Acts 7:26

Act 7:26-29. The next day he showed himself unto them — Of his own accord, unexpectedly; as they strove — As they were quarrelling with each other; and would have set them at one — That is, by interposing between them, he would have put an end to their quarrel, and have persuaded them to live in peace and friendship; saying, Sirs, ye are brethren — Descended from Jacob, our common ancestor, and now also joined in affliction as well as in religion; which things ought doubly to cement your affections to each other; why then do you injure one another? But he that did his neighbour wrong — Unable to bear with his plain and faithful reproof; insolently thrust him away — As a person that had nothing to do in their controversy; saying, Who made thee a ruler, &c., over us? — Thus, under the pretence of the want of a call by man, the instruments of God are often rejected. The speech of this single person is represented (Act 7:35) as expressing the sentiments of the whole body of the people, as their slowness afterward to believe the mission of Moses, when attested by miracle, (Exo 5:20-21,) seems evidently to show that it was. Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian, &c. — His blood may cost thee dear enough, without adding mine to it. Then fled Moses — Finding the matter was discovered, and being apprehensive that, in consequence of it, the Egyptian power would soon be armed against him, while the Israelites were not inclined to use any efforts for his protection, nor to put themselves under his guidance. See the note on Exo 2:15. And was a stranger in the land of Madian — Where he became shepherd to Jethro, the prince of the country, and marrying Zipporah his daughter, he begat two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. First Fruit of Africa, the Ethiopian Eunuch, Act_7:26-40.

Africa received the Gospel earlier perhaps than Europe; and as an angel invited the Gospel into Europe, (Act_16:9,) so an angel commissions it to be sent into Africa, (Act_7:26.) Were these angels the guardian princes of those continents? Dan_10:20.

26. The angel—An angel. Perhaps, as to Paul, (Act_16:9,) in a dream; as the word arise may possibly, but not certainly indicate. Philip is still in Samaria. The apostles return home in the ordinary level of their apostleship, but for the cheery and spiritual Philip there is an angel-call to a lively work.

Why are the nearer thousands overleaped, and the distant and lonely one selected for this angel-directed visit through the desert? The reply, From God’s mere sovereignty, is absurd, for God has no mere sovereignty, but always a sovereignty with a reason. Now Abyssinia, to this day Christian, says that it was by this eunuch, his name being Indich, that she was converted to the Christian faith. This our Indich had been on a blessed visit to Jerusalem, and was returning with a heart full of God, and his hands holding God’s book, and his lips pronouncing the syllables of God’s open word. And the Divine Head of the Church said, He must not go to Ethiopia before he hears the name of Jesus. And he spake to his angel to speak to Philip to go and speak to the eunuch. And to such a heart how welcome the name of the Saviour would come! We strongly believe that Indich converted Candace and her Ethiopia.

South… way—The road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Philip is to go southward from Samaria until he arrives at that Gaza road which is the desert one. There are three routes from Jerusalem to Gaza: one, the most northern, passes through Wady Aly, (a wady is a valley;) the middle one through Wady Surar; the southern one through Eleutheropolis. To this last the epithet desert is most applicable. Some apply the epithet desert not to the road, but to Gaza itself; but, first, there would be no reason for specifying the condition of the city; and, second, there is no reason to doubt that Gaza was at this time a populous city, having lately been rebuilt by Gabinius, the Roman general. The words of the angel literally are, The same is desert. He gives Philip no information what he will find besides or in the desert; but he must go to that road of the three which is desert. Let him obey and he will find what the desert can afford.

Gaza—Gaza is a very ancient city, mentioned as early as Gen_10:19, and is celebrated as the scene of one of Samson’s most noted exploits, the carrying off of the city gates. It was one of the frontier towns defending Palestine from Egyptian invasion. It was three miles from the sea, but had a seaport town. It was the route through which the eunuch would take ship for Alexandria.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 7:26. Ὤφθη, he appeared, showed himself) of his own accord, unexpectedly.—συνήλασεν, he brought them together) by the force of kindness.[47]—εἰπὼν, saying) An example of fraternal correction.

[47] BCDe Vulg. Theb. read συνήλλασσεν, he reconciled; but AE and Rec. Text, συνήλασεν.—E. and T.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_7:26-27 f. See Exo_2:13 f.

ὤφθη] he showed himself to them,when, namely, he arrived among them rursus invisurus suos (Erasmus). Comp. 1Ki_3:16. Well does Bengel find in the expression the reference ultro, ex improviso. Comp. Act_2:3, Act_7:2, Act_9:17, al.; Heb_9:28.

αὐτοῖς] refers back to ἀδελφούς. It is presumed in this case as well known, that there were two who strove.

συνήλασεν αὐτ. εἰς εἰρ.] he drove them together (by representations) to (εἰς denoting the end aimed at) peace. The opposite: ἔριδι ξυνελάσσαι, Hom. Il. xx. 134. The aorist does not stand de conatu (Grotius, Wolf, Kuinoel), but the act actually took place on Moses part; the fact that it was resisted on the part of those who strove, alters not the action. Grotius, moreover, correctly remarks: vox quasi vim significans agentis instantiam significat.

ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τ. πλησ.] but he who treated his neighbour (one by nationality his brother) unjustly (was still in the act of maltreating him).

ἀπώσατο] thrust him from him. On κατέστησεν, has appointed, comp. Bremi, ad. Dem. Ol. p. 171; and on δικαστής, who judges according to the laws, as distinguished from the more general κριτής, Wyttenbach, Ep. crit. p. 219.

μὴ ἀνελεῖν κ.τ.λ.] thou wilt not surely despatch (Act_2:23, Act_5:33) me? To the pertness of the question belongs also the σύ.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 7:26 . ὥφθη : Wendt commends Bengel, who sees in the word the thought that he appeared ultro, ex improviso, cf. Act 2:3 , Act 7:2 , Heb 9:28 . συνήλασεν : but if we read συνήλλασσεν , see critical note = imperfect, de conatu, cf. Mat 3:14 , Luk 1:59 ; Luk 15:14 , Act 26:11 , see Burton, N. T. Moods and Tenses , p. 12, from συναλλάσσω , only found here in N.T., not in LXX or Apocrypha, but in classical Greek, cf. Thuc., i., 24. ἱνατί = ἵνα τί γένηται ; cf. Act 4:25 , and Luk 13:7 (Mat 9:4 ; Mat 27:46 , 1Co 10:29 ), and with the words ἱνατί ἀδικεῖτε ἀλλήλους ; Exo 2:13 (Moulton and Geden); used several times in LXX, also by Aristoph, and Plato. Like the Latin ut quid? see Grimm, sub v. , and for spelling; and comp. also Blass, Gram. , p. 14, and Winer-Schmiedel, p. 36. ἄνδρες , ἀδελφοί ἐστε : the fact of their brotherhood aggravated their offence; it was no longer a matter between an Egyptian and a Hebrew as on the previous day, but between brother and brother community of suffering should have cemented and not destroyed their sense of brotherhood. Hackett and Alford take ἄνδρες as belonging to ἀδελφοί (not as = κύριοι , ‘Sirs’ in A. and R.V.), men related as brethren are ye, cf. Gen 13:8 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

next day he showed himself unto them as they strove--Here, not an Israelite and an Egyptian, but two parties in Israel itself, are in collision with each other; Moses, grieved at the spectacle, interposes as a mediator; but his interference, as unauthorized, is resented by the party in the wrong, whom Stephen identifies with the mass of the nation (Act 7:35), just as Messiah's own interposition had been spurned.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. Unto them as they strove] Two Hebrews, See Clarke on Ex 2:13, &c.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. The day following he appeared. Stephen declareth now that the fathers did not only neglect, but maliciously reject the grace of God. For although the evil which he mentioneth did proceed from one man only, yet doth he by right assign the fault unto them all. For if they had been thankful to God, they would all with one consent have repressed his forwardness. But they are whisht, and suffer that good turn which Moses had done to be upbraided unto him; and, so much as in them lieth, they bring them into extreme danger whom they ought to have defended by endangering themselves. Therefore, his drift is this, that the people themselves were in the fault, that they were no sooner delivered and eased. So the wickedness of men doth oftentimes hinder God from doing that [which] he would do. He is ready to help those that be his in due time, but we keep back his hand from ourselves with divers lets, and afterwards we complain of his slowness, but unjustly. Furthermore, this unthankfulness was too wicked against God, and too cruel against Moses. They were to thank God for giving such a faithful patron in the king’s court. They were to love and reverence Moses; but they rewarded him full evil with threatenings and reproaches. Furthermore, inasmuch as the fact was brought to the king’s ears, we must needs impute that to the treachery of the people. Therefore, as when afterward the people could see the land of Canaan, they did through their own folly keep themselves from entering in; so now, refusing the grace of God in the person of one man, they cause the time of their deliverance to be deferred forty years. For although God had determined what he would do, yet those are justly blamed for the delay which hinder Moses in his office.

Men ye are brethren. There is, indeed, amongst men a general conjunction, so that they ought to use great courtesy one toward another, and to abstain from all injuries; but this is more unmeet and intolerable, when those hurt one another who are nearer linked together. Therefore, Moses doth not only use a general reason, that it may revoke their minds which were desirous to do harm, but he mentioneth their kindred and fellowship of blood to mollify their cruelty. Yet all in vain; for he which had done injury to his neighbor doth forwardly thrust him from him, and addeth thereunto threatening. And this is a common thing amongst men; for an evil conscience doth drive men into fury, and the worse every man’s cause is, the more boldly and cruelly doth he extol himself. But under what color doth he which hath the worst cause set himself so stubbornly against Moses? He saith he is no judge; but he did not reprove them according to authority, but did only friendly admonish them. Is it the duty of a judge alone to admonish us when we do amiss? But this is a common vice, used of all stubborn and unruly persons, to give place to no admonitions, save only when they are enforced by violence and authority; yea, they are like frantic [phrenzied] men who rail upon their physicians. For which cause we must be the more careful to bridle our lust, lest we run headlong with such blind fury against those which are desirous to cure our vices. Furthermore, we are taught by this example, that the servants of God cannot so do their duty in reproving such vices of men, but they shall suffer many injuries, offend many, and incur dangers; and chiefly when they do well, they shall surely hear evil. But they must swallow up the unworthiness of these evils, that they may not therefore cease to do that which the Lord commanded them, and which he alloweth. Moses is burdened here with a cruel false accusation that he usurpeth the authority of a ruler, and by this means they lay treason to his charge. Secondly, it is objected unto him reproachfully that he slew an Egyptian; both these were very odious. Whereby we may gather with how dangerous a temptation the mind of the holy man was stricken. And forasmuch as we see that he was neither discouraged by exile, neither by any other evils, so that it did not repent him of his well-doing, let us also learn by his example to bear a valiant and strong mind and courage against all such assaults of Satan,

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(26) Would have set them at one again.—Literally, brought them to peace. The better MSS. give “was bringing them.”

Sirs.—Literally, Ye are brethren, without any word of address. The phrase is the same as “we be brethren” in Gen_13:8.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove] i.e. to “two men of the Hebrews” (Exo_2:13). This quotation from Exodus is but a forcible way of representing what up to this point had been left unexplained, that the persons contending in this second case were Israelites.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the next day he showed himself to them, as they strove,.... To two men of the Hebrews, who were quarrelling and contending with one another: these are said by the Jews (w) to be Dathan and Abiram; who were disputing and litigating the point, and were very warm, and at high words. The occasion of their contention is (x) said to be this,

"the Hebrew man (that had been abused) went to his house to divorce his wife, who was defiled, but she fled and told the affair to Abiram her brother: and on the morrow, Moses returned a second time to the Hebrew camp, and found Dathan and Abiram contending about the divorce.''

Though some think this is prophetically said, because they afterwards contended and divided in the business of Korah (y) Moses came up to them, and let them know who he was; and this was the day after he had killed the Egyptian. So Stephen explains the "second day" in Exo 2:13 and to this agrees what a Jewish writer (z) says, that in the morning, Moses returned a second time to the camp of the Hebrews:

and would have set them at one again; persuaded them to peace and concord, composed their difference, reconciled them, and made them good friends:

saying, sirs, ye are brethren; as Abraham said to Lot, when there was a strife between their herdsmen, Gen 13:8 and if these two were Dathan and Abiram, they were brethren in the strictest sense, Num 16:1

why do ye wrong one to another? by abusing each other, calling ill names, or striking one another; or by lifting up the hand to strike, as Jonathan the Targumist says Dathan did against Abiram.

(w) Shalshalet, ib. (x) Targum Jon. Jarchi, & Baal Hattuim in Exod. ii. 13. Shemot Rabba, Shalshalet & Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (y) Shemot Rabba, ib. & Yade Mose & Mattanot Cehunah in ib. (z) Shelsheleth, ib.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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?

Ver. 26. Sirs, ye are brethren] In this Egypt of the world, all unkind strifes should easily be composed, did we but remember that we are brethren.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the next day - Exo 2:13.

He showed himself - He appeared in a sudden and unexpected manner to them.

Unto them - That is, to “two” of the Hebrews, Exo 2:13.

As they strove - As they were engaged in a quarrel.

Have set them at one - Greek: “would have urged them to peace.” This he did by remonstrating with the man that did the wrong.

Saying - What follows is not quoted literally from the account which Moses gives, but it is substantially the same.

Sirs - Greek: “Men.”

Ye are brethren - You belong not only to the same nation, but you are brethren and companions in affliction, and should not, therefore, contend with each other. One of the most melancholy scenes in the world is that, where those who are poor, and afflicted, and oppressed, add to all their other calamities altercations and strifes among themselves. Yet it is from this class that contentions and lawsuits usually arise. The address which Moses here makes to the contending Jews might be applied to the whole human family in view of the contentions and wars of nations: “Ye are “brethren,” members of the same great family, and why do you contend with each other?”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He showed himself; as one appointed by God to deliver them, which he had evidenced before.

Would have set them at one again; with great earnestness, and as far as words could do, he compelled them.

Saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; these words are not mentioned, Exo 2:13, but something otherwise than here; but the sense is here and there the same.

Brethren, not so much being all descended from Abraham and the patriarchs; but in that they all worshipped one and the same God, which is the greatest obligation to concord and agreement that can be; and if any offence to be given, or trespass committed, it obliges us as much to pass it by and pardon it: Forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father, Gen 1:17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The day following for the next day, A.V.; he appeared for be showed himself, A.V.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He showed himself - Of his own accord, unexpectedly.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 17

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

General Information:

Here the word "us" refers to the Israelites but does not include Moses. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")

some Israelites

The audience would have known from the account in Exodus that these were two men, but Stephen does not specify that. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

put them at peace with each other

"make them stop fighting"

Men, you are brothers

Moses was addressing the Israelites who were fighting.

why are you hurting one another?

Moses asked this question to encourage them to stop fighting. AT: "you should not hurt each other!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

The man used this question to rebuke Moses. AT: "You have no authority over us!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

Would you like to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?

The man used this question to warn Moses that he and probably others knew Moses had killed the Egyptian.

translationWords

Israel

peace

brother

wrong

neighbor

rule

judge, judges

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

26. αὐτοῖς μαχομένοις unto them as they strove, viz. to ‘two men of the Hebrews’ (see Exo 2:13). The quotation which follows makes plain what was otherwise not yet clear, that the persons contending in this second case were Israelites. Similarly in Act 7:24 there had been no mention of an ‘Egyptian’ or anything to make clear who the doer of the wrong was. But the minds of the hearers supplied all these details without difficulty.

συνήλλασσεν. The tense implies a continuous endeavour, though without result.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26.] αὐτοῖς, to them, two of them, taken as representing his brethren the children of Israel.

συνήλασεν, not imperf., ‘he endeavoured to unite:’ the aorist will not bear this sense: nor is it needed:—the act, on Moses’ part, was complete;—not ‘he would have set them at one’ (E. V.), but, he set them at one. If the explanatory reading συνήλλασσεν be taken, we then have the imperfect force—“he was reconciling,” or “attempted to reconcile,” them.

ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί should be taken together, as in Gen 13:8, ἄνθρωποι ἀδελφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς. See also ch. 2:14 (De W.).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Appeared [ωφθη] . With the suggestion of a sudden appearance as in a vision; possibly with the underlying notion of a messenger of God. See on Luk 22:43.

Would have set them at one [συνηλασεν αυτους εις ειρηνην] . Lit., drove them together to peace; urged them.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.