Acts 13:17 - Exposition

Israel for of Israel, A.V., sojourned for dwelt as strangers, A.V.; a for an , A.V.; led he them forth for brought he them out, A.V. The word ὕψωσεν , exalted, is thought by some to be borrowed from the LXX . of Isaiah 1:2 ( יתִמְמנור ), I have brought up" (A.V.), but this is very doubtful, as ὑψόω is frequently used in the New Testament in the sense of exalting from a low to a high estate (see Matthew 11:23 ; Matthew 23:1-39 . 12; Luke 1:52 ; Luke 10:15 ; Luke 14:11 ; Acts 2:33 ; see too Genesis 41:52 ( LXX ., Cod. Vat.) and Genesis 48:19 ). The resemblance of this exordium to that of Stephen's speech in Acts 7:1-60 . must strike every one. The natural conclusion is that that speech made a deep impression upon St. Paul when he heard it at Stephen's trial. The common purpose in the two speeches is to conciliate and gain the attention of the Jewish hearers by dwelling upon the great events of the history of their fathers, of which they were proud, and claiming for Christians an equal heritage in that history. The speeches diverge in that Stephen sought to show in that history instances of the same stubborn unbelief in their fathers which had led the children to crucify the Lord of glory; but St. Paul rather sought to show how the promises made to their fathers had their fulfillment in that Jesus whom he preached unto them, and how the crucifixion of Christ by the Jerusalem Jews was an exact fulfillment of the Law and the prophets which had just been read to them in the synagogue. In both speeches it is a great point to exhibit Christianity as the true development of Judaism (comp. Hebrews 1:1 and throughout).