Acts 7:17

Acts 7:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
• New International Version (NIV)“As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt

Context of Acts 7:17

15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver. As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. 18Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. 19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.

Acts 7:17 word by word

καθὼς δὲ ἤγγιζεν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἧς ὡμολόγησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραάμ, ηὔξησεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐπληθύνθη ἐν ΑἰγύπτῳRead the interlinear

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• drew nearἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• forὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• His promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• His promiseὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• to AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• EgyptΑἴγυπτοςAiguptos · EgyptG125
• increasedαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• greatly in numberπληθύνωplēthunō · to multiplyG4129

Cross-references for Acts 7:17

• Acts 7:6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
• Genesis 15:13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
• 2 Peter 3:8Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
• Acts 13:17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.
• Exodus 1:7but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
• Psalms 105:24And the LORD made His people very fruitful, more numerous than their foes,

Commentaries on Acts 7:17

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The time of the promise - The time of the “fulfillment” of the promise. The people grew … - Exodus 1:7-9.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-29Verses 17-29 Let us not be discouraged at the slowness of the fulfilling of God's promises. Suffering times often are growing times with the church. God is preparing for his people's deliverance, when their day is darkest, and their distress deepest. Moses was exceeding fair, "fair toward God;" it is the beauty of holiness which is in God's sight of great price. He was wonderfully preserved in his infancy; for God will take special care of those of whom…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-53Stephen answered the accusations by speaking about his Lord (see Luke 21:12–17). Instead of defending himself, he became a witness in God's legal case against them. This revealed how contrary they were and their lack of loyalty. Stephen gave a history of Israel's past and reminded them of their repeated rejections of those who announced God's messages. Stephen's review of Israel's history has three main parts: The work of the patriarchs. This refers to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. But when--rather, "as." the time of the promise--that is, for its fulfilment. the people grew and multiplied in Egypt--For more than two hundred years they amounted to no more than seventy-five souls; how prodigious, then, must have been their multiplication during the latter two centuries, when six hundred thousand men, fit for war, besides women and children, left Egypt!Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 7:17

• Court
• Government
• Israel
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Egypt
• God
• Abraham, Abram
• Egypt, Egyptian
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Charge
• Resist
• Saying
• Stone

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