New International Version
Acts 7:52
52Was 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—
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:
- 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,
- New Living Translation (NLT)Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.
Context of Acts 7:52
50Has not my hand made all these things?’ 51“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 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— 53you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
Read all of Acts 7Acts 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 8:7And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
- 1 Kings 19:10He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
- 2 Chronicles 24:19Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.
- Nehemiah 9:26“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.
- Jeremiah 2:30“In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.
- Jeremiah 20:2he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord’s temple.
- Jeremiah 26:15Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
- Matthew 5:12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- Matthew 21:35“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
- Matthew 23:31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
- Luke 11:47“Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them.
- Luke 13:33In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone
- Acts 3:18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
- 1 Peter 1:11trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
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
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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