God’s Word Translation
Acts 7:59
59While council members were executing Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, welcome my spirit.”
Acts 7:59 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
- New International Version (NIV)While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Context of Acts 7:59
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. While council members were executing Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, welcome my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” After he had said this, he died.
Read all of Acts 7Acts 7:59 word by word
καὶ ἐλιθοβόλουν τὸν Στέφανον ἐπικαλούμενον καὶ λέγοντα· κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- they stonedλιθοβολέωlithoboleō · to stoneG3036
- Stephenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- StephenΣτέφανοςStephanos · StephenG4736
- calling uponἐπικαλέωepikaleomai · to call (on)/nameG1941
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- receiveδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
Cross-references for Acts 7:59
- Acts 2:21Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
- Acts 9:14Saul has come here to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to put anyone who calls on your name in prison.”
- Acts 22:16What are you waiting for now? Get up! Be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’
- Joel 2:32Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Those who escape will be on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. Among the survivors will be those whom the Lord calls, as the Lord has promised.
- Romans 10:12There is no difference between Jews and Greeks. They all have the same Lord, who gives his riches to everyone who calls on him.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2To God’s church that was made holy by Christ Jesus and called to be God’s holy people in the city of Corinth and to people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Psalms 31:5Into your hands I entrust my spirit. You have rescued me, O Lord, God of truth.
- Luke 23:46Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After he said this, he died.
Commentaries on Acts 7:59
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God - The word God is not found in any MS. or version, nor in any of the primitive fathers except Chrysostom. It is not genuine, and should not be inserted here: the whole sentence literally reads thus: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Here is a most manifest proof that prayer is offered to Jesus Christ; and that in the most solemn circumstances in which it could be offered…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 59Calling upon God - The word God is not in the original, and should not have been in the translation. It is in none of the ancient mss. or versions. It should have been rendered, “They stoned Stephen, invoking, or calling upon, and saying, Lord Jesus,” etc. That is, he was engaged “in prayer” to the Lord Jesus. The word is used to express “prayer” in the following, among other places: 2 Corinthians 1:23, “I call God to witness”; 1 Peter 1:17, “And if ye…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. 59-60Stephen’s prayer, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them," is very similar to the prayer Jesus prayed when he was on the cross (Luke 23:34). Jesus taught his followers the importance of forgiveness and prayer (Matthew 6:14–15; Mark 11:25; see Luke 11:4; 17:3–4; Luke 11:5–10; 18:1–8; see also Acts 1:12–15; 4:23–31; 12:5; James 5:16–18). The Lord gave a positive answer to Stephen’s prayer as it relates to Saul (Acts 9:1–43).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 59-6059-60. calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, &c.--An unhappy supplement of our translators is the word "God" here; as if, while addressing the Son, he was really calling upon the Father. The sense is perfectly clear without any supplement at all--"calling upon [invoking] and saying, Lord Jesus"; Christ being the Person directly invoked and addressed by name (compare Ac 9:14). Even Grotius, De Wette, Meyer, &c., admit this, adding several other examples…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 7:59
In the dictionaries
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
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