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 these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; 58and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments 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

• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Beholdἰδούidou · look!G2400
• seeὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• heavensοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• openedδιανοίγωdianoigō · to open upG1272
• Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• rightδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Acts 7:56

• Acts 10:11and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:
• Ezekiel 1:1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourthmonth, in the fifthdayof the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
• Matthew 3:16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
• Mark 1:10And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him:
• Luke 3:21Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
• Revelation 4:1After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voiceas of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
• Revelation 11:19And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.
• Revelation 19:11And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
• Daniel 7:13I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
• Matthew 16:27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.
• Matthew 25:31But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:
• Matthew 26:64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
• John 5:22For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;

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