Acts 7:29

Act 7:29. Ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ, at this saying) when he heard this saying.—πάροικος, a stranger, sojourner) In Egypt, as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he had begun to be at home: now, as a stranger, he wanders abroad from that country also.

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

Act_7:29-30. See Exo_2:15-22; Exo_3:2.

ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ] on account of this word, denoting the reason which occasioned his flight. Winer, p. 362 [E. T. 484].

Μαδιάμ] מִדְיָן, a district in Arabia Petraea. Thus Moses had to withdraw from his obstinate people; but how wonderfully active did the divine guidance show itself anew, Act_7:30! On πάροικος, comp. Act_7:6.

καὶ πληρωθ. ἐτῶν τεσσαράκ.] traditionally (but comp. also Exo_7:7): Moses in palatio Pharaonis degit XL annos, in Mediane XL annos, et ministravit Israeli annos XL. Beresh. Rabb. f. 115. 3.

ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ ὄρ. Σ.] in the desert, in which Mount Sinai is situated, מִדְבַּר סִינַי, Exo_19:1-2; Lev_7:28. From the rocky and mountainous base of this desert Sinai rises to the south (and the highest), and Horeb more to the north, both as peaks of the same mountain ridge. Hence there is no contradiction when, in Exodus 3, the appearance of the burning bush is transferred to the neighbourhood of Horeb, as generally in the Pentateuch the names Sinai and Horeb are interchanged for the locality of the giving of the law (except in Deu_33:2, where only Horeb is mentioned, as also in Mal_4:4); whereas in the N. T. and in Josephus only Sinai is named. The latter name specially denotes the locality of the giving of the law, while Horeb was also the name of the entire mountain range. See the particulars in Knobel on Exo_19:2.

ἐν φλογὶ πυρὸς βάτου] in the flame of fire of a thorn bush. Stephen designates the phenomenon quite as it is related in Exodus, l.c., as a flaming burning bush, in which an angel of God was present, in which case every attempt to explain away the miraculous theophany (a meteor, lightning) must be avoided. On φλόξ πυρός, comp. 2Th_1:8, Lachmann; Heb_1:7; Rev_1:14; Rev_2:18; Rev_19:12; Isa_29:6; Isa_56:12; Pind. Pyth. iv. 400.

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 7:29 . ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ · Weiss points out that Moses fled on account of this word, because he saw that his people would not protect him against the vengeance of Pharaoh. Jos., Ant. , ii., 11, 1, makes the cause of the flight of Moses not the words which told him that his deed was known, but the jealousy of the Egyptians, who represented to the king that he would prove a seditious person. Μαδιάμ : generally taken to mean or to include the peninsula of Sinai (Exo 2:15 ; Exo 3:1 ), and thus agrees with the natural supposition that his flight did not carry Moses far beyond the territory of Egypt ( cf. Exo 18:1-27 ). The name Midianites would be applied to the descendants of Abraham’s fourth son by Keturah, who in various clans, some nomadic, some mercantile ( e.g. , those to whom Joseph was sold), may be described as Northern Arabs. (Dr. Sayce, u. s. , p. 270, maintains that Moses to get beyond Egyptian territory must have travelled further than to the . peninsula of our modern maps, and places Sinai in the region of Seir, with Midian in its close neighbourhood.) Amongst one of these tribes Moses found a home in his flight, Hamburger, “Midian,” Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums , i., 5, 755. Hackett, Acts , p. 104, “Midian,” B.D. 1 . οὗ ἐγένν ., cf. Exo 2:22 ; Exo 4:20 ; Exo 18:3 . Weiss thinks the notice due to a reviser, who wished to show that Moses had given up his people, and made himself a home in a strange land.

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

Then fled Moses, &c.--for "when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses" (Exo 2:15).

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

(29) Then fled Moses at this saying.—The rapid survey of the history passes over the intermediate link of Pharaoh’s knowledge of the murder of the Egyptian, and his search for Moses.

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

29. Then [And] fled Moses at this saying] Josephus (Antiq. ii. 11. 1) makes no mention of this reason for the flight of Moses, but says that the Egyptians were jealous of him, and told the king “that he would raise a sedition, and bring innovations” into the land. In consequence of the plots against him because of these suspicions Moses fled away secretly.

and was a stranger in the land of Madian] Lit. “and became a sojourner” &c. Madian is the Greek form for Midian, which for clearness’ sake would be better here. By “the land of Midian,” which is only found in Scripture history, is probably meant the peninsula on which Mount Sinai stands (see Exo_3:1).

where he begat two sons] Gershom and Eliezer; their mother was Zipporah the daughter of Jethro (Exo_18:2-4).

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.

Then fled Moses at this saying,.... For hereby the thing was known to Pharaoh, being presently carried to court, who sought to kill him for it, Exo 2:15 The Jews have a very fabulous story, that Moses was taken up upon it, and put in prison, and delivered into the hands of an executioner to be put to death; but that God wrought a miracle for him; he made his neck as hard as a pillar of marble, and the sword turned upon the neck of the executioner, and he died; and God sent Michael, the prince, in the likeness of the executioner, who took Moses by the hand, and led him out of Egypt, and left him at the borders of it, the distance of three days' journey (c) but the truth of the matter is, as Stephen relates, he fled directly, as soon as he heard the above words, for he knew his life was in the utmost danger:

and was a stranger in the land of Madian; which, as Josephus says (d), lay near the Red sea, and took its name from one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah. Philo the Jew (e) says, it was on the borders of Arabia; and according to Jerom (f), it was near Arnon and Areopolis, the ruins of which only were shown in his days; here he sojourned many years with Jethro the priest of that place:

where he begat two sons; whose names were Gershom and Eliezer, having married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, Exo 18:2.

(c) Shalshaleth Hakabala, fol. 5. 2. & Chronicon Mosis, fol. 6. 1. (d) Antiqu. l. 2. c. 11. sect. 1. (e) De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 609. (f) De locis Hebr. fol. 93. B.

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

29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

Ver. 29. Then fled Moses] And by being banished, was the better fitted to be king in Jeshurun.

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.

Then fled Moses ... - Moses fled because he now ascertained that what he had done was known. He supposed that it had been unobserved, Exo 2:12. But he now thought that the knowledge of it might reach Pharaoh, and that his life might thus be endangered. Nor did he judge incorrectly; for as soon as Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to take his life, Exo 2:15.

Was a stranger - Or became a sojourner πάροικος paroikos, one who had a temporary abode in the land. The use of this word implies that he did not expect to make that his permanent dwelling.

In the land of Madian - This 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, an unknown land; and Moses expected there to be safe from Pharaoh.

Where he begat two sons - He married Zipporah, the daughter of “Reuel” 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.

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

Moses fled upon this word; because he perceived the murder he had committed was become public, though he thought it to be secret. (Menochius) He fled, to avoid the anger of the king, into Madian, where during his sojourning, he had tow sons of Sephora, whom he married there. (Bible de Vence) --- Moses of Moyses, in the Egyptian dialect, means, saved from water. He slew the Egyptian by particular inspiration of God, as a prelude to his delivering the people from oppression and bondage. (ver. 25. above) --- But such particular and extraordinary examples are not to be imitated. (Challoner) --- He was inspirited to stand up, as the Egyptian law required, in defence of the innocent. (St. Thomas Aquinas, iii. 2. q. 60.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Then fled Moses; knowing that what he had done to the Egyptian would be discovered to Pharaoh, and his life in danger.

The land of Madian; inhabitant by the posterity of Midian, Abraham’s son by Keturah, Gen 25:1,2. Moses was forty years in Egypt, forty years in Midian, with Jethro or Jether, who was called also Reuel, Exo 2:18, and Hobab, Num 10:29, and the other forty years in the wilderness, which make up the hundred and twenty years of his life, Deu 34:7. This makes to St. Stephen’s purpose, to prove that God is always with them that fear him, in what country or place soever; as he was with Abraham in Mesopotamia, and with his people in Egypt, so with Moses in Midian.

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

29. Land of Midian—The Madianites, or rather Midianites were a people who dwelt upon the territory bordering westward of the eastern arm (Gulf of Akabah) of the Red sea.

29. The Spirit said—Philip subsequently had four daughters all prophetesses, so that the prophetic impulse was familiar perhaps to his interior consciousness.

Go near—Probably Philip encountered the eunuch at the point where his Samaritan road fell into the Gaza road. Both the angel and the Spirit give the briefest possible directions, and in the order of climax.

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

And Moses fled for then fled Moses, A.V.; became a sojourner for was a stranger, A.V.; Midian for Madian, 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.

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:

Stephen's audience already knew that Moses had married a Midianite woman when he fled Egypt. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

after hearing this

The implied information is that Moses understood that the Israelites knew that he had killed an Egyptian the day before (Acts 7:28). (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

When forty years were past

"After 40 years passed." This was the amount of time Moses had been in Midian. AT: "Forty years after Moses fled from Egypt" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

an angel appeared

Stephen's audience knew that God spoke through the angel. The UDB makes this explicit. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Moses

alien

Midian

angel

desert

Sinai

fire

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

29. ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ. The preposition marks the occasion. Upon this speech. Josephus (Ant. II. 11. 1) makes no mention of this reason for the flight of Moses, but says that the Egyptians were jealous of him, and told the king ‘that he would raise a sedition, and bring innovations’ into the land. And in consequence of the plots against him bred of these suspicions Moses fled away secretly.

καὶ ἐγένετο πάροικος, and became a sojourner. Madian is the Greek form for the Hebrew Midian, which form would, for clearness’ sake, be better here. By ‘the land of Midian,’ which is only found in Scripture history, is probably meant the peninsula on which Mount Sinai stands (see Exo 3:1).

υἱοὺς δύο. These sons were Gershom and Eliezer; their mother was Zipporah the daughter of Jethro (Exo 18:2-4).

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.

29. Μαδιάμ] So LXX, Exo 2:15, for מִדְיָן. Winer (Realw. ‘Midian’) supposes this Madian to have been a nomad detachment of the more settled Midianites,—which at that time was encamped in the neighbourhood of Sinai and Horeb. For Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, is not found there, in Exo 18:1 ff., but comes to visit Moses from a distance. See also Num 10:29 ff.

υἱοὺς δύο] Exo 2:22; Exo 4:20; Exo 18:3.

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