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 and there he and our fathers died. 16From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not 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

• timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• of the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• was approachingἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• had assuredὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• to AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• increasedαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
• and multipliedπληθύνωplēthunō · to multiplyG4129
• in EgyptΑἴγυπτοςAiguptos · EgyptG125

Cross-references for Acts 7:17

• Acts 7:6But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
• Genesis 15:13God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.
• 2 Peter 3:8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that 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 fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.
• Exodus 1:7But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
• Psalms 105:24And He caused His people to be very fruitful, And made them stronger than their adversaries.

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