New Living Translation
Acts 7:49
49‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting place?
Acts 7:49 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest?
Context of Acts 7:49
47But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting place? 50Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’ 51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!
Read all of Acts 7Acts 7:49 word by word
ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; λέγει κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
- andδέde · thenG1161
- earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- footstoolὑποπόδιονhupopodion · footstoolG5286
- footstoolπούςpous · footG4228
- whatποῖοςpoios · what?G4169
- houseοἶκοςoikos · house: homeG3624
- will ye buildοἰκοδομέωoikodomeō · to buildG3618
- saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- orἤē · orG2228
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- the placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
- ofκατάπαυσιςkatapausis · restG2663
Cross-references for Acts 7:49
- 1 Kings 22:19Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.
- Psalms 11:4But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.
- Jeremiah 23:24Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.
- Matthew 5:34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.
- Matthew 23:22And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
- Revelation 3:21Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
- Jeremiah 7:4But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”
- Malachi 1:11But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Matthew 24:2But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
- John 4:21Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
Commentaries on Acts 7:49
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 49Heaven is my throne - See the notes on Matthew 5:34. Earth is my footstool - See the notes on Matthew 5:35. What house - What house or temple can be large or magnificent enough for the dwelling of Him who made all things? The place of my rest - My home, my abode, my fixed seat or habitation. Compare Psalm 95:11.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 42-50Verses 42-50 Stephen upbraids the Jews with the idolatry of their fathers, to which God gave them up as a punishment for their early forsaking him. It was no dishonour, but an honour to God, that the tabernacle gave way to the temple; so it is now, that the earthly temple gives way to the spiritual one; and so it will be when, at last, the spiritual shall give way to the eternal one. The whole world is God's temple, in which he is every where present, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 48-50One charge against Stephen was that he spoke against the temple (see 6:14). The leading priests and scribes managed the temple's business and wanted to protect their interests (see Luke 19:45–48). This is why these leaders were concerned about the temple, even though God said that the Most High does not live in temples made by human hands.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 42-5042-50. gave them up--judicially. as ... written in the book of the prophets--the twelve minor prophets, reckoned as one: the passage is from Am 5:25. have ye offered to me ... sacrifices?--The answer is, Yes, but as if ye did it not; for "neither did ye offer to Me only, nor always, nor with a perfect and willing heart" [Bengel].Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 7:49
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries