1
Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεύς· ⸀Εἰ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει;
And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2
ὁ δὲ ἔφη· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατε· Ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ὤφθη τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν Ἀβραὰμ ὄντι ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ πρὶν ἢ κατοικῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν Χαρράν,
And he said: “Men, brothers and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
first here Abraham Ἀβραάμ Abraam
Why this rendering
Acts.7.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
The longest speech in Acts (vv.2-53) opens with hear (ἀκούσατε) — the verb of the Shema. It opens with the God of glory (ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης) and closes at v.55 with the glory of God (δόξαν θεοῦ): the speech runs from the glory that appeared to Abraham to the glory Stephen sees. ὤφθη, appeared, is the chapter's thread — v.2 God to Abraham, v.26 Moses to his brothers, v.30 the angel to Moses, v.35 the angel who appeared. The verb of theophany is used of a man too. Watch the place where our father (τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν) becomes your fathers (οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν) at v.51 — we all through the speech, you at the moment of accusation.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “appeared” — one verb for every ὤφθη
Basis The same passive serves God, Moses and the angel; one rendering keeps the thread. Paraphrasing the Moses instance as came to would cut it.
3
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ⸀ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ δεῦρο εἰς ⸀τὴν γῆν ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω.
and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred, and come into the land which I will show you.’
4
τότε ἐξελθὼν ἐκ γῆς Χαλδαίων κατῴκησεν ἐν Χαρράν. κἀκεῖθεν μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ μετῴκισεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς νῦν κατοικεῖτε,
Then going out from the land of the Chaldeans he dwelt in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he removed him into this land in which you now dwell,
5
καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κληρονομίαν ἐν αὐτῇ οὐδὲ βῆμα ποδός, καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο δοῦναι αὐτῷ εἰς κατάσχεσιν αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτόν, οὐκ ὄντος αὐτῷ τέκνου.
and he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s breadth, yet promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when he had no child.
6
ἐλάλησεν ⸀δὲ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πάροικον ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτὸ καὶ κακώσουσιν ἔτη τετρακόσια·
And God spoke thus: that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land, and they would enslave them and mistreat them four hundred years.
Why this rendering
Acts.7.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
πάροικον, sojourner, comes at v.6 and v.29 — Abraham's seed in a foreign land, Moses in Midian. It is the word of Luke 24:18 (Emmaus — a sojourner in Jerusalem). Four hundred years (ἔτη τετρακόσια) is the number of Genesis 15:13, and seventy-five (v.14) the number of the Septuagint at Genesis 46:27 (the Hebrew has seventy) — Stephen reads the Septuagint. ἐν ψυχαῖς ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε — seventy-five lives (ψυχή): the fixed ψυχή = life here counts persons, and the count of lives is kept.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “seventy-five lives” — ψυχή as a counting unit
Basis English keeps lives, the fixed rendering, as the count word; the choice is recorded.
7
καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ᾧ ⸀ἐὰν ⸀δουλεύσουσιν κρινῶ ἐγώ, ⸂ὁ θεὸς εἶπεν⸃, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξελεύσονται καὶ λατρεύσουσίν μοι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ.
‘And the nation to which they will be enslaved I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come out and serve me in this place.’
8
καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ διαθήκην περιτομῆς· καὶ οὕτως ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ περιέτεμεν αὐτὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ⸀καὶ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακώβ, ⸁καὶ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς δώδεκα πατριάρχας.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so he begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
first here Isaac Ἰσαάκ Isaak
first here Jacob Ἰακώβ Iakōb
9
Καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαι ζηλώσαντες τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγυπτον· καὶ ἦν ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ,
And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; and God was with him,
first here Joseph Ἰωσήφ Iōsēph
first here Egypt Αἴγυπτος Aigyptos
10
καὶ ἐξείλατο αὐτὸν ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ χάριν καὶ σοφίαν ἐναντίον Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου, καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἡγούμενον ἐπ’ Αἴγυπτον ⸀καὶ ὅλον τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.
and rescued him out of all his afflictions, and gave him grace and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he set him as leader over Egypt and over all his house.
11
ἦλθεν δὲ λιμὸς ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν ⸀Αἴγυπτον καὶ Χανάαν καὶ θλῖψις μεγάλη, καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον χορτάσματα οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν·
Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no sustenance.
12
ἀκούσας δὲ Ἰακὼβ ὄντα ⸂σιτία εἰς Αἴγυπτον⸃ ἐξαπέστειλεν τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν πρῶτον·
But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time;
13
καὶ ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ ⸀ἀνεγνωρίσθη Ἰωσὴφ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ φανερὸν ἐγένετο τῷ Φαραὼ τὸ ⸀γένος Ἰωσήφ.
and on the second, Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.
14
ἀποστείλας δὲ Ἰωσὴφ μετεκαλέσατο ⸂Ἰακὼβ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ⸃ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν συγγένειαν ἐν ψυχαῖς ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε,
And Joseph sent and called to himself Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five lives.
15
⸂καὶ κατέβη⸃ Ἰακὼβ εἰς Αἴγυπτον. καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν,
And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
16
καὶ μετετέθησαν εἰς Συχὲμ καὶ ἐτέθησαν ἐν τῷ μνήματι ⸀ᾧ ὠνήσατο Ἀβραὰμ τιμῆς ἀργυρίου παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἑμμὼρ ⸀ἐν Συχέμ.
and they were carried over to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17
Καθὼς δὲ ἤγγιζεν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἧς ⸀ὡμολόγησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραάμ, ηὔξησεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐπληθύνθη ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ,
But as the time of the promise which God had acknowledged to Abraham drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18
ἄχρι οὗ ἀνέστη βασιλεὺς ἕτερος ⸂ἐπ’ Αἴγυπτον⸃, ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἰωσήφ.
until there rose another king over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
19
οὗτος κατασοφισάμενος τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἐκάκωσεν τοὺς ⸀πατέρας τοῦ ποιεῖν ⸂τὰ βρέφη ἔκθετα⸃ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ μὴ ζῳογονεῖσθαι.
This one, dealing craftily with our race, mistreated our fathers, making them expose their infants so that they would not be kept alive.
20
ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ ἐγεννήθη Μωϋσῆς, καὶ ἦν ἀστεῖος τῷ θεῷ· ὃς ἀνετράφη μῆνας τρεῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός·
At which time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God; he was brought up three months in his father’s house,
first here Moses Μωϋσῆς Mōysēs
21
⸂ἐκτεθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀνείλατο αὐτὸν⸃ ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραὼ καὶ ἀνεθρέψατο αὐτὸν ἑαυτῇ εἰς υἱόν.
and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and brought him up as her own son.
22
καὶ ἐπαιδεύθη ⸀Μωϋσῆς πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων, ἦν δὲ δυνατὸς ἐν λόγοις καὶ ἔργοις ⸀αὐτοῦ.
And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his words and works.
23
Ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ τεσσερακονταετὴς χρόνος, ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ.
And when a period of forty years was being fulfilled for him, it rose upon his heart to look upon his brothers, the sons of Israel.
first here Israel Ἰσραήλ Israēl
24
καὶ ἰδών τινα ἀδικούμενον ἠμύνατο καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐκδίκησιν τῷ καταπονουμένῳ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον.
And seeing one being wronged, he defended him and worked justice for the one being oppressed, striking down the Egyptian.
25
ἐνόμιζεν δὲ συνιέναι τοὺς ⸀ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ὁ θεὸς διὰ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ δίδωσιν ⸂σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς⸃, οἱ δὲ οὐ συνῆκαν.
He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation through his hand, but they did not understand.
Why this rendering
Acts.7.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
σωτηρίαν, salvation, is in Moses' hand — and his brothers do not συνιέναι, understand. συνίημι is the verb of Mark 8:17, 21, do you not understand. V.27's who set you as ruler and judge over us is repeated word for word at v.35, and v.35 answers that God sent that very ruler (ἄρχων) with redeemer (λυτρωτής) added — the title men denied, God promotes. λυτρωτής is unique in the New Testament, the root of Luke 1:68 redemption (λύτρωσις), 2:38 and 24:21 the one to redeem (λυτροῦσθαι); this edition fixed those as redeem. Vv.35, 37 and 38 each begin with οὗτος, this one — those who denied this Moses and those who crucified this Jesus (2:36, 4:10) are bound by the same demonstrative.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “ruler and redeemer”
Basis λυτρωτής as redeemer, keeping the root of Luke 1:68. Saviour belongs to σωτήρ (5:31) and is not used.
26
τῇ τε ἐπιούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς μαχομένοις καὶ ⸀συνήλλασσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς εἰρήνην εἰπών· Ἄνδρες, ἀδελφοί ⸀ἐστε· ἱνατί ἀδικεῖτε ἀλλήλους;
And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them to peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?’
27
ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίον ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν εἰπών· Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ’ ⸀ἡμῶν;
But the one who was wronging his neighbour pushed him away, saying, ‘Who set you as ruler and judge over us?
28
μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ⸀ἐχθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον;
Do you want to do away with me as you did away with the Egyptian yesterday?’
29
ἔφυγεν δὲ Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ, καὶ ἐγένετο πάροικος ἐν γῇ Μαδιάμ, οὗ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς δύο.
And Moses fled at this word and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons.
30
Καὶ πληρωθέντων ἐτῶν τεσσεράκοντα ὤφθη αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ ὄρους Σινᾶ ⸀ἄγγελος ἐν φλογὶ πυρὸς βάτου·
And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.
31
ὁ δὲ Μωϋσῆς ἰδὼν ⸀ἐθαύμασεν τὸ ὅραμα. προσερχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ κατανοῆσαι ἐγένετο φωνὴ ⸀κυρίου·
And Moses, seeing it, marvelled at the vision; and as he approached to look at it, there came the voice of the Lord:
32
Ἐγὼ ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων σου, ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ ⸀καὶ Ἰσαὰκ ⸁καὶ Ἰακώβ. ἔντρομος δὲ γενόμενος Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐτόλμα κατανοῆσαι.
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ And Moses, becoming trembling, did not dare to look.
33
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος· Λῦσον τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν σου, ὁ γὰρ τόπος ⸀ἐφ’ ᾧ ἕστηκας γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν.
And the Lord said to him, ‘Loose the sandal from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.
34
ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ ⸀αὐτοῦ ἤκουσα, καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς· καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ⸀ἀποστείλω σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
35
Τοῦτον τὸν Μωϋσῆν, ὃν ἠρνήσαντο εἰπόντες· Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστήν, τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ⸀καὶ ἄρχοντα καὶ λυτρωτὴν ⸂ἀπέσταλκεν σὺν⸃ χειρὶ ἀγγέλου τοῦ ὀφθέντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ βάτῳ.
This Moses, whom they denied, saying, ‘Who set you as ruler and judge?’ — this one God sent as both ruler and redeemer, with the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36
οὗτος ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ποιήσας τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα ἐν ⸀γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν Ἐρυθρᾷ Θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἔτη τεσσεράκοντα.
This one led them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years.
37
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς ὁ ⸀εἴπας τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει ⸂ὁ θεὸς⸃ ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ.
This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
38
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ γενόμενος ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾶ καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὃς ἐδέξατο ⸀λόγια ζῶντα δοῦναι ⸀ἡμῖν,
This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us,
Why this rendering
Acts.7.38 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ — in the assembly in the wilderness. The ἐκκλησία that first appeared at 5:11 here names Israel at the foot of Sinai — the word with which the Septuagint rendered the Hebrew qāhāl. Why this edition fixed it as assembly shows in this verse: church would make wilderness Israel a church, and congregation, as a separate rendering, would cut the one word with which the author joins Israel and the Jerusalem gathering. λόγια ζῶντα, living oracles — λόγιον has four New Testament places (here, Rom 3:2, Heb 5:12, 1 Pet 4:11), and only here is it living.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “the assembly in the wilderness” — one word with 5:11
Basis As fixed. This verse is the test of that fixing — church would fail it.
39
ᾧ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ὑπήκοοι γενέσθαι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀπώσαντο καὶ ἐστράφησαν ⸂ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις⸃ αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον,
to whom our fathers were unwilling to become obedient, but pushed him away and turned in their hearts to Egypt,
40
εἰπόντες τῷ Ἀαρών· Ποίησον ἡμῖν θεοὺς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς οὗτος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί ⸀ἐγένετο αὐτῷ.
saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us; for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt — we do not know what has become of him.’
first here Aaron Ἀαρών Aarōn
41
καὶ ἐμοσχοποίησαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ ἀνήγαγον θυσίαν τῷ εἰδώλῳ, καὶ εὐφραίνοντο ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν.
And they made a calf in those days and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and were merry in the works of their hands.
42
ἔστρεψεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς λατρεύειν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν· Μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἔτη τεσσεράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ;
But God turned and handed them over to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you offer me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel?
43
καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ ⸀Ῥαιφάν, τοὺς τύπους οὓς ἐποιήσατε προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς. καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος.
And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the figures you made to bow to. And I will remove you beyond Babylon.’
first here Babylon Βαβυλών Babylōn
44
Ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἦν τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καθὼς διετάξατο ὁ λαλῶν τῷ Μωϋσῇ ποιῆσαι αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸν τύπον ὃν ἑωράκει,
The tent of witness was with our fathers in the wilderness, as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen;
45
ἣν καὶ εἰσήγαγον διαδεξάμενοι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ κατασχέσει τῶν ἐθνῶν ὧν ἐξῶσεν ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἕως τῶν ἡμερῶν Δαυίδ·
which our fathers, receiving it in turn, also brought in with Joshua when they took possession of the nations whom God drove out from before the face of our fathers, until the days of David,
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
first here daughter Δαυίδ Dauid
46
ὃς εὗρεν χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ᾐτήσατο εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα τῷ ⸀θεῷ Ἰακώβ.
who found grace before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.
47
Σολομῶν δὲ οἰκοδόμησεν αὐτῷ οἶκον.
But Solomon built him a house.
48
ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐν ⸀χειροποιήτοις κατοικεῖ· καθὼς ὁ προφήτης λέγει·
Yet the Most High does not dwell in what is made by hands, as the prophet says:
Why this rendering
Acts.7.48 Observation
Syntactic observation
χειροποίητος, made by hands, is the word of the false witness of Mark 14:58 (this sanctuary made with hands … another not made with hands) — the word of the charge pinned on Stephen at 6:14, which Stephen now takes into his own mouth and turns: the Most High does not dwell in what is made by hands. σκήνωμα, dwelling (v.46), and σκηνή, tent (v.44), share a root — what David sought was not a house but a tent-place, and v.47's δέ (but Solomon … a house) marks the swerve. In the Isaiah 66:1-2 citation (vv.49-50) footstool (ὑποπόδιον) is the word of 2:35, the Psalm 110 citation — the Lord who makes enemies a footstool makes the earth one.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “what is made by hands” — the word of Mark 14:58
Basis That the word of the charge becomes the word of the defence is visible only if the rendering is the same.
49
Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ⸂ἡ δὲ⸃ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου;
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
50
οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα πάντα;
Did not my hand make all these things?’
51
Σκληροτράχηλοι καὶ ἀπερίτμητοι ⸀καρδίαις καὶ τοῖς ὠσίν, ὑμεῖς ἀεὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἀντιπίπτετε, ὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ ὑμεῖς.
Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
52
τίνα τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἐδίωξαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν; καὶ ἀπέκτειναν τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ δικαίου οὗ νῦν ὑμεῖς προδόται καὶ φονεῖς ⸀ἐγένεσθε,
Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers,
53
οἵτινες ἐλάβετε τὸν νόμον εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων, καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξατε.
you who received the law as ordinances of angels and did not keep it.”
54
Ἀκούοντες δὲ ταῦτα διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ’ αὐτόν.
Now hearing these things they were cut to the quick in their hearts and were grinding their teeth at him.
55
ὑπάρχων δὲ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ἀτενίσας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶδεν δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ,
But being full of the Holy Spirit, gazing fixedly into heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56
καὶ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ θεωρῶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ⸀διηνοιγμένους καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν ἑστῶτα τοῦ θεοῦ.
and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Why this rendering
Acts.7.56 Observation
Syntactic observation
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου — the Son of Man. The title only Jesus used in the Gospels stands on human lips outside the Gospels here alone in the New Testament (Rev 1:13, 14:14 have one like a son of man). And standing (ἑστῶτα) — where Psalm 110 says sit (2:34; Luke 22:69, will be seated) he is here standing, and vv.55 and 56 write it twice. The base text gives no reason — standing as witness, to welcome, as judge are all outside the text; this edition renders only standing. διηνοιγμένους, opened, is the διανοίγω of Luke 24:31, 32, 45 (eyes, scriptures, mind opened) — the heavens open with that verb too.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “the heavens opened” — διανοίγω as fixed (one word with ἀνοίγω)
Basis διανοίγω and ἀνοίγω are both rendered open, as fixed at Luke 24 (a recorded loss).
57
κράξαντες δὲ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ συνέσχον τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν, καὶ ὥρμησαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπ’ αὐτόν,
But crying out with a loud voice they stopped their ears and rushed on him with one mind,
58
καὶ ἐκβαλόντες ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐλιθοβόλουν. καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες ἀπέθεντο τὰ ἱμάτια ⸀αὐτῶν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας νεανίου καλουμένου Σαύλου.
and casting him out of the city they were stoning him. And the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul.
59
καὶ ἐλιθοβόλουν τὸν Στέφανον ἐπικαλούμενον καὶ λέγοντα· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου·
And they were stoning Stephen as he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60
θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς ⸂ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν⸃· καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη.
And kneeling down he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And having said this, he fell asleep.
Why this rendering
Acts.7.60 Observation
Syntactic observation
Stephen's last two sayings take up the cross of Luke — v.59 Lord Jesus, receive my spirit takes up 23:46, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit; v.60 do not hold this sin against them takes up 23:34, Father, forgive them. But the one addressed changes — where Jesus said Father, Stephen says Lord Jesus: the first prayer addressed to Jesus. ἐκοιμήθη, he fell asleep, is the verb of Lazarus at John 11:11, which this edition fixed as fall asleep (not brought forward to died). Beside that sleep stands a young man called Saul (v.58), keeping the garments — the author adds nothing. θεὶς τὰ γόνατα, kneeling down, is the phrase of Gethsemane, Luke 22:41.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “he fell asleep”
Basis As fixed at John 11:11 — the base text writes the death as sleep, and the translation does not undo it.