New English Translation
Acts 7:56
56“Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
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
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. “Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 58When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Read all of Acts 7Acts 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 heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down to earth by its four corners.
- Ezekiel 1:1In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision.
- Matthew 3:16After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him.
- Mark 1:10And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
- Luke 3:21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened,
- Revelation 4:1After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: “Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things.”
- Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
- Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war.
- Daniel 7:13I was watching in the night visions, “And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him.
- Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
- Matthew 25:31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
- Matthew 26:64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
- John 5:22Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment 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
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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