1 Then G1161 said G2036 the high priest, G749 Are G1487 G686 G2192 these things G5023 so? G3779
2 And G1161 he said, G5346 Men, G435 brethren, G80 and G2532 fathers, G3962 hearken; G191 The God G2316 of glory G1391 appeared G3700 unto our G2257 father G3962 Abraham, G11 when he was G5607 in G1722 Mesopotamia, G3318 before G4250 G2228 he G846 dwelt G2730 in G1722 Charran, G5488
3 And G2532 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Get thee G1831 out of G1537 thy G4675 country, G1093 and G2532 from G1537 thy G4675 kindred, G4772 and G2532 come G1204 into G1519 the land G1093 which G3739 G302 I shall shew G1166 thee. G4671
4 Then G5119 came he G1831 out of G1537 the land G1093 of the Chaldaeans, G5466 and dwelt G2730 in G1722 Charran: G5488 and from thence, G2547 when G3326 his G846 father G3962 was dead, G599 he removed G3351 him G846 into G1519 this G5026 land, G1093 wherein G1519 G3739 ye G5210 now G3568 dwell. G2730
5 And G2532 he gave G1325 him G846 none G3756 inheritance G2817 in G1722 it, G846 no, not G3761 so much as to set G968 his foot G4228 on: G968 yet G2532 he promised G1861 that he would give G1325 it G846 to him G846 for G1519 a possession, G2697 and G2532 to his G846 seed G4690 after G3326 him, G846 when as yet he G846 had G5607 no G3756 child. G5043
6 And G1161 God G2316 spake G2980 on this wise, G3779 That G3754 his G846 seed G4690 should G2071 sojourn G3941 in G1722 a strange G245 land; G1093 and G2532 that they should bring G1402 them G846 into bondage, G1402 and G2532 entreat them evil G2559 four hundred G5071 years. G2094
7 And G2532 the nation G1484 to whom G3739 G1437 they shall be in bondage G1398 will G2919 I G1473 judge, G2919 said G2036 God: G2316 and G2532 after G3326 that G5023 shall they come forth, G1831 and G2532 serve G3000 me G3427 in G1722 this G5129 place. G5117
8 And G2532 he gave G1325 him G846 the covenant G1242 of circumcision: G4061 and G2532 so G3779 Abraham begat G1080 Isaac, G2464 and G2532 circumcised G4059 him G846 the eighth G3590 day; G2250 and G2532 Isaac G2464 begat Jacob; G2384 and G2532 Jacob G2384 begat the twelve G1427 patriarchs. G3966
9 And G2532 the patriarchs, G3966 moved with envy, G2206 sold G591 Joseph G2501 into G1519 Egypt: G125 but G2532 God G2316 was G2258 with G3326 him, G846
10 And G2532 delivered G1807 him G846 out of G1537 all G3956 his G846 afflictions, G2347 and G2532 gave G1325 him G846 favour G5485 and G2532 wisdom G4678 in the sight G1726 of Pharaoh G5328 king G935 of Egypt; G125 and G2532 he made G2525 him G846 governor G2233 over G1909 Egypt G125 and G2532 all G3650 his G846 house. G3624
11 Now G1161 there came G2064 a dearth G3042 over G1909 all G3650 the land G1093 of Egypt G125 and G2532 Chanaan, G5477 and G2532 great G3173 affliction: G2347 and G2532 our G2257 fathers G3962 found G2147 no G3756 sustenance. G5527
12 But G1161 when Jacob G2384 heard G191 that there was G5607 corn G4621 in G1722 Egypt, G125 he sent out G1821 our G2257 fathers G3962 first. G4412
13 And G2532 at G1722 the second G1208 time Joseph G2501 was made known G319 to his G846 brethren; G80 and G2532 Joseph's G2501 kindred G1085 was made G1096 known G5318 unto Pharaoh. G5328
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 7
Commentary on Acts 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
When our Lord Jesus called his apostles out to be employed in services and sufferings for him, he told them that yet the last should be first, and the first last, which was remarkably fulfilled in St. Stephen and St. Paul, who were both of them late converts, in comparison of the apostles, and yet got the start of them both in services and sufferings; for God, in conferring honours and favours, often crosses hands. In this chapter we have the martyrdom of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian church, who led the van in the noble army. And therefore his sufferings and death are more largely related than those of any other, for direction and encouragement to all those who are called out to resist unto blood, as he did. Here is,
Act 7:1-16
Stephen is now at the bar before the great council of the nation, indicted for blasphemy: what the witnesses swore against him we had an account of in the foregoing chapter, that he spoke blasphemous words against Moses and God; for he spoke against this holy place and the law. Now here,
But let us see how this serves Stephen's purpose.
Let us now see what this is to Stephen's purpose.
Act 7:17-29
Stephen here goes on to relate,
Now let us see how this serves Stephen's purpose.
Act 7:30-41
Stephen here proceeds in his story of Moses; and let any one judge whether these are the words of one that was a blasphemer of Moses or no; nothing could be spoken more honourably of him. Here is,
Act 7:42-50
Two things we have in these verses:-
Act 7:51-53
Stephen was going on in his discourse (as it should seem by the thread of it) to show that, as the temple, so the temple-service must come to an end, and it would be the glory of both to give way to that worship of the Father in spirit and in truth which was to be established in the kingdom of the Messiah, stripped of the pompous ceremonies of the old law, and so he was going to apply all this which he had said more closely to his present purpose; but he perceived they could not bear it. They could patiently hear the history of the Old Testament told (it was a piece of learning which they themselves dealt much in); but if Stephen go about to tell them that their power and tyranny must come down, and that the church must be governed by a spirit of holiness and love, and heavenly-mindedness, they will not so much as give him the hearing. It is probable that he perceived this, and that they were going to silence him; and therefore he breaks off abruptly in the midst of his discourse, and by that spirit of wisdom, courage, and power, wherewith he was filled, he sharply rebuked his persecutors, and exposed their true character; for, if they will not admit the testimony of the gospel to them, it shall become a testimony against them.
We have reason to think Stephen had a great deal more to say, and would have said it if they would have suffered him; but they were wicked and unreasonable men with whom he had to do, that could no more hear reason than they could speak it.
Act 7:54-60
We have here the death of the first martyr of the Christian church, and there is in this story a lively instance of the outrage and fury of the persecutors (such as we may expect to meet with if we are called out to suffer for Christ), and of the courage and comfort of the persecuted, that are thus called out. Here is hell in its fire and darkness, and heaven in its light and brightness; and these serve as foils to set off each other. It is not here said that the votes of the council were taken upon his case, and that by the majority he was found guilty, and then condemned and ordered to be stoned to death, according to the law, as a blasphemer; but, it is likely, so it was, and that it was not by the violence of the people, without order of the council, that he was put to death; for here is the usual ceremony of regular executions-he was cast out of the city, and the hands of the witnesses were first upon him.
Let us observe here the wonderful discomposure of the spirits of his enemies and persecutors, and the wonderful composure of his spirit.