Acts 7:23

Acts 7:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)“When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

Context of Acts 7:23

21Then they had to put him outside. But Pharaoh's daughter found him and she took him to her home. She took care of him as if he was her own son. 22Moses had teachers who taught him all the wise things that the Egyptians knew. He learned how to speak well. He could also do powerful things. When Moses was 40 years old, he went to see his own people, the people of Israel. 24He saw that an Egyptian man was being cruel to one of the Israelite men. So he went to help the Israelite man. He killed the Egyptian man to punish him. 25Moses thought that his own people would understand him. They would know that God was using him to save them. They would no longer be slaves to work for the Egyptians. But his people did not understand all this.

Acts 7:23 word by word

ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ τεσσερακονταετὴς χρόνος, ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• whenὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• was fullπληρόωplēroō · to fulfillG4137
• forty yearsτεσσαρακονταετήςtessarakontaetēs · forty yearsG5063
• oldχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• it cameἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• intoἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• heartὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• to visitἐπισκέπτομαιepiskeptomai · to visit/care forG1980
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• the childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474

Cross-references for Acts 7:23

• Exodus 2:11Many years later, Moses grew to become a man. At that time, he went out to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw that they had to do very hard work without any rest. He saw an Egyptian man. He was attacking an Israelite man. The Egyptian was hitting someone from Moses' own country!
• Hebrews 11:24Moses himself also believed God. When he became a man, he refused to be called the son of the king's daughter.
• Exodus 35:21Everyone who decided to offer a gift to the Lord brought the things that they wanted to give. They brought the things to make the Tent of Meeting and the things to use in it. They also brought materials to make the priests' special clothes.
• 1 Chronicles 29:17My God, I know that you look carefully at our thoughts. You are pleased when we want to do things that are right. And I really do want to offer all these things to you. I know that your people who have met together here are happy. I can see that they are pleased to give these things to you.
• 2 Chronicles 30:12As for the people of Judah, God caused them to accept the command that the king and his officers had given. They all agreed together to do what the Lord wanted them to do.
• Ezra 1:1In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:
• Ezra 7:27I praise the Lord, the God that our ancestors worshipped. He has caused the king to give honour to him. He made the king decide to make the Lord's temple in Jerusalem very great.
• Proverbs 21:1The Lord controls the things that a king decides to do. He can change the king's thoughts, like the direction of a stream.
• 2 Corinthians 8:16Titus wants to help you just as much as we do. We thank God that he has made Titus ready to do that.
• Philippians 2:12So, my friends, you must continue to obey God. When I was with you, you always obeyed. Now that I am not with you, that is even more important. God has saved you. You must always live in a way which shows that is true. Respect God and obey him. Remember that he is great and powerful.
• James 1:17Remember that every good gift comes to us from God. He only does what will help us. He is our Father in heaven. He made everything in the sky that gives us light. Those things do not give us the same light all the time. They change, but God does not change.
• Revelation 17:17They will decide to do that because God has given them those thoughts. So, they will do what he wants. They will give to the wild animal their authority to rule as king. The animal will continue to rule until everything happens that God has said will happen.
• Acts 15:36After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, ‘We should go back to the towns where we already spoke the message about the Lord Jesus. Then we can visit the believers in all those places. We can see if they are doing well.’
• Exodus 4:18Then Moses went back to Jethro, his wife's father. Moses said to him, ‘Please let me return to my family in Egypt. I must see if they are still alive.’ So Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.’

Commentaries on Acts 7:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23When he was full forty years old - This was a general tradition among the Jews: "Moses was forty years in Pharaoh's court, forty years in Midian, and forty years he served Israel." To visit his brethren - Probably on the ground of trying to deliver them from their oppressive bondage. This desire seems to have been early infused into his mind by the Spirit of God; and the effect of this desire to deliver his oppressed countrymen was his refusing to be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Full forty years old - This is not recorded in the Old Testament; but it is a constant tradition of the Jews that Moses was 40 years of age when he undertook to deliver them. Thus, it is said, “Moses lived in the palace of Pharaoh forty years; he was forty years in Midian; and he ministered to Israel forty years” (Kuinoel). To visit … - Probably with a view of delivering them from their oppressive bondage. Compare Acts 7:25.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. 23-2723-27. In Ac 7:23, 30, 36, the life of Moses is represented as embracing three periods, of forty years each; the Jewish writers say the same; and though this is not expressly stated in the Old Testament, his age at death, one hundred twenty years (De 34:7), agrees with it. it came into his heart to visit his brethren--his heart yearning with love to them as God's chosen people, and heaving with the consciousness of a divine vocation to set them free.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 7:23

• Court
• Government
• Readings, Select

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Charge
• Resist
• Saying
• Stone
• Thrust
• Wisdom

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