Acts 7:53

Acts 7:53 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
• New International Version (NIV)you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
• New King James Version (NKJV)who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Context of Acts 7:53

51“You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! 52Which 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! You 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. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Acts 7:53 word by word

οἵτινες ἐλάβετε τὸν νόμον εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξατε.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whoὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• have receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• byεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the dispositionδιαταγήdiatagē · ordinanceG1296
• of angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• haveφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: observeG5442
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for Acts 7:53

• Exodus 19:1In the third month after the Israelites went out from the land of Egypt, on the very day, they came to the Desert of Sinai.
• Deuteronomy 33:2He said: The Lord came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them.
• Psalms 68:17God has countless chariots; they number in the thousands. The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.
• Galatians 3:19Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
• Hebrews 2:2For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty,
• Ezekiel 20:18“‘But I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
• John 7:19Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law! Why do you want to kill me?”
• Romans 2:23You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!
• Galatians 6:13For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.

Commentaries on Acts 7:53

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 53By the disposition of angels - . After all that has been said on this difficult passage, perhaps the simple meaning is, that there were ranks, , of angels attending on the Divine Majesty when he gave the law: a circumstance which must have added greatly to the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion; and to this Psalm 68:17; seems to me most evidently to allude: The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even many thousands of angels: the Lord is among them…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 53Who have received the law - The Law of Moses, given on Mount Sinai. By the disposition of angels - There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to this phrase, ̓ ̀ ̓́ eis diatagas angelōnThe word translated “disposition” does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It properly means the “constituting” or “arranging” of an army; disposing it into ranks and proper divisions. Hence, it has been supposed to mean that the Law was given “amidst” the…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 7:53

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Court
• Government
• Law
• Prophets
• Readings, Select
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• Charge
• Resist
• Saying
• Stone
• Thrust
• Wisdom
• Acts of the Apostles
• Disposition
• Doctrine
• Exodus, the Book of

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