Acts 7 15

Acts 7:15 kjv

So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

Acts 7:15 nkjv

So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

Acts 7:15 niv

Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.

Acts 7:15 esv

And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,

Acts 7:15 nlt

So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 15 Meaning

Acts 7:15 concisely states that Jacob, accompanied by his sons, descended into Egypt, and both he and those patriarchs subsequently died there. This verse is part of Stephen's defense, highlighting a key moment in Israel's foundational history: the relocation of Jacob's entire family to Egypt, marking the beginning of their sojourn there before their eventual enslavement and miraculous exodus. It establishes the passing of the patriarchal generation in the foreign land.

Acts 7 15 Context

Acts 7:15 is situated within Stephen's lengthy speech before the Sanhedrin, where he stands accused of blasphemy against the Temple and the Law. His defense is not a direct rebuttal of the charges but a historical survey of God's dealings with Israel from Abraham to Solomon. Stephen meticulously recounts the history to demonstrate two key points: first, God's activity was not confined to the Temple or specific locations, as He engaged with patriarchs in various lands (Mesopotamia, Canaan, Egypt); second, that Israel had a consistent pattern of rejecting God's chosen messengers and His will. This verse specifically describes the migration of Jacob and his family to Egypt, an event critical for the subsequent narrative of the Exodus, which underscores both God's preserving power and Israel's journey toward nationhood. The mention of their death in Egypt emphasizes the finite nature of their earthly sojourn and sets the stage for God's redemptive work.

Acts 7 15 Word analysis

• So (οὖν - oun): A common conjunction, here inferential, drawing a conclusion from the preceding statement (famine in Acts 7:11 and Jacob's sending his sons). It connects this historical event logically to what came before.
• Jacob (Ἰακὼβ - Iakob): The patriarch, grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac, progenitor of the twelve tribes of Israel. His descent into Egypt with his family is a pivotal moment establishing the Israelite nation in a foreign land as prophesied.
• went down (κατέβη - katebē): Aorist active indicative of καταβαίνω (katabainō), meaning "to go down, descend." This verb is frequently used for movement from a higher elevation (Canaan) to a lower one (Egypt), but also carries a spiritual connotation of moving into a place of bondage or trial, echoing God's previous prophecy to Abraham regarding his descendants.
• into Egypt (εἰς Αἴγυπτον - eis Aigypton): "Into" (εἰς - eis) indicates direction, and "Egypt" (Αἴγυπτος - Aigyptos) is the historical land, which became a significant place of testing and a major setting in Israel's formative history. It's the place where the nation grows numerically, experiences oppression, and eventually liberation.
• and there (κἀκεῖ - kakei): A conjunction ("and") combined with an adverb of place ("there"), explicitly emphasizing that their death occurred within Egypt. This simple statement prepares for the dramatic reversal of the Exodus, where God brings them out of Egypt.
• he (αὐτὸς - autos): The pronoun "he" directly refers to Jacob, highlighting his individual fate alongside his sons.
• and our fathers (καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν - kai hoi pateres hēmōn): "And" (kai) is a conjunction, connecting Jacob to "our fathers" (hoi pateres hēmōn). "Our fathers" here refers specifically to Jacob's twelve sons, the patriarchs of the twelve tribes. This collective term underscores that not just Jacob, but the entire founding generation of the tribes, completed their earthly lives in Egypt. Stephen's consistent use of "our fathers" throughout his speech reminds the Sanhedrin of their shared ancestral heritage, yet also implicates them in a pattern of rejecting God's messengers.
• died (ἐτελεύτησαν - eteletēsan): Aorist active indicative of τελευτάω (teleutaō), meaning "to die, come to an end." It's a straightforward statement of their physical death. This phrase marks the end of an era for the direct patriarchs in Egypt, leading to the beginning of the oppressive period that eventually spurred the cry for deliverance, setting the stage for Moses. Their death in Egypt means they did not see the land of promise fulfilled in their lifetime, reinforcing the idea of faith and hope in future divine actions.

Acts 7 15 Bonus section

Stephen's recitation of this detail about the patriarchs dying in Egypt is subtly subversive. It anticipates his later arguments about God not being confined to specific places like the Temple, as His divine plan unfolds in foreign lands, preparing His people for a larger redemptive purpose. Furthermore, it sets the stage for the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant regarding a period of sojourning and affliction (Gen 15:13), reminding the audience that their history of deliverance from Egypt, centered around God's faithful intervention, was part of a divine scheme much grander than the legalistic traditions they currently upheld. While Jacob's body was famously returned to Canaan for burial, the verse points to the fact that his death occurred in Egypt, marking the close of the original generation there.

Acts 7 15 Commentary

Acts 7:15 serves as a crucial link in Stephen's historical chain, marking the physical end of the patriarchal generation in Egypt. It states a simple but profound truth: Jacob, and the progenitors of the twelve tribes with him, finished their earthly lives within the confines of Egypt. This details how the entire ancestral lineage came to be situated in the very land from which God would later dramatically deliver their descendants. The phrase underscores that even the chosen fathers were subject to the universal reality of death and experienced a significant part of their journey in a foreign land, thereby setting the historical precedent for God's later intervention through Moses. It implicitly highlights the temporary nature of their residence, paving the way for the greater story of liberation and the journey back to the promised inheritance.