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,
• 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
• New Living Translation (NLT)“As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.

Context of Acts 7:17

15Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whenκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• the timeχρόνοςchronos · timeG5550
• of the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• drew nighἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• had swornὄμνυμιomnuō · to swearG3660
• to AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• grewαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• multipliedπληθύνωplēthunō · to multiplyG4129
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• EgyptΑἴγυπτοςAiguptos · EgyptG125

Cross-references for Acts 7:17

• Acts 7:6God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.
• Genesis 15:13Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.
• 2 Peter 3:8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
• Acts 13:17The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;
• Exodus 1:7but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
• Psalms 105:24The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,

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