Acts 7:56

Acts 7:56 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
• New International Version (NIV)“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
• New King James Version (NKJV)and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Context of Acts 7:56

54Now when they heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and they began grinding their teeth [in rage] at him. 55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy]. 58Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7:56 word by word

καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ θεωρῶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς διηνοιγμένους καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν ἑστῶτα τοῦ θεοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• I seeθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
• the heavensὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the heavensοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• onἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Acts 7:56

• Acts 10:11and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,
• Ezekiel 1:1Now it came about [when I was] in my thirtieth year [of life], on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles beside the River Chebar [in Babylonia], the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
• Matthew 3:16After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus),
• Mark 1:10Immediately coming up out of the water, he (John) saw the heavens torn open, and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him (Jesus);
• Luke 3:21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,
• Revelation 4:1After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a [war] trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
• Revelation 11:19And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
• Revelation 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who was riding it is called Faithful and True (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady), and in righteousness He judges and wages war [on the rebellious nations].
• Daniel 7:13“I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, on the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
• Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.
• Matthew 25:31“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
• Matthew 26:64Jesus said to him, “You have [in fact] said it; but more than that I tell you [regardless of what you do with Me now], in the future you will see [Me revealed as] the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
• John 5:22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands],

Commentaries on Acts 7:56

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 56I see the heavens opened - A figurative expression, denoting that he was permitted to see “into” heaven, or to see what was there, as if the firmament was divided, and the eye was permitted to penetrate the eternal world. Compare Ezekiel 1:1.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 54-60Verses 54-60 Nothing is so comfortable to dying saints, or so encouraging to suffering saints, as to see Jesus at the right hand of God: blessed be God, by faith we may see him there. Stephen offered up two short prayers in his dying moments. Our Lord Jesus is God, to whom we are to seek, and in whom we are to trust and comfort ourselves, living and dying. And if this has been our care while we live, it will be our comfort when we die. Here is a prayer…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 55-56standing at the right hand of God: Usually, the Bible describes Jesus as seated in heaven at God’s right side (2:33–34; 5:31; Luke 20:42; 22:69; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 10:12). One possible explanation has been proposed by some church fathers that Jesus was welcoming Stephen to heaven with honor as the first New Testament martyr. Stephen was loyal in confessing his Lord on earth. Now his Lord honored his promise to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 54-5654-56. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, &c.--If they could have answered him, how different would have been their temper of mind!Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 7:56

• Anger
• Court
• Government
• Heaven
• Homicide
• Prophets
• Readings, Select
• Revenge
• Stephen
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Son of man
• Charge
• Resist
• Saying
• Stone
• Thrust
• Wisdom
• Acts of the Apostles

Commentaries on Acts 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings