
Pray through the key verses about self will, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.
How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Self Will?
You have studied 34 verses about self will. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.
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Topics Included
This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics: