Acts 7 14

Acts 7:14 kjv

Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

Acts 7:14 nkjv

Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.

Acts 7:14 niv

After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.

Acts 7:14 esv

And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.

Acts 7:14 nlt

Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 14 Meaning

This verse continues Stephen's historical recounting before the Sanhedrin, specifically focusing on Joseph's role in preserving Jacob's family during a famine. It states that Joseph extended an invitation for his father Jacob and all his relatives to move to Egypt, resulting in a total of seventy-five people joining him. This event marks a critical turning point where the patriarchal family transitions from a nomadic clan into a larger gathering destined to become a nation in Egypt.

Acts 7 14 Context

Acts 7:14 is part of Stephen's extensive speech delivered before the Sanhedrin, where he is on trial for blasphemy. This speech reviews Israel's history, starting from Abraham and continuing through the patriarchs, Moses, the Wilderness period, and the building of the Tabernacle and Temple. Stephen uses this historical review to demonstrate God's faithful work through His chosen people, but simultaneously highlights the recurring pattern of Israel's rebellion, stubbornness, and rejection of God's messengers—culminating in their rejection of Jesus, the Messiah.

Verse 14 falls within the section of the speech dedicated to Joseph, showing how God was with Joseph despite the jealousy of his brothers and how Joseph became the savior of his family, preserving the lineage through which God's promises would continue. The event described in this verse—the family's descent into Egypt—is crucial, as it sets the stage for the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham that his descendants would be a numerous people and would sojourn in a foreign land before inheriting their own. The journey to Egypt signifies both God's provident care and the beginning of the nation's 400-year sojourn and subsequent enslavement.

Acts 7 14 Word analysis

• Then (Tote): A temporal conjunction indicating sequence. It follows Joseph revealing himself to his brothers (Acts 7:13), signaling the immediate consequence of that reconciliation: the summoning of his father's household to Egypt.

• Joseph (Ioseph): A prominent figure in the patriarchal narrative, significant for his journey from a rejected brother to a powerful deliverer. His story prefigures Christ in being rejected by his own, yet saving them and many others through his elevated position and wisdom.

• sent and called (aposteilas metakalesato): Implies Joseph's authority and proactive initiative. He didn't wait; he took action to bring his family to a place of safety and provision. This also underscores God's sovereignty working through Joseph.

• his father Jacob (ton patera autou Iakob): Emphasizes the deep family connection and the lineage of the patriarchs. Jacob represents the continuation of the covenant promises given to Abraham and Isaac.

• and all his relatives (pasan tēn syngeneian autou): Indicates the comprehensive nature of the invitation, including the extended family, which will form the foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel. This broad gathering underpins the growth into a nation.

• to him (pros auton): Refers to Joseph in Egypt, signifying their reliance on Joseph's provision and their movement into a foreign land under his protection.

• seventy-five people in all (psyche hebdomekonta pente): This numerical detail is notable. While the Masoretic Text (MT) of Gen 46:27 and Exod 1:5 states "seventy souls" that came into Egypt, Stephen here aligns with the Septuagint (LXX) versions of these same passages, which total "seventy-five."

  • "Seventy-five people": The Greek word "psyche" (soul) is used for "person." The LXX often includes additional individuals to reach the number 75, primarily by counting additional grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Joseph born in Egypt, who were sometimes explicitly listed in the LXX translation of Gen 46:20. Another calculation could include the wives of Jacob's sons (not usually counted in MT lists which focus on male descendants directly from Jacob's loins) or other family members. Stephen, likely speaking from the Greek Old Testament common in the Hellenistic Jewish communities, naturally uses this accepted textual tradition. This discrepancy is not a contradiction but reflects different counting methods or textual traditions of the day, with both accurately representing the general magnitude of Jacob's family entering Egypt.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Then Joseph sent and called...": Highlights Joseph's agency as God's instrument in bringing His chosen family into the pre-ordained land of their sojourn, fulfilling ancient prophecies (Gen 15:13-14). This active calling underscores God's plan through human means.
  • "his father Jacob and all his relatives to him...": Shows the reunion of the core patriarchal family under Joseph's care. This is a gathering that signifies unity and preservation, necessary before the family could expand into a nation.
  • "seventy-five people in all": This specific number, though numerically differing from the Hebrew Bible's seventy, underscores the specific number God had planned for this foundational family group to enter Egypt. It highlights God's sovereignty over even the minutiae of human lineage and national development. This small number then dramatically increases to a nation.

Acts 7 14 Bonus Section

• LXX vs. MT Reconciliation: The numerical difference (75 vs. 70) in Gen 46:27 (LXX vs. MT) is primarily explained by the Septuagint including specific individuals whom the Masoretic Text might not explicitly count for the original journey into Egypt, or by including descendants of Joseph already born in Egypt who are listed within the broader family in the LXX accounts of Gen 46. For Stephen, speaking to Hellenistic Jews, the Septuagint was their common Bible, making his use of "seventy-five" entirely natural and authoritative to his audience. It highlights that the biblical texts could have minor numerical variations without affecting the core theological truth or historical narrative of God's overarching plan.
• Theological Significance of "Few to Many": The idea of "seventy-five" souls becoming a multitude is a powerful biblical motif, emphasizing God's ability to accomplish great things from humble or even desperate beginnings (Deut 26:5; Isa 51:2). This family's descent into Egypt, while securing their survival, was also part of God's divine plan to place them in a context where they would multiply rapidly and eventually be delivered by His mighty hand, leading to their identity as His covenant nation.
• Joseph as a Type of Christ: Joseph's narrative, especially in Acts 7, foreshadows aspects of Christ. He was rejected by his brothers yet became their savior; he gathered his family (Israel) to him, sustaining them; and his period of humiliation was followed by exaltation to power and provision for many. Just as Joseph gathered the "seventy-five," Christ gathers His family (the church) through His work.

Acts 7 14 Commentary

Acts 7:14 serves as a precise historical point within Stephen's narrative, illustrating the crucial moment when God's chosen family, the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, formally entered Egypt under Joseph's patronage. This move, orchestrated by God's providential hand through Joseph's earlier ordeal, ensured the survival of the nascent Israelite nation during a severe famine. The seemingly small detail of the family's total count, whether seventy (MT) or seventy-five (LXX), is significant for Stephen as it highlights the relatively modest beginning from which God would incredibly multiply His people. This passage is a testament to God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, using a humble beginning and foreign sojourn as the crucible for shaping His chosen people into a great nation, thereby paving the way for the later events of the Exodus and the giving of the Law. The very next chapter will highlight their persecution and their cry to God, demonstrating the purpose of this initial sojourn and their subsequent growth.