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

54As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious. 55But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God’s glory, and Jesus in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne!” 57But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind, 58and after they had thrown him out of the city, they began to stone him to death. The witnesses left their coats with 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 10:11He saw the sky open and something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners to the ground.
• Ezekiel 1:1On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River, the sky opened, and I saw visions from God.
• Matthew 3:16After Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him.
• Mark 1:10As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove.
• Luke 3:21When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened,
• Revelation 4:1After these things I saw a door standing open in heaven. I heard the first voice like a trumpet speaking to me. It said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”
• Revelation 11:19God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his promise was seen inside his temple. There was lightning, noise, thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
• Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
• Daniel 7:13In my visions during the night, I saw among the clouds in heaven someone like the Son of Man. He came to the Ancient One, who has lived for endless years, and was presented to him.
• Matthew 16:27The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory. Then he will pay back each person based on what that person has done.
• Matthew 25:31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
• Matthew 26:64Jesus answered him, “Yes, I am. But I alone can guarantee that from now on you will see the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne . He will be coming on the clouds of heaven.”
• John 5:22“The Father doesn’t judge anyone. He has entrusted judgment entirely to 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