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

15and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there, 16were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. “As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt 18until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt. 19He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whenκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• the timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• of the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• drew nighἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• had swornὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• to AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• grewαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• multipliedπληθύνωplēthunō · to multiplyG4129
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• EgyptΑἴγυπτοςAiguptos · EgyptG125

Cross-references for Acts 7:17

• Acts 7:6God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years.
• Genesis 15:13Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.
• 2 Peter 3:8Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
• Acts 13:17The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm.
• Exodus 1:7But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.
• Psalms 105:24The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them 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