Acts 7 27

Acts 7:27 kjv

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Acts 7:27 nkjv

But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Acts 7:27 niv

"But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us?

Acts 7:27 esv

But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Acts 7:27 nlt

"But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 27 meaning

Acts 7:27 describes the interaction between Moses and an Israelite who was doing wrong to another. This Israelite pushes Moses away, aggressively questioning his authority by asking, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?" This pivotal moment in Moses' early life reveals the spiritual resistance and rejection he faced even from his own people, highlighting their spiritual blindness to God's intended deliverer.

Acts 7 27 Context

Acts 7:27 is part of Stephen's defense speech before the Sanhedrin, where he meticulously recounts the history of Israel from Abraham to Solomon. His primary goal is to demonstrate that the Israelites consistently resisted God's plans and rejected the deliverers and prophets He sent, culminating in their rejection and murder of Jesus Christ. Specifically, this verse refers to an incident early in Moses' life (Ex 2:13-14), when Moses, seeing two Israelites fighting, attempted to intervene and reconcile them. The response from the aggressor—"Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?"—becomes a foundational example in Stephen's argument of Israel's historical pattern of resisting divinely appointed authority and spiritual leadership. This event predates the Exodus and the formal giving of the Law, occurring during Moses' unrecognized leadership among his brethren in Egypt. The original audience (the Jewish Sanhedrin) would have been familiar with this Old Testament narrative.

Acts 7 27 Word analysis

• But the one who was doing wrong (ὁ ἀδικῶν)
  • ὁ: Greek definite article, "the," identifying a specific individual.
  • ἀδικῶν (adikōn): Present active participle of adikeō. Means "to do wrong, to act unjustly, to injure, to harm, to treat wrongly." This describes an active, ongoing state of wrongdoing, not a passive victim. It suggests a defiant attitude towards justice and peace. This term inherently contrasts with righteous behavior and divinely instituted justice.
• to his neighbor (τὸν πλησίον)
  • τὸν: Greek definite article.
  • πλησίον (plēsion): Means "neighbor" or "one nearby." In the biblical context, particularly for Israelites, this term extends beyond mere proximity to a fellow countryman, often encompassing obligations and covenantal relationships (Lev 19:18). The dispute is not with an Egyptian but a "brother" Israelite, making the injustice and rejection more profound.
• pushed him away (ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν)
  • ἀπώσατο (apōsaťō): Aorist middle indicative of apōtheō. Means "to push away, thrust aside, reject, repudiate." The middle voice implies the subject performs the action in their own interest or upon themselves, indicating a willful and deliberate act of rejection. This physical act is symbolic of a spiritual rejection of Moses' authority and God's intervention.
  • αὐτὸν (auton): "him," referring to Moses.
• saying (εἰπών)
  • εἰπών (eipōn): Aorist active participle of legō. Means "to say, speak, declare." This confirms the verbal nature of the challenge following the physical rejection.
• Who made you (Τίς σε κατέστησεν)
  • Τίς (Tís): "Who?" A direct and challenging interrogative, questioning the source and legitimacy of Moses' authority. It is not seeking information but asserting skepticism and defiance.
  • σε (se): "you," direct address to Moses.
  • κατέστησεν (katestēsen): Aorist active indicative of kathistēmi. Means "to appoint, to set over, to constitute, to establish." This word is significant; it speaks to the formal designation or ordination of authority. The question directly challenges the divine (or any) commission of Moses.
• a ruler (ἄρχοντα)
  • ἄρχοντα (archonta): Accusative singular of archōn. Means "ruler, chief, leader, prince." Denotes someone with executive power or pre-eminence.
• and a judge (καὶ δικαστήν)
  • καὶ (kai): "and," connecting the two roles.
  • δικαστήν (dikastēn): Accusative singular of dikastēs. Means "judge, one who administers justice." Denotes someone with judicial authority to decide cases. The combination of "ruler and judge" signifies comprehensive authority—to govern and to dispense justice.
• over us? (ἐφ' ἡμῶν)
  • ἐφ' (eph'): Contracted form of epi, "over" or "upon." Expresses a relationship of authority or placement above.
  • ἡμῶν (hēmōn): "us," referring to the Israelites, his own people. This phrase underscores the challenge that Moses is asserting authority over them, without their consent or recognition of his divine appointment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "But the one who was doing wrong to his neighbor": This phrase immediately establishes the setting as a dispute among brethren, one of whom is actively engaged in injustice. Stephen draws attention to the moral failure within Israel.
• "pushed him away, saying": This indicates a two-fold rejection: a physical act of dismissal followed by a verbal confrontation. It is an assertive and aggressive dismissal of intervention.
• "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?": This rhetorical question is at the core of the passage. It questions Moses' legitimate authority on two key fronts: governance (ruler) and legal arbitration (judge). The underlying premise of the question is, "You have no divine or popular mandate to intervene in our affairs." This defiant posture represents a rejection of God's chosen agent and foreshadows Israel's repeated refusal to acknowledge divine leadership, whether in Moses, the prophets, or ultimately, Jesus Christ.

Acts 7 27 Bonus section

The incident recounted in Acts 7:27 and its original source in Ex 2:13-14 is not merely an anecdotal event from Moses' life; it represents his first attempt at deliverance. His physical intervention and subsequent challenge marked a premature move driven by zeal but without a clear divine mandate perceived by the people yet. Stephen highlights that despite this early rejection, God still intended Moses for these roles, demonstrating God's sovereign plan is not thwarted by human resistance (Acts 7:35). This reinforces the point that God's choices often face human skepticism and hostility. Stephen masterfully draws a prophetic parallel: Moses, a rejected leader sent by God for liberation, is a "type" or foreshadowing of Christ, who was also rejected by His own people even as He brought salvation. The phrase "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?" embodies the resistance of sinful humanity to divine intervention and authoritative leadership, especially when it confronts personal wrongdoing.

Acts 7 27 Commentary

Acts 7:27 encapsulates a foundational theme in Stephen's speech: Israel's chronic resistance to God's chosen instruments of deliverance. The incident from Moses' youth, seemingly a minor squabble, becomes profoundly significant through Stephen's interpretive lens. The question "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?" reveals a deep-seated spiritual blindness and an unwillingness to accept divine authority without a visible, earthly credential or popular endorsement.

This rejection is not merely personal; it reflects a failure to discern God's hand in His chosen leader. The Israelite's challenge of Moses' appointment as both archōn (ruler/leader) and dikastēs (judge/arbitrator) is central. These are the very roles God intends Moses to fulfill. Their defiance here mirrors their later, more explicit rejections of Moses in the wilderness (Ex 14, Num 11) and, ultimately, their forebears' rejection of all the prophets (Acts 7:52), culminating in their rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. Stephen uses this episode to draw a direct parallel: just as Moses was initially unrecognized and rebuffed by his own people despite being God's anointed, so too was Jesus rejected by the generation standing before Stephen. The aggressor's question thus becomes a paradigmatic expression of an ungodly rejection of legitimate, divine authority.

• Practical Usage Example: When people reject sound biblical advice or spiritual leadership by questioning, "Who are you to tell me what to do?" they may be echoing this ancient pattern of rejecting God's ordained structure, similar to how the fighting Israelite challenged Moses' intervention.