FocusPromise beyond settled possession
Connection to the wholeStephen begins with God's dealings before Israel possessed the land, establishing a history of promise, movement, and deliverance.
interpretation Acts 7:11
KJVNow there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
Read it in context
Abraham and Joseph
Start reading at Acts 7:1 (Acts 7:1 to Acts 7:16).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
Stephen begins with God's dealings before Israel possessed the land, establishing a history of promise, movement, and deliverance.
- 7:1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
- 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
- 7:3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
- 7:4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
- 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
- 7:6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
- 7:7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
- 7:8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
- 7:9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
- 7:10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
- 7:11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
- 7:12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
- 7:13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
- 7:14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
- 7:15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
- 7:16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, is the traditional author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3; Colossians 4:14. Historical source: Anchor Bible Dictionary, Luke–Acts. traditionally held
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Acts 7:1–7:60): Stephen addresses the high priest and council, recounting Israel's history; his hearers turn against him, and Saul is present at his killing. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Theophilus, the same named recipient as Luke's Gospel, with the account also serving the wider Christian readership. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Abraham and Joseph. Read Acts 7:1 through Acts 7:16 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? Stephen begins with God's dealings before Israel possessed the land, establishing a history of promise, movement, and deliverance. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? Acts begins after Jesus' resurrection and follows the witness through Pentecost, expansion among peoples, and Paul's arrival in Rome. It does not give a final publication date. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? The movement extends from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria toward wider regions and Rome, as announced in Acts 1:8. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Abraham and Joseph (Acts 7:1 to Acts 7:16). Start reading at Acts 7:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The risen Jesus commissions the witnesses, and their preaching centers on Him. The accounts include repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and reception of the Holy Ghost; keep the details and order stated for each event. See Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Compare conversion accounts carefully, preserving what each one actually narrates. Do not invent an omitted detail or flatten every episode into an identical sequence. interpretation
Cited: Acts 7:1, Acts 7:16, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6
Who wrote it, and how we know
Luke
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book opens by referring to the author's former treatise to Theophilus, tying it to Luke, and shifts into first-person plural in the travel accounts.
Acts 1:1Acts 16:10
Early traditionEarly testimony names Luke.
What is debatedThe name is not in the text.
Other accounts of this event
Stephen recounts Joseph and his family
Later retelling included
Stephen summarizes a long history. His summary should not be mistaken for a verse-by-verse duplicate or used to erase details that require further study.
Related passages
- Now there came a dearth over all the land… Gen 45:5-6,11 Gen 47:13-15 Ps 105:16
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Time covered by Acts
About 30 years
- AD 30 or 33Approximate beginning · Acts 1
The risen Jesus instructs His apostles
Acts begins after Jesus’ resurrection and describes His ascension. - About AD 62Approximate ending · Acts 28
Paul teaches while confined in Rome
The account closes with Paul receiving visitors and teaching during two full years in his rented lodging.
The narrative moves from Jerusalem to Rome over roughly three decades. Chapters do not represent equal amounts of time.
View historical notes and sources
Using a beginning in AD 30 or 33 and an ending around AD 62 gives approximately 29–32 years. These are reconstructed dates for the events, not a date for the writing of Acts. The book does not explicitly total its elapsed years.
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Acts 7
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. Stephen's speech answers the accusations and council setting introduced in Acts 6.
Moses and Israel's resistance
Acts 7:17–43FocusThe rejected deliverer
Connection to the wholeThe account of Moses emphasizes God's appointment alongside repeated resistance, developing the pattern behind Stephen's answer to his accusers.
interpretation The dwelling place and the charge
Acts 7:44–53FocusResistance to the Holy Ghost
Connection to the wholeStephen moves from the tabernacle and temple to a direct accusation that his hearers continue the rejection of God's messengers.
interpretation Stephen's witness unto death
Acts 7:54–60FocusVision, rejection, and forgiveness
Connection to the wholeThe council's violent response and Stephen's final testimony bring the speech to its climax and introduce Saul into the narrative.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Acts
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
The promised power and the Jerusalem church
Acts 1:1–2:47FocusWitness begins
Connection to the wholeJesus' promise, the coming of the Holy Ghost, Peter's preaching, and the hearers' response establish the beginning of the church's witness.
interpretation FocusBoldness, order, and rejection
Connection to the wholePublic testimony and growth are accompanied by internal needs and increasing opposition, culminating in Stephen's death.
interpretation The witness moves outward
Acts 8:1–12:25FocusSamaria, Saul, and Gentile hearers
Connection to the wholePersecution scatters believers; new fields open, Saul is called, and the reception of Gentiles becomes a matter publicly explained to the church.
interpretation Mission and the Gentile question
Acts 13:1–15:35FocusChurches established and the council
Connection to the wholeThe first missionary journey and the Jerusalem deliberation address the place of Gentile believers without making circumcision the entrance requirement.
interpretation Further journeys and growing churches
Acts 15:36–21:16FocusStrengthening and expanding witness
Connection to the wholePaul and his companions travel through new regions and revisit churches, moving toward the journey to Jerusalem despite coming danger.
interpretation Arrest, hearings, and Rome
Acts 21:17–28:31FocusTestimony through imprisonment
Connection to the wholePaul's custody becomes a setting for witness before authorities and brings him to Rome, where the account closes with continued proclamation.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.