Acts 7

7:1-53 Stephen responded to the accusations by testifying about his Lord (cp. Luke 21:12-17). Instead of defending himself against their prosecution, he became a witness in God’s prosecution of them, exposing their stubbornness and unfaithfulness to God. Stephen’s recital of Israel’s past reminded them of their repeated rejections of those whom God had sent. • Stephen’s review of Israel’s history has three principal parts, dealing with the work of the patriarchs (Acts 7:2-16), the ministry of Moses (7:17-43), and the role of the Tabernacle and the Temple (7:44-50). Stephen followed up his historical survey with a clear attack on the hard-heartedness of his own people. With a prophetic challenge, he urged them to stop rebelling against the Holy Spirit and turn to God with repentance and faith.

7:8 the covenant of circumcision: See Gen 17:9-14; see also “Circumcision in the New Testament” Theme Note.

7:14 Compare this figure with the seventy mentioned in the Hebrew text of Gen 46:27. The number seventy-five is probably taken from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) for Gen 46:27. The Septuagint includes three descendants of Ephraim and two of Manasseh at Gen 46:20, making for a total of five more persons, whereas the Hebrew text does not include descendants for Joseph’s sons. The New Testament authors often quote from the Septuagint, which sometimes differs from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

7:16 a certain price: Four hundred pieces of silver, according to Gen 23:16.

7:37 This verse quotes Deut 18:15. Moses had prophesied that the Messiah would come, and it had happened as Moses said.

7:39-40 Just as the ancient Jews had rejected what Moses was saying, now Stephen was speaking to descendants who were still rejecting God’s deliverers—in this case, Jesus, the ultimate deliverer.

7:42-43 This passage quotes Amos 5:25-27 (Greek version) to illustrate how the people of Israel rebelled against Moses (Acts 7:39-41). Molech was a Canaanite god to whom human sacrifices were offered (Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; 1 Kgs 11:7; 2 Kgs 23:10; Jer 32:35). Rephan, a star god identified with the planet Saturn, was worshiped by the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings.

7:48-50 One of the charges was that Stephen was speaking against the Temple (cp. 6:14). The leading priests and scribes controlled the Temple commerce and had a vital business interest in maintaining their enterprises unhindered (see Luke 19:45-48). That is why these leaders were so worried about the Temple despite the fact that God himself had said that the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands.

7:51 Stephen raised the same charge that God had raised against his people in the wilderness: that they were heathen at heart and deaf to the truth, because they were rejecting the gospel and obstinately resisting the Holy Spirit (see Exod 32:9; 33:3; 34:9; Deut 9:6, 13; 31:27; see also Ps 78:8; Zech 7:11-12).

7:55-56 Jesus standing . . . at God’s right hand: Usually Jesus is described as seated in heaven at God’s right hand (2:33-34; 5:31; Luke 20:42; 22:69; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3, 13; 10:12). One possible explanation is that Jesus was welcoming Stephen, the first martyr, to heaven with honor. Stephen had confessed his Lord faithfully on earth, and now his Lord honored his promise to confess his faithful servant in heaven, standing as a witness to defend him (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8). • the Son of Man standing: Cp. Dan 7:13-14. The Jewish leaders understood that Stephen was speaking of Jesus as the divine Son of Man (Acts 7:57), a title that speaks of Jesus’ power and authority (cp. Rev 1:12-15).

7:57 they put their hands over their ears: They believed that the comparison of Jesus to the divine Son of Man (7:56) was horrible blasphemy.

7:58 Saul was the Hebrew form, Paul the Greek form of his name (see 13:9).

7:59-60 Stephen’s prayer, Lord, don’t charge them with this sin, is strikingly similar to Jesus’ prayer at his crucifixion (Luke 23:34). Jesus clearly taught his followers the importance of both forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; see Luke 11:4; 17:3-4) and prayer (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8; see also Acts 1:12-15; 4:23-31; 12:5; Jas 5:16-18). The Lord answered Stephen’s prayer affirmatively in the case of Saul (Acts 9:1-43).