Acts 7:1-19

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:9

‘And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. And God was with him,’ But now came the first sign of unbelief and disquiet that would become a hallmark of the people of Israel. The patriarchs, (the rulers of their tribes), became jealous of their brother and moved against him. The revelation that he was to be the one to whom they should look as their deliverer, conveyed through his dreams (they would all bow down to him), filled them with jealous rage, and they... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:10

‘And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.’ Thus God delivered him from his afflictions, and exalted him, and enthroned him (the parallel could hardly be missed with the One Who had been crucified and was declared by His followers to have been enthroned, although at this stage Stephen is not trying to make it too blatant). He was delivered in such a way that the great Pharaoh... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:11-12

‘Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance, and when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.’ Meanwhile the whole world was suffering from famine so that ‘our fathers’ (note the more personal application, referring it to the ones from whom ‘we’ come and whom ‘we’ are like) found no sustenance. And the result was that hearing of grain in Egypt Jacob sent forth ‘our fathers’ the first... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:13

‘And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race became openly made known to Pharaoh.’ But their fathers had not remained in blindness. At the second opportunity, (the opportunity that the Sanhedrin was now experiencing), the tribal leaders had had their eyes opened. Joseph was made known to his brothers. And Joseph’s race (the source from which he came) was made openly known to Pharaoh, while Israel’s eyes were opened to their deliverer and became familiar with,... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:14

‘And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.’ The result was that those selected of the people of Jacob responded to the call of their Deliverer, and all was well. And the number of them was threescore (three times twice ten - completeness intensified) and fifteen (three times five, complete covenant connection). These were God’s elect. In the words of Acts 13:48, ‘as many as were ordained to eternal life believed’. The number is as... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:15-16

‘And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers; and they were carried over to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem.’ So Joseph in Egypt was the source of their deliverance. And the final result of their deliverance was that they were buried in the land that God had promised them, in the tomb of their tribe. To those who had become obedient God fulfilled His promise. Here we have another telescoped... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:17-18

‘But as the time of the promise drew near which God had vouchsafed to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose another king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.’ As a result of God’s deliverance through Joseph, Israel prospered. ‘The people grew and multiplied’, which was always an indication of God’s blessing. But as the time for the fulfilling of God’s promise of deliverance from Egypt approached, affliction came on the people. A king arose who did not know Joseph... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:19

‘The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, so that they cast out their babes with the purpose that they might not live.’ The result was that affliction arose and attempts were made to slay all male babies at birth. There may be here a reminder of what had happened to the children of Bethlehem when Jesus was born at the hands of the crafty King Herod (Matthew 2:16), and also of the Roman occupation which the Jews certainly saw as an affliction (‘ill-treated our... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:1-16

Acts 7:1-Nehemiah : . Abraham and the Patriarchs.— The High Priest invites Stephen to plead to the charge. Addressing his audience in the style used by Paul ( Acts 22:1), Stephen speaks of the theophany to Abraham, placing it, as Philo does, in Mesopotamia before the move to Haran (contrast Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:1). The Divine injunction and promise ( Acts 7:3) are those of Genesis 12:1 spoken in Haran. That not a foot-breadth was given Abraham in the land of promise, is taken from... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 7:17-44

Acts 7:17-: . Moses.— Stephen describes the growth of the people, the change of ruler and his oppression, as in Exodus 1. Acts 7:20 . fair unto God ( mg.): from Exodus 2:2; Philo and Josephus speak of the beauty of Moses. Acts 7:21 . Cf. Exodus 2:3; Exodus 2:10. The papyri show that the exposure of infants was still common in Egypt in Christian times. The OT says nothing of Moses’ education or learning; Philo knows much more of it than is here stated. Acts 7:23 . forty years old: according... read more

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