Acts 7:52

Acts 7:52 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
• New International Version (NIV)Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
• English Standard Version (ESV)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

Context of Acts 7:52

50Did my hand not make all these things?’ 51“You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! 53You received the law by decrees given by angels, but you did not obey it.” 54When they heard these things, they became furious and ground their teeth at him.

Acts 7:52 word by word

τίνα τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἐδίωξαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν; καὶ ἀπέκτειναν τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ δικαίου, οὗ νῦν ὑμεῖς προδόται καὶ φονεῖς ἐγένεσθε·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whichτίςtis · which?G5101
• of the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• haveδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• notοὐou · noG3756
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• they have slainἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• shewed beforeπροκαταγγέλλωprokataggellō · to foretellG4293
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• the comingἔλευσιςeleusis · comingG1660
• of the Just Oneδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• of whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• have beenγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• the betrayersπροδότηςprodotēs · traitorG4273
• murderersφονεύςphoneus · murdererG5406

Cross-references for Acts 7:52

• 1 Samuel 8:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.
• 1 Kings 19:10He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.”
• 2 Chronicles 24:19The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. They warned the people, but they would not pay attention.
• 2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.
• Nehemiah 9:26“Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.
• Jeremiah 2:30“It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion.”
• Jeremiah 20:2When he heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had the prophet flogged. Then he put him in the stocks which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the Lord’s temple.
• Jeremiah 26:15But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
• Matthew 5:12Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
• Matthew 21:35But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
• Matthew 23:31By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
• Luke 11:47Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.
• Luke 13:33Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.’
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,
• Acts 3:18But the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets – that his Christ would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way.
• 1 Peter 1:11They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory.

Commentaries on Acts 7:52

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 52Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? - Ye have not only resisted the Holy Ghost, but ye have persecuted all those who have spoken to you in his name, and by his influence: thus ye prove your opposition to the Spirit himself, by your opposition to every thing that proceeds from him. They have slain them, etc. - Isaiah, who showed before of the coming of Christ, the Jews report, was sawn asunder at the command of Manasseh. The coming of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 52Which of the prophets … - The interrogative form here is a strong mode of saying that they had persecuted “all” the prophets. It was “the characteristic of the nation” to persecute the messengers of God. This is not to be taken as literally and universally true; but it was a general truth; it was the national characteristic. See the notes on Matthew 21:33-40; Matthew 23:29-35. And they have slain them … - That is, they have slain the prophets, whose main…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 51-53Verses 51-53 Stephen was going on, it seems, to show that the temple and the temple service must come to an end, and it would be the glory of both to give way to the worship of the Father in spirit and in truth; but he perceived they would not bear it. Therefore he broke off, and by the Spirit of wisdom, courage, and power, sharply rebuked his persecutors. When plain arguments and truths provoke the opposers of the gospel, they should be shown their guilt…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. 51-5351-53. Ye stiffnecked ... ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, &c.--It has been thought that symptoms of impatience and irritation in the audience induced Stephen to cut short his historical sketch. But as little farther light could have been thrown upon Israel's obstinacy from subsequent periods of the national history on the testimony of their own Scriptures, we should view this as the summing up, the brief import of the whole Israelitish…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 7:52

• Court
• Government
• Jesus Continued
• Persecution
• Readings, Select
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• Charge
• Resist
• Saying
• Stone
• Thrust
• Wisdom
• Acts of the Apostles
• Betrayers
• Doctrine
• Gnosticism

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