Acts 7
7
Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham
1Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2And he said, #Acts 22:1“Brethren and fathers, listen: The #Ps. 29:3; 1 Cor. 2:8God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in #Gen. 11:31, 32Haran, 3and said to him, #Gen. 12:1‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 4Then #Gen. 11:31; 15:7; Heb. 11:8–10he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was #Gen. 11:32dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. 5And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, #Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:3, 18; 17:8; 26:3He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6But God spoke in this way: #Gen. 15:13, 14, 16; 47:11, 12that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into #Ex. 1:8–14; 12:40, 41; Gal. 3:17bondage and oppress them four hundred years. 7#Gen. 15:14‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will #Ex. 14:13–31judge,’ said God, #Ex. 3:12; Josh. 3:1–17‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ 8#Gen. 17:9–14Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; #Gen. 21:1–5and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; #Gen. 25:21–26and Isaac begot Jacob, and #Gen. 29:31—30:24; 35:18, 22–26Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.
The Patriarchs in Egypt
9#Gen. 37:4, 11, 28; Ps. 105:17“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, #Gen. 37:28sold Joseph into Egypt. #Gen. 39:2, 21, 23But God was with him 10and delivered him out of all his troubles, #Gen. 41:38–44and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11#Gen. 41:54; 42:5Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12#Gen. 42:1, 2But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13And the #Gen. 45:4, 16second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 14#Gen. 45:9, 27Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and #Gen. 46:26, 27; Deut. 10:22all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 15#Gen. 46:1–7So Jacob went down to Egypt; #Gen. 49:33; Ex. 1:6and he died, he and our fathers. 16And #Gen. 50:13; Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32they were carried back to Shechem and laid in #Gen. 23:16the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
God Delivers Israel by Moses
17“But when #Gen. 15:13; Ex. 2:23–25; Acts 7:6, 7the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, #Ex. 1:7–9; Ps. 105:24, 25the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18till another king #Ex. 1:8arose who did not know Joseph. 19This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, #Ex. 1:22making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20#Ex. 2:1, 2At this time Moses was born, and #Heb. 11:23was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21But #Ex. 2:3, 4when he was set out, #Ex. 2:5–10Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was #Luke 24:19mighty in words and deeds.
23#Ex. 2:11, 12; Heb. 11:24–26“Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 27But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, #Ex. 2:14; Luke 12:14; Acts 7:35‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29#Heb. 11:27Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he #Ex. 2:15, 21, 22; 4:20; 18:3had two sons.
30#Ex. 3:1–10; Is. 63:9“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32saying, #Ex. 3:6, 15; (Matt. 22:32); Heb. 11:16‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 33#Ex. 3:5, 7, 8, 10‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34I have surely #Ex. 2:24, 25seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will #Ps. 105:26send you to Egypt.” ’
35“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, #Ex. 2:14; Acts 7:27‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer #Ex. 14:21by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36#Ex. 12:41; 33:1; Deut. 6:21, 23; Heb. 8:9He brought them out, after he had #Ex. 7:8, 9; Deut. 6:22; Ps. 105:27; John 4:48shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, #Ex. 14:21and in the Red Sea, #Ex. 16:1, 35; Num. 14:33; Ps. 95:8–10; Acts 7:42; 13:18; Heb. 3:8and in the wilderness forty years.
Israel Rebels Against God
37“This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, #Deut. 18:15, 18, 19; Acts 3:22‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. #Matt. 17:5Him you shall hear.’
38#Ex. 19:3“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with #Is. 63:9; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, #Ex. 21:1; Deut. 5:27; John 1:17the one who received the living #Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 4:11oracles to give to us, 39whom our fathers #Ps. 95:8–11would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40#Ex. 32:1, 23saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41#Ex. 32:2–4; Deut. 9:16; Ps. 106:19And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and #Ex. 32:6, 18, 19rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42Then #Ps. 81:12; (2 Thess. 2:11)God turned and gave them up to worship #Deut. 4:19; 2 Kin. 21:3the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:
#Amos 5:25–27‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
43You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of your god Remphan,
Images which you made to worship;
And #2 Chr. 36:11–21; Jer. 25:9–12I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’
God’s True Tabernacle
44“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses #Ex. 25:40; (Heb. 8:5)to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, 45#Deut. 32:49; Josh. 3:14; 18:1; 23:9which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, #Neh. 9:24; Ps. 44:2whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the #2 Sam. 6:2–15days of David, 46#2 Sam. 7:1–13; 1 Kin. 8:17who found favor before God and #1 Chr. 22:7; Ps. 132:4, 5asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. 47#1 Kin. 6:1–38; 8:20, 21; 2 Chr. 3:1–17But Solomon built Him a house.
48“However, #1 Kin. 8:27; 2 Chr. 2:6; Acts 17:24the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
49‘Heaven#Is. 66:1, 2; Matt. 5:34 is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
Or what is the place of My rest?
50Has My hand not #Ps. 102:25made all these things?’
Israel Resists the Holy Spirit
51“You #Ex. 32:9; Is. 6:10stiff-necked and #Lev. 26:41uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52#2 Chr. 36:16; Matt. 21:35; 23:35; 1 Thess. 2:15Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of #Acts 3:14; 22:14; 1 John 2:1the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53#Ex. 20:1; Deut. 33:2; Acts 7:38; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Stephen the Martyr
54#Acts 5:33When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55But he, #Matt. 5:8; 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27; Acts 6:5being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the #(Ex. 24:17)glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56and said, “Look! #Matt. 3:16I see the heavens opened and the #Dan. 7:13Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And #Acts 22:20the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, #Ps. 31:5receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, #Matt. 5:44; Luke 23:34“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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Acts 7: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Acts 7
7
Stephen’s Defense
1 And the high priest said, “Is it so concerning these things?” 2So he said, “Men—brothers and fathers—listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as temporal was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 3and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’ 4Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he caused him to move to this land in which you now live. 5And he did not give him an inheritance in it—not even a footstep#Literally “a step of a foot”—and he promised to give it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, although he did not have#Literally “not being to him”#*Here “although” is supplied in the translation as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as concessive a child. 6But God spoke like this: ‘His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat them#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation four hundred years, 7and the nation that#Literally “to which” they will serve as slaves, I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come out#Verses 6–7 are a quotation from Gen 15:13–14 and will worship me in this place.’#The final phrase is an allusion to Exod 3:12 8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with#*Here the words “did so with” are not in the Greek text but are implied; in view of the “covenant of circumcision” mentioned earlier in the verse, it is probable that circumcision and not just fatherhood is involved Jacob, and Jacob did so with#*Here the words “did so with” are not in the Greek text but are implied; see the note on the same phrase earlier in this verse the twelve patriarchs. 9And the patriarchs, because they#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were jealous of”) which is understood as causal were jealous of Joseph, sold him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation into Egypt. And God was with him, 10and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and all#Some manuscripts have “over all” his household. 11And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. 12So when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13And on the second visit#*The word “visit” is not in the Greek text but is implied Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14So Joseph sent and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent”) has been translated as a finite verb summoned his father Jacob and all his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun relatives, seventy-five persons in all. 15And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. 16And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17“But as the time of the promise that God had made to Abraham was drawing near, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18until another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19This man deceitfully took advantage of our#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun people and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“deceitfully took advantage of”) has been translated as a finite verb mistreated our ancestors, causing them to abandon their infants#Literally “making their infants be abandoned” so that they would not be kept alive. 20At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. He#Literally “who” was brought up for three months in his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun father’s house, 21and when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was abandoned”) he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and brought him up as her own son.#Literally “for a son to herself” 22And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his words and deeds.
23“But when he was forty years old,#Literally “a period of time of forty years was fulfilled for him” it entered in his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24And when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw one of them being unjustly harmed, he defended him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and avenged#Literally “produced vengeance for” the one who had been oppressed by#*Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“striking down”) which is understood as means striking down the Egyptian. 25And he thought his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun brothers would understand that God was granting deliverance to them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26And on the following day, he made an appearance to them while they#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were fighting”) which is understood as temporal were fighting and was attempting to reconcile#*Here the imperfect verb has been translated as conative (“was attempting to reconcile”) them in peace, saying, ‘Men and brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?’ 27But the one who was doing wrong to his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun neighbor pushed him aside, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28You do not want to do away with me the same way#Literally “in the manner in which” you did away with the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’#A quotation from Exod 2:14; the negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated by “do you” 29And at this statement, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30“And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had been completed”) forty years had been completed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush. 31And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal Moses saw it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation he was astonished at the sight, and when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“approached”) he approached to look at it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation the voice of the Lord came: 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob!’#A quotation from Exod 3:6 So Moses began trembling and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“began”) has been translated as a finite verb did not dare to look at it.#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 33And the Lord said to him, ‘Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34I have certainly seen#Literally “seeing I have seen” the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’#A quotation from Exod 3:5, 7–8, 10 35This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’#A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see v. 27 above)—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer with the help#Literally “hand” of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
37“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’#A quotation from Deut 18:15 38This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and who with our fathers received living oracles to give to us, 39to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient, but rejected him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go on before us! For this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him!’#A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23 41And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began rejoicing”) in the works of their hands. 42But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:
‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me
for forty years in the wilderness, did you,#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated by “did you” house of Israel?
43And you took along the tabernacle#Or “tent” of Moloch
and the star of the god#Some manuscripts have “of your god” Rephan,
the images that you made, to worship them,
and I will deport you beyond Babylon!’#A quotation from Amos 5:25–27
44The tabernacle of the testimony belonged#Literally “was” to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to make it according to the design that he had seen, 45and which, after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“receiving”) which is understood as temporal receiving it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the#Literally “in the possession of the” nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David, 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.#Some manuscripts have “for the house of Jacob” 47But Solomon built a house for him. 48But the Most High does not live in houses#Or “temples made by human hands”; either word (“houses” or “temples”) is understood here made by human hands, just as the prophet says,
49‘Heaven is my throne
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50Did not my hand make all these things?’#A quotation from Isa 66:1–2
51“You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! 52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, 53you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”
Stephen’s Martyrdom
54Now when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed their#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun teeth at him. 55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“looked intently”) has been translated as a finite verb saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose. 58And after they#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had driven”) which is understood as temporal had driven him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation out of the city, they began to stone#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began stoning”) him,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And they kept on stoning Stephen as he#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was calling out”) which is understood as temporal was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60And falling to his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after he#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“said”) which is understood as temporal said this, he fell asleep.#Or “he passed away”
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