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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 7:1-16

Stephen is now at the bar before the great council of the nation, indicted for blasphemy: what the witnesses swore against him we had an account of in the foregoing chapter, that he spoke blasphemous words against Moses and God; for he spoke against this holy place and the law. Now here, I. The high priest calls upon him to answer for himself, Acts 7:1. He was president, and, as such, the mouth of the court, and therefore he saith, ?You, the prisoner at the bar, you hear what is sworn against... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 7:17-29

Stephen here goes on to relate, I. The wonderful increase of the people of Israel in Egypt; it was by a wonder of providence that in a little time they advanced from a family into a nation. 1. It was when the time of the promise drew nigh?the time when they were to be formed into a people. During the first two hundred and fifteen years after the promise made to Abraham, the children of the covenant were increased but to seventy; but in the latter two hundred and fifteen years they increased to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 7:8-16

7:8-16 "So he gave him the covenant of which circumcision was the sign. So he begat Isaac and he circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac begat Jacob and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. The patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles and gave him grace and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt. So he made Joseph the ruler of Egypt and of his whole house. There came a famine upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 7:17-36

7:17-36 "When the time for the fulfillment of the promise which God had told to Abraham drew near, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose another king in Egypt who had no knowledge of Joseph. He schemed against our race and treated our fathers badly by making them cast out their children so that they would not survive. At this point Moses was born and he was very comely in God's sight. For three months he was nurtured in his father's house. When he was put out... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:8

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision ,.... Or the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign or token, Genesis 17:11 . Stephen speaks here in the language of the Jews, who are wont to speak of circumcision after this manner; hence in the Jewish liturgy, there is a collect, לברית מילה , "for the covenant of circumcision" F8 Seder Tephillot, fol. 197. 1. Ed. Basil. Vid. Kimchi in Mal. iii. 1. ; and so it is said F9 Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 90. 1. , "when Joseph... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:9

And the patriarchs, moved with envy ,.... See Genesis 37:11 the sons of Jacob and brethren of Joseph were filled with envy, and enraged at him, because of the evil report of them he brought to his father; and because he had a greater share in his father's love than they had; and because of his dreams, which signified that he should have the dominion over them, and they should be obliged to yield obedience to him: wherefore they sold Joseph into Egypt ; they sold him to the Ishmaelites... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:10

And delivered him out of all his afflictions ,.... From the evil designs of his mistress, and from all the miseries of a prison: and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; so Justin in the place above cited says, that Joseph was very dear to the king; but not through his knowledge of magic arts, as he suggests, but on account of the wisdom which God gave him; for when he is said to have favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, the meaning is, that he was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:11

Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt, and Canaan ,.... This dearth, or famine, is said to be in all lands, Genesis 41:54 though only Egypt and Canaan are mentioned here, because the history is concerned with no other. The Jewish writers F16 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 90. fol. 78. 1. speak of three lands particularly, which were affected with it, Phenicia, Arabia, and Palestine; and this famine in the land of Israel, they say F17 Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. , which lasted... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:12

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt ,.... Not then growing, or gathering in there, or that was of that year's produce; for the famine was strong in the land of Egypt, as well as in Canaan; but was what had been laid up, and preserved in the seven years of plenty, by the order and care of Joseph; which by some means or another, Jacob had heard of; see Genesis 42:1 the Jews suggest F21 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 91. fol. 78. 1, 2. , that it was by divine revelation: he sent... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 7:13

And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren ,.... That is, when the brethren of Joseph went a second time down to Egypt for corn, Joseph made himself known unto them, Genesis 45:1 . And Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh ; for though it was known before that he was an Hebrew, see Genesis 39:17 yet it was not known of what family he was, who was his father, or his brethren, but now it was known, Genesis 45:16 . read more

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