Introductory remarks:
"Before the Sanhedrim, Stephen retells the history of the Jews from the calling of Abraham to Moses leading the people. He says their fathers persecuted all the prophets. They become angry but Stephen looks up and sees a vision and says he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. They go mad with anger and take him outside the city to stone him" (Brenda's Survey of Acts). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Stephen's speech vv. 1-53; the stoning of Stephen vv. 54-60.
Stephen's Speech
Verse 1, "Then said the high priest, Are these things so?"
LGT "And the high priest said, Are these things hold thus?"
What does these things refer? They refer to the charges made in the last chapter: (1) Did he speak against the holy temple, and (2) was he attempting to change the customs Moses had delivered? The high priest was asking Stephen in effect, are you guilty or not guilty? "The glorified countenance of Stephen (of verse fifteen of the last chapter) has caused a pause of surprise and admiration which the high priest interrupts by calling upon the accused for his defense" (Gloag - quoted by Vincent).
Robertson explains:
"Stephen could not give a yes or no answer to these two charges. There was an element of truth in each of them and a large amount of error all mixed together. So he undertakes to explain his real position by the historical method, that is to say, by a rapid survey of God's dealing with the people of Israel and the Gentiles. It is the same method adopted by Paul in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:16ff.) after he had become the successor of Stephen in his interpretation of the universal mission of Christianity. If one is disposed to say that Luke made up this speech to suit Stephen's predicament, he has to explain how the style is less Lukan than the narrative portions of Acts with knowledge of Jewish traditions that a Greek would not be likely to know. Precisely how Luke obtained the data for the speech we do not know, but Saul heard it and Philip, one of the seven, almost certainly. Both could have given Luke help about it (we should never loose sight, in defending Luke, that he is inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his account). It is even possible that some one took notes of this important address (which is reasonable, seeing how they were in court). We are to remember also that the speech was interrupted at the end and may not include all that Stephen meant to say. But enough is given to give to us a good idea of how Stephen met the first charge 'by showing that the worship of God is not confined to Jerusalem or the Jewish temple' (Page). Then he answers the second charge by proving that God had many dealings with their fathers before Moses came and that Moses foretold the coming of the Messiah who is now known to be Jesus. It is at this point (verse 51) that Stephen becomes passionate and so powerful that the wolves in the Sanhedrim lose all self-control. It is a great and masterful exposition of the worldwide mission of the gospel of Christ in full harmony with the Great Commission of Christ. The apostles had been so busy answering the Sadducees concerning the Resurrection of Christ and maintaining their freedom to teach and preach that they had not pushed the worldwide propaganda of the gospel as Jesus had commanded after they had received the Promise (the Holy Spirit) of the Father. But Stephen had proclaimed the same message of Christ and was now facing the same fate. Peter's mind had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that he could rightly interpret Joel and David in the light of Pentecost. 'So Stephen read the history of the Old Testament with new eyes in the light of the life and death of Jesus' (Furneaux)."
Verse 2, "And said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran."
LGT "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, give me your attention now. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran."
Stephen begins by addressing the council; brethren, addressing the crowd; fathers, addressing the Sanhedrim. He draws their attention that the God of glory, that is, God, distinguished by the Shekinah, and the burning bush, appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Harran, and before there was even a Jewish nation, that is, before Moses. Stephen begins by maintaining that he believed in the God of the Old Testament, the One and only True God, the God of glory: by this he is defending himself against the charge that he spoke blasphemous words against God. The Jews always prided themselves as being the children of Abraham, that is, of the covenant God made with Abraham of making of his seed a great nation.
Verse 3, "And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee."
LGT "And said to him, Go out from this land and from your kindred, and come into the land which to you I will show."
When God instructed Abraham to leave all behind and go to a land he knew nothing about, he had to do it by faith. Abraham had to follow God before God showed him this new Promised Land. Abraham had to go by faith and not sight. We believe the Bible is the Word of God even though we did not see it written; we accept it by faith.
Verse 4, "Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell."
LGT "Then going out from the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Charran, and then after his father died, He removed him into this land in which you now dwell."
Abraham believed God and he went out by faith in complete obedience to God; "He first brought him out of the land of the Chaldeans to Charran, or Haran, a place midway between that and Canaan (Gen. 11:31), and thence five years after, when his father was dead, he removed him into the land of Canaan, wherein you now dwell. It should seem, the first time that God spoke to Abraham, he appeared in some visible display of the divine presence, as the God of glory (vs. 2), to settle a correspondence with him: and then afterwards he kept up that correspondence, and spoke to him from time to time as there was occasion, without repeating his visible appearances as the God of glory" (Matthew Henry).
Verse 5, "And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and his seed after him, when as yet he had no child."
LGT "And He did not give to him an inheritance in it, not even a stepping of a foot, and promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, there not being a child to him."
This promise was made to Abraham (see Gen. 12:7; 17:8; 48:4) while he was still without a child. Abraham acted on God's promise alone, for he was now without a land and without a child. Abraham was a wanderer, for the only land he had for a possession was the land he purchased for his burial (Gen. 23). The expression not even a foot's tread proved that he did not possess any land for his own; for the land he purchased for his burial was not a gift from God. This is a supreme act of faith for Abraham to move out with no human possibility that he would have a possession or a seed.
Verse 6, "And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years."
LGT "And God spoke thus: That his seed shall be a sojourner in a strange land, and they will enslave it, and ill treat [it] four hundred years:"
Here God tells Abraham that his seed would be a sojourner in a strange land, not in the land, but near it, and will be ill treated four hundred years; the children of Israel spent four hundred years in Egyptian bondage. The actual time the Jews spent in Egyptian bondage was actually 430 years (Exo. 12:40). Stephen rounded out the number to 400 years, because the first thirty years, while Joseph was Pharaohs' right hand man, he invited his father Jacob and his sons to come and live in Egypt because of the famine in the land, and they were treated with respect; it was not until the Israelites grew so large that Pharaoh became worried that they would make war against the Egyptian's. The logic being that they were probably made slaves in Egypt for four hundred years; of course this I cannot be absolute, it just seems logical to me.
Verse 7, "And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place."
LGT "And the nation which they might be in bondage will I judge, said God; and after these things they will come forth and serve Me in this place."
Stephen quotes from Exodus 3:12. God promised Abraham that his possession would be in bondage to Egypt, but that Egypt would be judged with the plagues, and then finally in the Red Sea. He also made the promise that He would continue His promise in that His people would posses the land of Canaan, and eventually serve Him there.
Verse 8, "And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs."
LGT "And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision: and thus he begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day, and Isaac [begat] Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs."
The covenant God made with Abraham was confirmed by a sign and seal of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14). The twelve sons of Jacob were confirmed the patriarchs, that is, the ruling body of the nation.
Verse 9, "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,"
LGT "And the patriarchs, envying Joseph, sold [him] into Egypt. And God was with him,"
Joseph's brothers burned with envy toward him (Gen. 37:11), and they sold him to Medianite merchantmen for twenty pieces of silver; and they brought Joseph into Egypt (Gen. 37:28).
Verse 10, "And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house."
LGT "And delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him grace and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he appointed him ruler over Egypt and [over] his whole house."
God gave Joseph grace and wisdom before the king of Egypt, and he put him in charge of all Egypt, including his own household (Gen. 39:4). Pharaoh was not the king's name, just his title. God delivered Joseph from the tribulations of his own brothers to favor with the king of Egypt.
Verse 11, "Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance."
LGT "But came a famine upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers did not find sustenance."
There came a great famine over all the land, and there was not found food for man nor beasts (Gen. 41:54).
Verse 12, "But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first."
LGT "But Jacob, having heard of corn being in Egypt, sent forth our fathers first."
Jacob sent his ten sons (all except Joseph and Benjamin) to Egypt to buy corn, while he remained in Canaan (Gen. 42:2,3). Barnes notes here: "Stephen here refers only to the history, without entering any details. By this general reference he sufficiently showed that he believed what Moses had spoken, and did not intend to show him disrespect."
Verse 13, "And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh."
LGT "And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren, and the family of Joseph became manifest to Pharaoh."
This second visit by Joseph's brothers is recorded in Gen. 45:1ff. It is made clear to pharaoh that Joseph is a Hebrew.
Verse 14, "Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls."
LGT "And Joseph, having sent, he called for his father Jacob, and all his kindred, consisting in souls, seventy-five."
The Hebrew text reads Gen. 46:26, that seventy persons went down into Egypt; the inconsistency that Stephen says that there were seventy-five persons can be accounted for by the fact that he was quoting from the Septuagint which reads, "But the sons of Joseph who were with him in Egypt were nine souls; all the sons of the house of Jacob which came with Jacob into Egypt were seventy-five souls." The Septuagint counted the nine sons of Joseph with the sixty-six that came with Jacob, making seventy-five. The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Verses 15, 16, "So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem."
LGT "And Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers, and were carried over to Sychem, and were placed in the tomb which Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor in Sychem."
Jacob was buried in the cave at Machpelah (Gen. 50:13). Jacob and the Patriarchs died in Egypt and were carried over with the bones of Joseph, most probably, into Canaan; there is no proof of this, and it is just a simple assumption of no importance whatsoever.
Verse 17, "But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt."
LGT "But as the time of the promise was drawing near, which God promised to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt."
The promise God made with Abraham was drawing near Exodus 1:7-9, that God would make a great nation of the seed of Abraham.
Verse 18, "Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph."
LGT "Until another king arose [over Egypt] who knew not Joseph."
The Greek word for "another" is eteros, which means another of a different kind. "The previous dynasty had been that of the Hyksos: the new king was Ahmes who drove out the Hyksos" (Robertson). The new dynasty drove out the Hyksos who were shepherd kings. This new king did not even recognized Joseph for all his good deeds.
Verse 19, "The same dealt subtly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live."
LGT "He, having dealt subtly with our nation, ill treated [our] fathers, making their babes exposed that they might not live."
This king dealt subtly with the Jews, that is, he dealt with them with craft, fraud, and deceit. The king commanded them to kill their babies to keep them under control (Exo. 1:15-22)
Calvin explains the phrase making their babes exposed that they might not live:
"And, furthermore, Stephen doth not reckon up all the parts of their evil-entreating, but putteth down one example of extreme cruelty. Whence we may easily gather how near the whole seed of Abraham was to destruction. For Pharaoh seemed to have murdered them all with the commandment as with one stroke of a sword. But such violent barbarism did more set forth the unlooked for and incredible power of God; because when Pharaoh hath, by all means possible, striven against God, yet all is in vain."
Verse 20, "In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months."
LGT "In which time Moses was born, and fair unto God: who was brought up three months in the house of [his] father."
In which time: Moses was born during this evil period under the new king. Moses was brought up at home in defiance of the law of the new Pharaoh.
Verse 21, "And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own."
LGT "And he being exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and brought him up for herself for a son."
Stephen is relating to them Exodus 2:5-10 where Moses is rescued from among the reeds growing along the Nile river; Pharaoh's daughter decides to raise Moses for her own son, that is, she adopts him.
Verse 22, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."
LGT "And Moses was instructed [in] all wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and his deeds."
Moses was slow of speech and tongue, but he had the knowledge, and was mighty in his deeds. "Moses did not have the oratory skills of his brother Aaron, but his words carried much weight when he did speak" (Robertson).
McGee notes:
"Moses was brought up in the wisdom of the Egyptians. The wisdom of the Egyptians is not despised even in our advanced day when we feel that we know about everything. Too often we do not give the Egyptians full credit for what they did know. They had developed mathematics, chemistry, engineering, architecture, and astronomy to a very fine point. They had developed these fields of study in a way that was really remarkable. Look at the pyramids. Look at the colors we find in the tombs, colors which have stood the test of the centuries. They understood about embalming. They had calculated the distance to the sun. My friend, they had a highly developed culture and were not an ignorant people. Moses had all the advantage of that day, being raised as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was outstanding. Yet he was not prepared to lead God's people. All the learning of the world of that day did not equip him to lead God's people. All the wisdom that men have today is not enough to understand the Word of God. It is too difficult. Why? Because the natural man cannot by his own wisdom understand the Word of God (2 Cor. 2:14)."
Verse 23, "And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel."
LGT "And when a period was fulfilled to him of forty years, it arose into his heart to look upon his brethren the sons of Israel."
Moses' life was partitioned into three forty-year periods (in Egypt 40 years, in Midian 40, governed Israel 40, 120 when he died, Deut. 34:7). It came into his heart to look upon his brethren the sons of Israel; Moses wanted too see for himself how his brethren were fairing.
Verses 24, 25, "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not."
LGT "And seeing a certain one being wronged, he defended [him] and avenged the one being oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian. For he thought his brethren would understand that by his hand, God is giving the salvation: but they understood not."
Moses did what he thought was the right thing to do. The Egyptians trained him, but God did not train him yet. God would have to take him to the backside of the desert to train him; as McGee said, he would have to earn his BSD degree, that is, the backside of the desert degree. Moses got ahead of God, and neither he nor his brethren understood that he was to be their deliverer.
Verse 26, "And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?"
LGT "And on the following day, he appeared to those who were fighting, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, you are brethren: why wrong ye one another?"
The day before Moses stopped an Egyptian from mistreating one of his brethren, but here the brethren are fighting amongst themselves. Moses tries to reason with these men that fighting with one another is fighting another family member; they were both under oppression, and it is ridiculous to fight amongst one another.
Verse 27, "But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?"
LGT "But the one who was wronging [his] neighbor shoved him away, saying, Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?"
The person doing the wrong is usually the hardest one to make reconciliation. This Jew, who had been hurting his brother, pushed Moses aside and snapped at him, Who made you ruler and judge over us? (Exo. 2:14)
Verse 28, "Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?"
LGT "Do you wish to put me to death, in the way you put to death the Egyptian?"
Stephen is quoting Exodus 2:14. It does not say how this man knew Moses had killed an Egyptian, but it instilled fear in Moses, that he would be accused of sedition, so he fled.
Verse 29, "Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons."
LGT "And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in [the] land of Madian, where he begat two sons."
The word "sojourner" means a temporary dweller, but Moses was in the land of Midian forty years, where he begat two sons.
Barnes notes on Midian:
"Midian was a part of Arabia. 'This would seem,' says Gesenius, 'to have been a tract of country extending from the eastern shore of the Elanitic Gulf to the region of Moab on the one hand, and to the vicinity of Mount Sinai on the other. The people were nomadic in their habits, and moved often from place to place.' This was extensively a desert region of unknown land; and Moses expected there to be safe from Pharaoh. He married Zipporah, the daughter of Ruel (Exo. 2:18), or Jethro (Num. 10:29; Exo. 3:1), a priest of Midian. The names of the two sons were Gershom and Eliezer, Exo. 18:3,4."
Verse 30, "And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush."
LGT "And forty years being fulfilled, appeared to him in the desert of the Mount Sina an angel in a flame of fire of a bush."
In Exodus 3:2 it is the angel of Jehovah that speaks to Moses from the burning bush, and Stephen understands this to mean the Presence of the Eternal Godhead. Moses was now eighty years old; he spent forty years in Egypt, and now forty years in the desert.
Verses 31, 32, "When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it. The voice of the Lord came unto him. Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold"
LGT "And Moses seeing [it] wondered at the vision, and he coming near to consider [it], there was a voice of [the] Lord, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And Moses, having become terrified, dared not consider [it]."
Moses observed the bush burning and was not being consumed, and then he heard the voice of Jesus Christ.
Calvin notes:
"There was never since the beginning any communication between God and men, save only by Christ; for we have nothing to do with God, unless the Mediator be present to purchase His favor for us. Therefore, this place doth plentifully prove the divinity of Christ, and teaches that He is of the same essence with the Father. Furthermore, He is called an angel, not only because He had the angels always to bear Him company, and to be, as it were, His officers: but because that deliverance of the people did shadow the redemption of us all, for whose sake Christ was to be sent of His Father, that He might take upon Him the shape of a servant together with our flesh. It is certain, indeed, that God did never appear to men as He is, but under some shape agreeable to their capacity; notwithstanding, there is another reason why Christ is called by His name, because He being appointed by the eternal Counsel of God to be unto men the minister of Salvation, doth appear unto Moses to this end."
Moses knew it was the voice of God as He confirmed to Moses that He is the Father of his fathers. God is extending to Moses the salvation for His people. Moses wanted to deliver his people, but he was not then prepared to do so; now, God is calling him to be their deliverer, and He will prepare Moses.
Verse 33, "Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground."
LGT "And the Lord said to him, Loose the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing, is holy ground."
The priests ministered in the temple barefooted. The taking off the sandals was a mark of reverence, for the burning bush was symbolizing the presence of Jehovah.
Verse 34, "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt."
LGT "Seeing, I saw the ill-treatment of My people in Egypt, and heard their groaning, and came down to take them out: and now come, I will send thee to Egypt."
The Lord tells Moses that He has come down to deliver His people from Egyptian bondage. The Greek word for "deliver" is exelesthai a second aorist middle infinitive verb meaning to take out for Himself.
McGee notes on what the Lord saw in His people:
"God told Moses, 'I have heard their groaning.' He saw their need. That was the reason He delivered them. It was for the same reason that He provided a Savior for you and me. It wasn't because we are such wonderful people. He didn't look down and say, 'My, they are so lovely down there. I must go down and save them. They are so sweet, and so kind, and so loving to Me, and so faithful to Me.' No! God looked down and saw nothing but corrupt, rotten sinners. We were all lost in iniquity. He loved us in spite of our ungodliness. That is the explanation."
Verse 35, "This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush."
LGT "This Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who appointed you ruler and judge? This same [man] God sent [as] ruler and deliverer, together with [the] angel who appeared to him in the bush."
Stephen shows the Sanhedrim that Moses led the people out of Egypt together with the cooperation of the angel of Jehovah; the Pharisees had accused Stephen of blaspheming both Moses and God. It is clear that Stephen is drawing a parallel of Moses with Jesus Christ, that is, both coming to deliver His people, and both being rejected.
Verse 36, "He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years."
LGT "This one led them out, having wrought wonders and signs in [the] land of Egypt, and in [the] Red Sea, and in the desert forty years."
Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt after pronouncing the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, the final plague being, the passing through of the death angel (Exo. 4-12). Then the dividing of the Red Sea, delivering the Israelites in safety, and destroying the Egyptian army in pursuit. And then providing manna and quail from heaven, and fresh water to drink, and the miraculous guidance by the Lord during their forty years in the desert (Exo. 16,17).
Verse 37, "This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear."
LGT "This is the Moses, who said to the sons of Israel, God will raise up a prophet to you from among your brethren like me."
Stephen quotes Moses (Deut. 18:15,18) predicting the Messiah's coming to deliver the children of Israel. This same Jesus they had already rejected and crucified, and Stephen is saying by rejecting Jesus, they were rejecting Moses, a slick turn as Robertson says.
Calvin notes:
"Now we know to what end Stephen intermingled Moses' testimony, to wit, that he may prove that the Jews did no less contemn [scorn] him, (of whom they made boast with open mouth to be their only teacher), even now when he is dead, than they did in times past, whilst he lived, wickedly and forwardly [onward] reject him. For whosoever believeth Moses, he will not refuse to be the disciple of Christ, whose messenger and crier he was (John 5:46)."
Verse 38, "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us."
LGT "This is he who was in the assembly in the desert with the angel, who spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received living oracles to give to us,"
The Greek word for "church" here is ecclesia, which means called out ones; so it does not mean there was a church in the wilderness. Moses was called of God to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.
Verse 39, "To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt."
LGT "To whom our fathers would not be subject, but drove [him] away, and turned back their hearts to Egypt,"
The children of Israel did not physically go back to Egypt, but they murmured in their hearts against Moses, that they were better off eating the leaks and onions of Egypt than the food they had in the desert. What they really missed was the sins of Egypt; their hearts were continually whoring after strange gods.
Verse 40, "Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."
LGT "Saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us: for that Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him."
The children of Israel did not know what had happened to Moses and they did not care, for they shoved him away from them. The people contemptuously refer to Moses as that Moses, for while Moses was away from them on Mount Sinai, they forgot him and their God; they now ask Aaron to make them a god to lead them.
Verse 41, "And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and joined in the works of their own hands."
LGT "And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands."
The Israelites had learned animal worship while they were in Egyptian bondage; Aaron built the golden calf, but so did the people Exo. 32:35. The Israelites were saying that they were worshipping God through the calf, which is the same as Paul wrote to the Romans; they worshipped the creation rather than the Creator.
Vincent notes on this idol worship of the Egyptians:
"This was in imitation of the Egyptian bull-worship. Several of these animals were worshipped at different places in Egypt. Apis was worshipped at Memphis. Herodotus says: 'Now this Apis, or Eraphus, is the calf of a cow, which is never afterward able to bear young. The Egyptians say that fire comes down from heaven upon the cow, which thereupon conceives Apis. The calf, which is so called, has the following marks: He is black, with a square spot of white upon his forehead, and on his back the figure of an eagle. The hairs in his tail are double, and there is a beetles upon his tongue.' He was regarded by the Egyptians, not merely as an emblem, but as a god. He was lodged in a magnificent court, ornamented with figures twelve cubits high (a cubit being sixteen inches), which he never quitted except on fixed days, when he was led in procession through the streets. His festival lasted seven days, and all came forward from their houses to welcome him as he passed. He was not allowed to reach the natural term of his life. If a natural death did not remove him earlier, he was drowned when he reached the age of twenty-five, and then embalmed and entombed in one of the sepulchral chambers of the Serapeum, a temple devoted expressly to the burial of these animals.
Another sacred bull was maintained at Heliopolis, in the great Temple of the Sun, under the name of Mnevis, and was honored with a reverence next to Apis. Wilkinson thinks that it was from this, and not from Apis, that the Israelites borrowed their notions of the golden calf. 'The offerings, dancing, and rejoicing practiced on the occasion, were doubtless in imitation of a ceremony they had witnessed in honor of Mnevis during their sojourn in Egypt. A third sacred bull, called Bacis, was maintained at Hermonthis, near Thebes. It was a huge, black animal, and its hairs were said to grow the wrong way. Other bulls and cows hold the rank of gods, but were only sacred."
Verse 42, "Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?"
LGT "But God turned and delivered them up to serve the host of the heaven; just as it has been written [and stands written] in the Book of the prophets: O ye house of Israel, did ye offer slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness?"
Stephen is quoting Amos 5:25-27. The host of heaven represents the fact that they were worshipping the stars and heavenly bodies.
Vincent notes:
"Star-worship, or Sabaeanism, the remnant of the ancient heathenism of Western Asia, which consisted in the worship of the stars, and spread into Syria, though the Chaldean religion was far more from being simple worship of the host of heaven; the heavenly bodies being regarded as real persons, and not mere metaphorical [symbolic] representations of astronomical phenomena. It is to the Sabaean worship that Job alludes when, in asserting the purity of his life (31:26,27), he says: If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hands: this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.' Though not a part of the religion of the Egyptians, Rawlinson thinks it may have been connected with their earlier belief, since prayer is represented in hieroglyphics by a man holding up his hands, accompanied by a star (Herodotus, vol.2, p.291)."
Verse 43, "Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon."
LGT "And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Ramphan, the models you made to worship them, and I will remove you beyond Babylon."
Stephen here continues his quotation of the passage in Amos 5:27. The Hebrews copied the Egyptians by making idols to carry about with them, supposedly to protect then from all enemies. "Moloch was the god of the Amorites to whom children were offered as live sacrifices, an ox-headed image with arms outstretched in which children were placed and hollow underneath" (Robertson). The Israelites were carrying these figures around with them instead of the 'Ark of the covenant'. I will remove you beyond Babylon from Amos 5:27 where he predicts the Jews Babylonian captivity.
Calvin explains why Amos used the name Damascus:
"The prophet names Damascus; neither doth the Greek interpretation dissent from the same. Wherefore it may be that the word Babylon crept in here through error; though in the sum of the thing there be no great difference. The Israelites were to be carried away to Babylon; but they thought that they had a sure and strong fortress in the kingdom of Syria, whose head Damascus was, therefore the prophet saith that Damascus shall not help them, but that God shall drive them farther; as if he should say, So long as you have Damascus set against your enemies, you think that you are well fenced; but God shall carry you away beyond it; even into Assyria and Chaldea."
Verses 44, 45, "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen; which also our fathers that came after brought with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;"
LGT "The tabernacle of the testimony was to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the One commanded who spoke to Moses, to make it according to the model which he had seen: which also our fathers, having received by succession, brought in, with Joshua taking possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, until the days of David;"
Stephen shows that God cannot be blamed for the peoples infidelity, because they had the testimony with them in the wilderness at all times; God's presence was in the tabernacle, and still the people went whoring after strange gods. The phrase according to the model, which he had seen, is making reference to all the rituals Moses was to follow; now, rituals mean nothing to God without the antitype being considered with the type. Even in the Old Testament the commandments of God had no meaning without the spiritual interpretation being included in the worship. God, from the very beginning of time, must always be worshipped in Spirit and in truth; without the Spirit, there is no truth. They were to bring the tabernacle with them, even into the land, led by Joshua, until the time of David.
Verse 46, "Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob."
LGT "Who found favor before God, and asked to find an habitation for the house of Jacob."
David proposed to build a more permanent abode for the Lord than just a movable tabernacle (2 Sam. 7:2).
Calvin notes on this verse:
"Stephen counted this a singular benefit of God, not without great cause, that the place was showed to David wherein the Israelites should hereafter worship God; as in the Psalm he rejoiceth as over some noble thing: I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord; our feet shall be stable in thy courts, O Jerusalem." The priesthood was coupled with the kingdom; therefore the stability of the kingdom is showed in the resting of the ark; therefore it is said that he desired this so earnestly that he bound himself with a solemn vow, that he would not come within the house, that his eyes should enjoy no sleep, not his temples any rest, until he should know a place for the Lord, and a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. Furthermore, the place was showed to David, but it was granted to Solomon to build the temple (1 Kings 5:7)."
Verse 47, "But Solomon built him an house."
LGT "But Solomon built Him a house."
David was not permitted to build the temple because he had been a man of war 2 Chron. 22. David prepared the principle materials, but Solomon built it.
Verses 48-50, "Howbeit the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? Saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all things?"
LGT "But the Most High dwells not in things made with hands, just as the prophet says, the heaven [is] to Me a throne, and the earth a footstool of My feet: What manner of house will you build Me? Says [the] Lord, or what [the] place of My rest? Made not My hand all these things?"
Stephen points out that God is not shackled by any man made place. He points out that Isaiah clearly taught: Thus saith the Lord: the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord; but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Verse 51, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."
LGT "O stiff-necked and uncircumcised hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers, also ye."
Stephen points out that they had hearts that were constantly whoring after strange gods, just as their fathers had done. Their fathers had placed all the importance on outward worship in lieu of true spiritual worship; remember God must always be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. "And as Stephen saw his countrymen repeating the old mistake - clinging to the present and material, while God was calling them to higher spiritual levels - and still, as ever, resisting the Holy Spirit, treating the Messiah as the patriarchs had treated Joseph, and the Hebrews Moses - the pity of it overwhelmed him, and his mingled grief and indignation broke out in words of fire, such as burned of old on the lips of the prophets" (Furneaux-quoted by Robertson).
Verses 52, 53, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."
LGT "Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who before announced concerning the coming of the Just One, of whom now you have become betrayers and murderers, who received the law by [the] disposition of angels, and kept [it] not."
Stephen is telling the Sanhedrim that they are circumcised in the flesh, but their hearts are far from God. They received the Law by the disposition of angels, but they disregarded it spiritually.
McGee comments:
"This is a masterful speech. Stephen reminds them of the deliverance out of Egypt. God made Moses the deliverer, but the children of Israel refused to obey him. The wilderness experience was a series of rebellions against God, brought to a climax in the making of a golden calf. A plague of idolatry broke out again in the land and resulted in the Babylonian captivity. Stephen concludes with Joshua, who led them into the land, and Jesus, who made the way to heaven. He charges that the Law was given to them supernaturally by the ministry of angels, and they did not keep it. Perhaps they knew that the birth of Jesus was announced by angels. Obviously, they have been the betrayers and murderers of Him."
The Stoning of Stephen
Verse 54, "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth."
LGT "And hearing these things, they were cut to their hearts, and gnashed the teeth at him."
The phrase they were cut to their hearts is from the Greek word diaprionto an imperfect verb meaning to cut to the heart with a negative meaning to it to be enraged. So the Sanhedrim was not moved with compassion, but the next phrase gives us their true feelings, and gnashed the teeth at him, that is, they were grinding their teeth in anger. "Literally, they began to gnash their teeth at him (just like a pack of hungry wolves). Stephen knew that it meant death to him" (Robertson).
Verse 55, "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God."
LGT "But being full of [the] Holy Spirit, having looked intently into heaven, he saw [the] glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."
Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. This phrase means that Stephen was in the complete control of the Holy Spirit. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God; Jesus when he had ascended into heaven after His finished work on the cross for our Salvation, He sat down at the right hand of God, showing that His work in Salvation was finished, but that does not mean that He is through working today as Mediator, Intercessor, and ruler of the universe. Here Stephen sees Jesus standing ready to greet him.
Verse 56, "And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
LGT "And said, Lo, I behold the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right [hand] of God."
Stephen declares out loud what he now sees, that He sees the Son of Man, that is, the incarnate Christ, standing at the right hand of God.
Calvin notes on this vision of Christ:
"He sees Christ reigning in that flesh wherein he was abased; so that in very deed the victory did consist in this one thing. Therefore, it is not superfluous in that Christ appeareth unto him, and for this cause doth he also call him the Son of Man, as if he should say, I see that man whom ye thought ye had quite extinguished by death enjoying the government of heaven; therefore, gnash with your teeth as much as you list: there is no cause why I should fear to fight for him even unto blood, who shall not only defend his own cause, but me salvation also."
Verses 57, 58, "Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul."
LGT "And crying out with a loud voice, they held together their ears and rushed with one accord upon him, and having cast [him] out of the city they stoned [him]. And the witnesses laid aside their garments, at the feet of a young man named Saul."
The Sanhedrim cried out against Stephen as though He spoke blasphemy, when he spoke of seeing Jesus Christ standing at God's right hand; they also stopped up their ears with their hands, showing their opposition to what Stephen was saying, as little children do when they don't want to hear something an adult is telling them. They stoned him; this was God's prescribed punishment for false prophets, as described in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy. They all rushed Stephen and took him out of the city and stoned him. They laid their garments at the feet of Saul of Tarsus; I believe his witnessing this incredible scene, had an impact on Paul's conversion. This is the first mention of the apostle to the Gentiles.
Vincent describes the system of stoning:
"According to the Rabbis, the scaffold to which the criminal was to be led, with his hands bound, was to be twice the size of a man. One of the witnesses was to smite him with a stone upon the breast, so as to throw him down. If he were not killed, the second witness was to throw another stone at him. Then, if he were yet alive, all the people were to stone him until he was dead. The body was then to be suspended till sunset."
Verse 59, "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
LGT "And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
They kept stoning Stephen as he prayed to the Lord to receive his spirit now. The courage of Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, prayed in that name that caused him to be stoned, for he knew his life was hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
Verse 60, "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
LGT "And having bowed the knees he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not to them this sin. And having said this, he fell asleep"
Stephen repeats similar sentiments, at his death, which he could only have spoken as he was filled with the Holy Spirit, that Jesus spoke from the cross; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Stephen cried them out so that every one there could hear; I believe Paul heard these words, but they didn't hit home until he was on the road to Damascus. Stephen fell asleep; what a contrast to the raging crowd who were hurling stones to his death. When the unbeliever passes from this life he is immediately cast into Hell; when a believer passes, he goes from a veil of tears to an eternal rest; this is why a Christian writes, such as Luke, classify death as a sleep; we fall asleep on this earth to awake in the presence of the Lord; O! What a wonderful day that will be, to find my Savior standing at the right hand of the Father, with His arms out stretched to greet me.
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