TRV
Translation
King James Version
For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Complete Jewish Bible
He supposed his brothers would understand that God was using him to rescue them, but they didn’t understand.
Berean Standard Bible
He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.
American Standard Version
and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they understood not.
World English Bible Messianic
He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For hee supposed his brethren would haue vnderstand, that God by his hande should giue them deliuerance: but they vnderstoode it not.
Young's Literal Translation
and he was supposing his brethren to understand that God through his hand doth give salvation; and they did not understand.
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In the KJVVerse 27,142 of 31,102
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Commentary on Acts 7 verses 17–29
17 ¶ But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed 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?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
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 six hundred thousand fighting men. The motion of providence is sometimes quickest when it comes nearest the centre. Let us not be discouraged at the slowness of the proceedings towards the accomplishment of God's promises; God knows how to redeem the time that seems to have been lost, and, when the year of the redeemed is at hand, can do a double work in a single day. 2. It was in Egypt, where they were oppressed, and ruled with rigour; when their lives were made so bitter to them that, one would think, they should have wished to be written childless, yet they married, in faith that God in due time would visit them; and God blessed them, who thus honoured him, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply. Suffering times have often been growing times with the church.
II. The extreme hardships which they underwent there, Act 7:18, Act 7:19. When the Egyptians observed them to increase in number they increased their burdens, in which Stephen observes three things: - 1. Their base ingratitude: They were oppressed by another king that knew not Joseph, that is, did not consider the good service that Joseph had done to that nation; for, if he had, he would not have made so ill a requital to his relations and family. Those that injure good people are very ungrateful, for they are the blessings of the age and place they live in. 2. Their hellish craft and policy: They dealt subtly with our kindred. Come on, said they, let us deal wisely, thinking thereby to secure themselves, but it proved dealing foolishly, for they did but treasure up wrath by it. Those are in a great mistake who think they deal wisely for themselves when they deal deceitfully or unmercifully with their brethren. 3. Their barbarous and inhuman cruelty. That they might effectually extirpate them, they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. The killing of their infant seed seemed a very likely way to crush an infant nation. Now Stephen seems to observe this to them, not only that they might further see how mean their beginnings were, fitly represented (perhaps with an eye to the exposing of the young children in Egypt) by the forlorn state of a helpless, out-cast infant (Eze 16:4), and how much they were indebted to God for his care of them, which they had forfeited, and made themselves unworthy of: but also that they might consider that what they were now doing against the Christian church in its infancy was as impious and unjust, and would be in the issue as fruitless and ineffectual, as that was which the Egyptians did against the Jewish church in its infancy. "You think you deal subtly in your ill treatment of us, and, in persecuting young converts, you do as they did in casting out the young children; but you will find it is to no purpose, in spite of your malice Christ's disciples will increase and multiply."
III. The raising up of Moses to be their deliverer. Stephen was charged with having spoken blasphemous words against Moses, in answer to which charge he here speaks very honourably of him. 1. Moses was born when the persecution of Israel was at the hottest, especially in that most cruel instance of it, the murdering of the new-born children: At that time, Moses was born (Act 7:20), and was himself in danger, as soon as he came into the world (as our Saviour also was at Bethlehem) of falling a sacrifice to that bloody edict. God is preparing for his people's deliverance, when their way is darkest, and their distress deepest. 2. He was exceedingly fair; his face began to shine as soon as he was born, as a happy presage of the honour God designed to put upon him; he was asteios tō Theō - fair towards God; he was sanctified from the womb, and this made him beautiful in God's eyes; for it is the beauty of holiness that is in God's sight of great price. 3. He was wonderfully preserved in his infancy, first, by the care of his tender parents, who nourished him three months in their own house, as long as they durst; and then by a favourable providence that threw him into the arms of Pharaoh's daughter, who took him up, and nourished him as her own son (Act 7:21); for those whom God designs to make special use of he will take special care of. And did he thus protect the child Moses? Much more will he secure the interests of his holy child Jesus (as he is called Act 4:27) from the enemies that are gathered together against him. 4. He became a great scholar (Act 7:22): He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, who were then famed for all manner of polite literature, particularly philosophy, astronomy, and (which perhaps helped to lead them to idolatry) hieroglyphics. Moses, having his education at court, had opportunity of improving himself by the best books, tutors, and conversation, in all the arts and sciences, and had a genius for them. Only we have reason to think that he had not so far forgotten the God of his fathers as to acquaint himself with the unlawful studies and practices of the magicians of Egypt, any further than was necessary to the confuting of them. 5. He became a prime minister of state in Egypt. This seems to be meant by his being mighty in words and deeds. Though he had not a ready way of expressing himself, but stammered, yet he spoke admirably good sense, and every thing he said commanded assent, and carried its own evidence and force of reason along with it; and, in business, none went on with such courage, and conduct, and success. Thus was he prepared, by human helps, for those services, which, after all, he could not be thoroughly furnished for without divine illumination. Now, by all this, Stephen will make it appear that, notwithstanding the malicious insinuations of his persecutors, he had as high and honourable thoughts of Moses as they had.
IV. The attempts which Moses made to deliver Israel, which they spurned, and would not close in with. This Stephen insists much upon, and it serves for a key to this story (Exo 2:11-15), as does also that other construction which is put upon it by the apostle, Heb 11:24-26. There it is represented as an act of holy self-denial, here as a designed prelude to, or entrance upon, the public service he was to be called out to (Act 7:23): When he was full forty years old, in the prime of his time for preferment in the court of Egypt, it came into his heart (for God put it there) to visit his brethren the children of Israel, and to see which way he might do them any service; and he showed himself as a public person, with a public character. 1. As Israel's saviour. This he gave a specimen of in avenging an oppressed Israelite, and killing the Egyptian that abused him (Act 7:24). Seeing one of his brethren suffer wrong, he was moved with compassion towards the sufferer, and a just indignation at the wrong-doer, as men in public stations should be, and he avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian, which, if he had been only a private person, he could not lawfully have done; but he knew that his commission from heaven would bear him out, and he supposed that his brethren (who could not but have some knowledge of the promise made to Abraham, that the nation that should oppress them God would judge) would have understood that God by his hand would deliver them; for he could not have had either presence of mind or strength of body to do what he did, if he had not been clothed with such a divine power as evinced a divine authority. If they had but understood the signs of the times, they might have taken this for the dawning of the day of their deliverance; but they understood not, they did not take this, as it was designed, for the setting up of a standard, and sounding of a trumpet, to proclaim Moses their deliverer. 2. As Israel's judge. This he gave a specimen of, the very next day, in offering to accommodate matters between two contending Hebrews, wherein he plainly assumed a public character (Act 7:26): He showed himself to them as they strove, and, putting on an air of majesty and authority, he would have set them at one again, and as their prince have determined the controversy between them, saying, Sirs, you are brethren, by birth and profession of religion; why do you wrong one to another? For he observed that (as in most strifes) there was a fault on both sides; and therefore, in order to peace and friendship, there must be a mutual remission and condescension. When Moses was to be Israel's deliverer out of Egypt, he slew the Egyptians, and so delivered Israel out of their hands; but, when he was to be Israel's judge and lawgiver, he ruled them with the golden sceptre, not the iron rod; he did not kill and slay them when they strove, but gave them excellent laws and statutes, and decided upon their complaints and appeals made to him, Exo 18:16. But the contending Israelite that was most in the wrong thrust him away (Act 7:27), would not bear the reproof, though a just and gentle one, but was ready to fly in his face, with, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Proud and litigious spirits are impatient of check and control. Rather would these Israelites have their bodies ruled with rigour by their task-masters than be delivered, and have their minds ruled with reason, by their deliverer. The wrong-doer was so enraged at the reproof given him that he upbraided Moses with the service he had done to their nation in killing the Egyptian, which, if they had pleased, would have been the earnest of further and greater service: Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday? Act 7:28, charging that upon him as his crime, and threatening to accuse him for it, which was the hanging out of the flag of defiance to the Egyptians, and the banner of love and deliverance to Israel. Hereupon Moses fled into the land of Midian, and made no further attempt to deliver Israel till forty years after; he settled as a stranger in Midian, married, and had two sons, by Jethro's daughter, Act 7:29.
Now let us see how this serves Stephen's purpose. 1. They charged him with blaspheming Moses, in answer to which he retorts upon them the indignities which their fathers did to Moses, which they ought to be ashamed of, and humbled for, instead of picking quarrels thus, under pretence of zeal for the honour of Moses, with one that had as great a veneration for him as any of them had. 2. They persecuted him for disputing in defence of Christ and his gospel, in opposition to which they set up Moses and his law: "But," saith he, "you had best take heed," (1.) "Lest you hereby do as your fathers did, refuse and reject one whom God has raised up to be to you a prince and a Saviour; you may understand, if you will not wilfully shut your eyes against the light, that God will, by this Jesus, deliver you out of a worse slavery than that in Egypt; take heed then of thrusting him away, but receive him as a ruler and a judge over you." (2.) "Lest you hereby fare as your fathers fared, who for this were very justly left to die in their slavery, for the deliverance came not till forty years after. This will be the issue of it, you put away the gospel from you, and it will be sent to the Gentiles; you will not have Christ, and you shall not have him, so shall your doom be." Mat 23:38, Mat 23:39.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–29. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on Acts 16
"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." See how up to this point he is not yet offensive to them; how they listened to him while he said all this. And "his face," we read, "was as the face of an angel." "For he supposed," etc. And yet it was by deeds that his championship was shown; what intelligence was there need of here? but still for all this "they understood not."
For what though they killed him not actually? In intention they did kill, as did the others in the former case. There, they sold out of their own into a strange land: here, they drive from one strange land into another strange land: in the former case, one in the act of bringing them food; in this, one in the act of giving them good counsel; one to whom, under God, the man was indebted for his life! Mark how it shows the truth of that saying of Gamaliel's, "If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it." See the plotted-against eventually becoming the authors of salvation to those plotting against them: the people, plotting against itself, and itself plotted against by others; and for all this, saved! A famine, and it did not consume them: nor was this all: but they were saved by means of the very person, whom they had expected to be destroyed by their means. A royal edict, and it did not consume them: nay then most did their number increase, when he was dead "who knew" them. Their own Saviour they wished to kill, but for all that, they had not power to do it. Do you observe, that by the means whereby the devil tried to bring to naught the promise of God, by those very means it was advanced?
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Acts 7:25, embedded within Stephen's powerful historical recounting, highlights Moses' initial, yet mistaken, assumption that his Israelite brethren would comprehend God's divine intention to use him as their deliverer from Egyptian bondage. This verse powerfully contrasts Moses' clear conviction regarding his God-given mission with the profound spiritual blindness and lack of discernment displayed by the very people he sought to liberate, setting a crucial precedent for Israel's recurring pattern of rejecting God's chosen messengers.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Stephen's use of Irony is prominent in Acts 7:25. Moses, an Israelite raised in Pharaoh's court, acts on behalf of his oppressed people, believing they will understand his divinely appointed role as deliverer. The irony lies in the fact that the very people he sought to liberate, his "brethren," were the ones who failed to comprehend God's plan, leading to his rejection and flight. This also serves as powerful Foreshadowing, as Moses' initial rejection by his own people directly parallels the later rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jewish leaders and many of the people, a central theme of Stephen's speech and the book of Acts. Furthermore, the verse contributes to the broader Narrative Parallelism Stephen employs, drawing a deliberate connection between historical instances of Israel's resistance to God's messengers and their contemporary rejection of the Messiah.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Acts 7:25 underscores a profound theological truth about God's sovereign initiative in salvation history and humanity's often-resistant response. God consistently acts to deliver His people, often through chosen messengers, but human spiritual blindness and stubbornness frequently hinder the immediate reception of His grace. Moses' experience reveals that God's plan is not contingent on human comprehension or acceptance, though He desires it. It highlights the recurring biblical pattern where God's chosen ones are misunderstood or rejected by those they are sent to save, yet God's purposes ultimately prevail. This verse serves as a cautionary tale against spiritual dullness and a testament to God's persistent faithfulness despite human failure.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Acts 7:25 offers enduring lessons for believers today, primarily emphasizing the critical importance of spiritual discernment and the challenges inherent in serving God's purposes. Just as the Israelites failed to recognize God's hand in Moses' actions, we too can miss God's work in our lives or through others if we are not spiritually attuned. This verse calls us to cultivate a heart open to God's leading, even when His methods or messengers do not align with our preconceived notions or expectations. It encourages patience and perseverance for those called to ministry, reminding us that initial misunderstanding or rejection is not necessarily a sign of God's disapproval, but often a part of the journey. Ultimately, it reinforces our trust in God's sovereignty: His plans will unfold, regardless of human resistance. Our role is to align ourselves with His will, seeking to understand and participate in His redemptive work, rather than hindering it through our own spiritual blindness or resistance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the Israelites not understand Moses' role as a deliverer?
Answer: The Israelites' failure to understand Moses' role as a deliverer stemmed from a combination of factors. Firstly, they were deeply entrenched in generations of slavery, which likely dulled their spiritual perception and made them cynical or wary of any perceived leader. Moses' act of killing an Egyptian, while a demonstration of his commitment, may have been viewed as a rash, isolated act of violence rather than a divinely orchestrated intervention. They lacked the spiritual discernment to see God's hand at work through someone who had grown up in Pharaoh's palace. Furthermore, God had not yet formally commissioned Moses publicly at the burning bush, nor had He performed the signs and wonders that would later authenticate Moses' authority. Their understanding was limited by their immediate circumstances and a lack of spiritual foresight, leading to a profound misunderstanding of God's initial move to rescue them (Acts 7:26-29).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Acts 7:25, within Stephen's broader discourse, serves as a powerful typological foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Moses, the divinely appointed deliverer who was misunderstood and rejected by his own people at his first appearance, stands as a profound type of Christ. Just as Moses "supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them," so too did Jesus come to His own people, expecting them to recognize Him as the Messiah, the ultimate deliverer (John 1:11). Yet, tragically, "they understood not." Israel's rejection of Moses in his initial attempt to deliver them mirrors their rejection of Jesus, the true "prophet like unto Moses" (Acts 7:37). This pattern of rejection, from Moses to the prophets and finally to Christ, highlights humanity's consistent resistance to God's saving initiatives. However, just as God's plan for deliverance through Moses ultimately prevailed despite initial rejection, so too did God's ultimate plan of salvation through Christ achieve its purpose, culminating in His death and resurrection, offering deliverance not just from physical bondage but from sin and death (Romans 5:8). Stephen's point is clear: the same spiritual blindness that led to Moses' rejection ultimately led to the crucifixion of the Messiah, yet God's sovereign plan of salvation through Christ remains unstoppable (Acts 4:11-12).