Acts 7:36-45

Stephen's Speech

36 s This man led them out, performing t wonders and signs u in Egypt and v at the Red Sea and w in the wilderness for x forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you y a prophet like me from your brothers.' 38 This is the one z who was in the congregation in the wilderness with a the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. b He received c living d oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and e in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, f 'Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' 41 And g they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and h were rejoicing in i the works of their hands.

42 But j God turned away and k gave them over to worship l the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
m "'Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
n during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
 43 You took up the tent of o Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.'

44 "Our fathers had p the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses q directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn r brought it in with Joshua when they s dispossessed the nations t that God drove out before our fathers. So it was u until the days of David,

  1. Cross References
    Exodus 12:41
    At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
    Exodus 33:1
    The Lord said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.
    Hebrews 8:9
    Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 7:3
    But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 7:1 - 12:1
    And the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.
    Psalms 78:43 - 51
    When he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
    Psalms 105:27 - 36
    They performed his signs among them and miracles in the land of Ham.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
    Exodus 14:27 - 31
    So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.
    Psalms 78:53
    He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
    Psalms 106:9
    He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 16:1
    They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.
    Exodus 16:35
    The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
    Exodus 17:1 - 6
    All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
    Psalms 78:15
    He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
  6. Cross References
    Acts 7:42
    But God turned away and gave them over to worsh...
    Acts 13:18
    And for about forty years he put up with them i...
    Exodus 16:35
    The people of Israel ate the manna forty years,...
    Numbers 14:33 - 34
    And your children shall be shepherds in the wil...
    Psalms 95:10
    For forty years I loathed that generation and s...
    Hebrews 3:10
    Therefore I was provoked with that generation, ...
    Hebrews 3:17
    And with whom was he provoked for forty years? ...
  7. Cross References
    Acts 3:22
    Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
    Deuteronomy 18:15
    The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers - it is to him you shall listen -
  8. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 18:15
    The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers - it is to him you shall listen -
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 19:3
    While Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:
    Exodus 19:17 - 18
    Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
  10. Cross References
    Acts 7:53
    You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.
    Isaiah 63:9
    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
  11. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 5:27
    Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say and speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.
    Deuteronomy 5:31
    But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.
    Deuteronomy 33:4
    When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
    John 1:17
    For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:47
    For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.
  13. Cross References
    Romans 3:2
    Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
    Hebrews 5:12
    For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.
    1 Peter 4:11
    Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 16:3
    And the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
    Numbers 11:4 - 5
    Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, "Oh that we had meat to eat!
    Numbers 14:3 - 4
    Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?
    Ezekiel 20:8
    But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
    Ezekiel 20:24
    Because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 32:1
    When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
    Exodus 32:23
    For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 32:1
    When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
    Exodus 32:23
    For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 32:4 - 6
    And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
    Exodus 32:35
    Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
    Deuteronomy 9:16
    And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God. You had made yourselves a golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you.
    Psalms 106:19
    They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.
  18. Cross References
    Amos 6:13
    You who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, "Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?
  19. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:8
    Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
    Jeremiah 1:16
    And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.
    Jeremiah 25:6 - 7
    Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 24:20
    If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.
    Isaiah 63:10
    But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
  21. Cross References
    Psalms 81:12
    So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.
    Ezekiel 20:39
    As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God : Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
    Romans 1:28
    And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
  22. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:19
    And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, ...
    2 Kings 17:16
    And they abandoned all the commandments of the ...
    2 Kings 21:3
    For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah hi...
    2 Kings 23:5
    And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Ju...
    Jeremiah 19:13
    The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the k...
    Zephaniah 1:5
    Those who bow down on the roofs to the host of ...
  23. Cross References
    Amos 5:25 - 27
    Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
  24. Cross References
    Acts 7:36
    This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
  25. Cross References
    Amos 5:25 - 27
    Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
  26. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:7
    Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem.
  27. Cross References
    Revelation 15:5
    After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened.
    Exodus 38:21
    These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
  28. Cross References
    Exodus 25:40
    And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
  29. Cross References
    Joshua 3:14 - 17
    So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people.
  30. Cross References
    Numbers 32:5
    And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.
    Deuteronomy 32:49
    Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession.
  31. Cross References
    Acts 13:19
    And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance.
    Joshua 3:10
    And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
    Joshua 23:9
    For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day.
    Joshua 24:18
    And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.
    2 Chronicles 20:7
    Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
  32. Cross References
    2 Samuel 7:1
    Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.