Acts 7:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

NIV: This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

NASB: This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

CSB: "This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?--this one God sent as a ruler and a deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

NLT: So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.

KJV: This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

NKJV: “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.

Moses was a Hebrew man who had been raised by an Egyptian princess (Exodus 2:1–10). Somehow, in a way that the original account does not explain, he knew God had sent him to free his people from slavery (Acts 7:25). During his first attempt, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. The next day, he realized the Israelites not only rejected his help and authority, they knew about the murder. Moses fled to Midian before Pharaoh could execute him (Exodus 2:11–15).

In Midian, Moses married the daughter of a priest and cared for his father-in-law's sheep. Forty years after his arrival, he realized a bush was on fire but not burning. The angel of the Lord was in the bush, and God spoke to Moses. Moses' authority came from that angel's "hand," that is, by the angel's authority.

The original passage says "the angel of the LORD" was in the flaming bush (Exodus 3:2). Stephen just says, "an angel" (Acts 7:30). It's thought that when the Old Testament refers to "the angel of the LORD," it means the pre-incarnate Christ. It would be helpful if Stephen would clarify that, here, but he doesn't.

Before Moses fled to Midian, an Israelite man asked him, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us?" (Exodus 2:14). "Prince" refers to an official or a representative of the king (Pharaoh). A "judge" is someone authorized to make a legal ruling. Stephen points out that Moses was, indeed, an official ruler, a representative of God. More than that, God chose him to be the Israelites' redeemer, to rescue them. The arguing Israelites derisively rejected Moses' position as a judicial representative of Pharaoh, not realizing Moses was sent by God to rescue them.

Acts 7:35–38 reminds a Jewish audience of Moses' credentials. These words are spoken by Stephen, a Jewish follower of Jesus and leader in the church in Jerusalem. Devout Jews are accusing Stephen of blaspheming against Moses and the Mosaic law (Acts 6:11–14). Stephen is showing that his accusers' forefathers directly rebelled against Moses and many other prophets who came after him. Here, he reminds them how Moses was in direct contact with God, and how he prophesied about Jesus.

Stephen is a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian and one of the first deacons in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1–7). He's also a skilled apologist and has been debating Jews from outside Judea about the proper place of the Mosaic law and the temple (Acts 6:8–15). His opponents cannot counter his arguments so they resort to lies. They tell the Sanhedrin that Stephen wants to destroy the temple and repeal the Mosaic law. Stephen counters that his accusers don't respect Moses or the Law, and the temple isn't necessary to worship God. This enrages the mob, and Stephen is stoned, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Chapter 7 is one of the pivot points of the book of Acts. Until recently, the early church has seen favor from the people and indifference from the Sanhedrin. Now, the Sanhedrin has beaten the apostles and ordered them not to preach about Jesus (Acts 5:40), and the people are starting to realize how different Christianity is. In Jerusalem, a Hellenist Jewish Jesus-follower named Stephen has been in a debate with other foreign Jews who finally accuse him of wishing to destroy the temple, like Jesus (Acts 6:8–15). This is Stephen's defense, which leads to his death and the introduction of Paul.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.