7:1–53 In his speech, Stephen defends himself and condemns the Jewish leaders. He recounts Israel’s history and shows how the current generation aligns with their rebellious ancestors. Stephen becomes the Church’s first martyr (someone put to death because of their faith).

7:1 these things The high priest refers to the accusations concerning the temple and the law (see Acts 6:14 and note).

7:2 The God of glory Stephen begins recounting Israel’s history in a way similar to ot prophets, reminding the Israelites of the nature of their covenant responsibilities to Yahweh (compare Deut 1–3; Psa 78; Dan 9; Neh 9). This often occurred in the context of Israel’s failure to be faithful to God (e.g., Jer 2:1–19; Hos 11:1–7).

before he settled in Haran Genesis 11:31–12:1 seems to indicate Abram reached Haran before God spoke to him. The Genesis account, however, does not seem to require a strict chronological ordering between Gen 11 and Gen 12. Genesis 11 may serve as an overview or background to the events in Gen 12.

Theophany in the Old Testament

7:5 his descendants after him Instead of granting the land to Abram to possess personally, God fulfills the promise in his descendants (Gen 12:7; 13:14–15; 17:8; compare Acts 3:25–26).

7:6 a foreign land Stephen references Gen 15:13–14, a passage which foreshadowed Israel’s sojourn in Egypt before the Exodus.

four hundred years A round number indicating many generations (compare Gen 15:13; Acts 13:20).

7:7 God said Stephen is not quoting any specific ot passage (compare Exod 3:12; Jer 25:12; 30:20).

7:8 the covenant of circumcision In the ot, circumcision was the sign that Abraham’s descendants were God’s chosen nation. It demonstrated God’s commitment to keep His promises to Abraham’s family (Gen 17:1–14).

twelve patriarchs The original heads of the 12 tribes of Israel, who were primarily Jacob’s sons (see Gen 49).

7:9 jealous of Joseph Stephen is likely suggesting a parallel between Joseph’s brothers’ rejection of him (Gen 37:11) and the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus and His followers (compare Acts 5:17–18). He is also implying that God is with the Church—just as He was with Joseph—rather than the religious leaders.

7:10 rescued him See Gen 41:37–45.

7:11 famine See Gen 41:54–55; 42:5

7:12 Jacob heard See Gen 42:1–3.

7:13 the second visit See Gen 43:2–15; 45:1–4, 16.

7:14 seventy-five persons This number is likely approximate (compare Gen 46:26, 27; Exod 1:5; Deut 10:22).

7:15 Jacob went down to Egypt Compare Acts 7:6.

7:16 tomb that Abraham had bought Stephen’s reference recalls Gen 33:19 (compare Josh 24:32), and possibly Gen 23:16–18.

7:17 Acts 7:17–19 summarizes Exod 1:7–22.

7:20 he was beautiful God chose Moses and set him apart to lead His people out of Egypt.

7:21 abandoned See Exod 2:3–10.

7:22 wisdom of the Egyptians There is no description of Moses’ education in the ot, but an adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter would have been well educated in Egyptian thought. Compare 1 Kgs 4:30.

powerful in his words and deeds The Greek text applies the same description to Jesus in Luke 24:19.

7:23–29 Acts 7:23–29 summarizes and interprets Exod 2:11–15.

7:23 forty years old While the ot does not specify Moses’ age, Stephen is likely referring to the point at which Moses reached adult maturity (see Exod 2:11). Stephen implies that at age forty Moses was ready to act on behalf of and lead the Israelites.

7:25 he thought Stephen interprets Moses’ reasoning in light of Moses’ call from Yahweh (Exod 3:7–12).

7:29 Moses fled According to Exod 2:14–15, Moses was afraid because others had discovered he was the one who murdered an Egyptian, and Pharaoh was seeking to kill him.

Midian A region in the Arabian Peninsula east of the Red Sea.

two sons Gershom and Eliezer (see Exod 18:3–4).

7:30–34 Acts 7:30–34 is a summary and interpretation of Exod 3:1–12.

7:32 God of your fathers This language ties Moses’ calling to the promise to Abraham with which Stephen began his speech (Acts 7:2; compare Exod 3:6).

7:35 this Moses The language here echoes Peter’s speech about Jesus (compare Acts 2:32, 36). Stephen imitates Peter’s logic. Israel has consistently misjudged and rejected Yahweh’s chosen leaders; in doing so, they fought against Yahweh. Rejecting Jesus as Messiah is the ultimate example of this pattern.

7:36 wonders and signs The apostles’ works by the Spirit parallel Moses’ miracles (compare 5:12).

7:37 your brothers Yahweh continued to fulfill the promise of offspring to Abraham (see note on v. 5), which has culminated in Jesus, who is heir to both Abraham’s covenant promises and Moses’ prophetic office.

7:38 in the wilderness See Exod 19–31.

living oracles Moses’ unique position as mediator between God and the Israelites is seen in God’s direct revelation of His will to Moses at Sinai (Exod 20–31; compare 1 Cor 10:2; Gal 3:19).

7:39–41 Acts 7:39–41 is a summary of Exod 32.

7:39 to Egypt The nature of the people’s rebellious hearts was seen in their repeated tendency, when things became difficult in the wilderness, to desire to return to their previous enslavement (e.g., Exod 16:3; 17:3; Num 11:5; 14:2–3).

7:42 God turned away Yahweh allowed the people to continue the path they chose for themselves, giving them over to their idolatry.

host of heaven God had warned the people through Moses that they must not turn away from exclusive devotion to Him and begin worshiping or trusting in heavenly bodies and false deities like all the other nations did (Deut 4:19). The history of the nation proves that they frequently failed to heed His warning (e.g., 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3; Jer 19:13).

in the book of the prophets This is a reference to the twelve minor prophets (Hosea to Malachi) being transmitted on one scroll, as seen among the Dead Sea Scrolls (circa 250 bc–ad 50).

7:43 tabernacle The religious leaders had accused Stephen—and Jesus—of threatening the temple (Acts 6:13), which was the permanent successor to the tabernacle (or tent) Yahweh had instructed them to build to accompany them in the wilderness (Exod 26; compare Acts 7:44). Stephen reminds them that, by turning to the tabernacles of other gods, Israel has consistently failed to respond in faith to the one true God present in their midst.

Moloch A deity whose worship likely originated in Canaan and involved child sacrifice (Lev 18:21; 20:2–5).

Pagan Deities in the New Testament Table

beyond Babylon Amos 5:27, which Stephen is quoting here, originally read “beyond Damascus,” referring to the Assyrian deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel. In an interpretive move, Stephen refers to an exile “beyond Babylon,” referring to the later deportation of Judah to Babylon. The reference to the exile of Judah may have been more relevant for Stephen’s Jerusalem audience. Both events were brought about by disloyalty to Yahweh.

7:45 when they dispossessed See Josh 6–12.

of David Stephen has described how Yahweh has accomplished His purposes and kept His promises—despite Israel’s failings—through Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. Stephen now introduces David’s role in the history of Israel.

7:46 a habitation Instead of allowing David to build Him a house (the temple), Yahweh told David that He will build David a house, or dynasty. See 2 Sam 7.

7:47 a house Solomon built the temple as a permanent tabernacle where Yahweh’s presence would dwell in a special way among His people (1 Kgs 6; see Acts 7:43 and note).

7:48 the Most High By placing so much emphasis on the temple as Yahweh’s exclusive dwelling place, Israel disrespects Solomon who built it—he recognized that no physical building could contain Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth (1 Kgs 8:27; 2 Chr 2:6).

7:49–50 Stephen quotes Isa 66:1–2.

7:51 stiff-necked people By using Yahweh’s words against the wilderness generation (Exod 32:9; 33:3) against his accusers, Stephen turns the full force of the implications of Israel’s history against his opponents.

uncircumcised Yahweh sometimes used this term against Israel to expose their unfaithfulness to His covenant (compare Deut 10:16; Jer 9:26). It is meant to be a derogatory term equating them with their neighboring nations who worshiped other gods and often oppressed them.

7:52 which of the prophets During His earthly ministry Jesus frequently made this point in order to demonstrate the religious leaders’ spiritual blindness and hypocrisy (e.g., Matt 5:12; 21:35; 23:29–31, 37).

Righteous One See Acts 3:14.

7:53 by directions of angels Compare Gal 3:19.

7:54 they were infuriated Compare Acts 5:33.

7:55 Jesus standing at the right hand of God Stephen witnesses the risen Jesus at the right hand of the Father. The scene may allude to Dan 7:9–14, where the divine figure of the Son of Man receives the kingdom from Yahweh (compare Luke 22:69; Acts 2:33–34).

7:57 crying out In response to what the religious leaders see as the height of blasphemy—exalting Jesus alongside God—the trial becomes a mob scene.

7:58 they began to stone him Death by stoning was the legal penalty for blaspheming the name of God (Lev 24:16).

Saul Luke (the narrator) introduces the man who will eventually lead the church’s mission to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people)—he is later called Paul (Acts 9; 13:9). In the meantime, he stands in approving witness of Stephen’s stoning.

7:59 receive my spirit This echoes Jesus’ words on the cross recorded by Luke (Luke 23:46).

7:60 he fell asleep A euphemism often used in the nt to describe the death of the faithful (e.g., Acts 13:36; 1 Cor 15:6, 51; 1 Thess 4:13–15).