^7:51“You stubborn¹⁵³ people, with uncircumcised¹⁵⁴ hearts and ears!¹⁵⁵ You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors¹⁵⁶ did! ^7:52Which of the prophets did your ancestors¹⁵⁷ not persecute?¹⁵⁸ They¹⁵⁹ killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One,¹⁶⁰ whose betrayers and murderers you have now become!¹⁶¹^7:53You¹⁶² received the law by decrees given by angels,¹⁶³ but you did not obey¹⁶⁴ it.”¹⁶⁵

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Footnotes

153 Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
154 The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmētoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT (occurs only once). See ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
155 Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
156 Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
157 Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
158 Which … persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
159 Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
160 The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
161 Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10–14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).
162 Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
163 Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so εἰς 9, §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees. Decrees given by angels. According to Jewish traditions in the first century, the law of Moses was mediated through angels. See also the note on “angel” in .
164 The Greek word φυλάσσω (phulassō, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
165 Or “did not obey it.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it.”

NLTNew Living Translation

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! Which 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, you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

KJV 1900King James Version

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

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