Acts 7:32 kjv
Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
Acts 7:32 nkjv
saying, 'I am the God of your fathers?the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and dared not look.
Acts 7:32 niv
'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
Acts 7:32 esv
'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
Acts 7:32 nlt
'I am the God of your ancestors ? the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.
Acts 7 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 7:32 | "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob." | Acts 7:32 (Original Verse) |
| Exodus 3:6 | "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." | Direct Echo, Theophany |
| Exodus 3:15 | "God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.'" | Reinforces Divine Identity |
| Deut 1:8 | "Behold, I have given the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them." | Covenant Promise |
| Joshua 24:3 | "Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and… took him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring numerous. I gave him Isaac." | Ancestral Faithfulness |
| 1 Kings 18:36 | Elijah's prayer mirroring this, calling upon "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel". | Affirmation of God's Name |
| Ps 105:8-9 | "He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his oath that he swore to Isaac, that he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant." | Covenant Endures |
| Jer 31:33 | "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | New Covenant Foundation |
| Matt 22:32 | Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6, proving resurrection. | Resurrection Connection |
| Mark 12:26 | Jesus uses the same quote from Moses. | Resurrection Connection |
| Luke 20:37 | Jesus again uses this proof. | Resurrection Connection |
| John 8:56 | Jesus refers to Abraham rejoicing to see His day. | Abraham's Anticipation |
| Rom 9:4-5 | Lists Israelites, adoption, glory, covenants, Law, worship, promises, patriarchs, from whom Christ came. | Patriarchal Lineage |
| Gal 3:16 | Mentions seed of Abraham, referring to Christ. | Christ as Seed |
| Heb 11:8 | Abraham obeyed when called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, he went out, not knowing where he was going. | Faith of Ancestors |
| Heb 11:9 | Abraham lived as an alien in the promised land as in a foreign one, dwelling in tents. | Faith of Ancestors |
| Heb 11:21 | Jacob, by faith, when dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons. | Faith of Ancestors |
| Acts 3:13 | Peter states: "The God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus." | Apostolic Preaching |
| Acts 4:25 | The apostles pray, invoking God as their fathers' God. | United Prayer |
| Acts 5:30 | Peter defends preaching Christ by saying: "The God of our fathers raised Jesus." | Apostolic Testimony |
| Acts 28:20 | Paul refers to his chains for the hope of Israel. | Hope Tied to Ancestors |
Acts 7 verses
Acts 7 32 Meaning
The Lord is the God of your fathers. This declaration emphasizes God's covenantal faithfulness and His identity as the God who historically interacted with and promised blessings to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants.
Acts 7 32 Context
This verse occurs within Stephen's defense speech before the Sanhedrin, recorded in Acts chapter 7. Stephen is recounting the history of God's dealings with Israel, highlighting their unfaithfulness despite God's continued covenant faithfulness. He starts by referencing Abraham, the patriarch through whom God’s covenant promise began. Stephen is essentially demonstrating that Israel's rejection of Jesus is consistent with their ancestors' history of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting the prophets. The declaration that the Lord is the God of their fathers is a reminder of God's consistent action throughout their history, beginning with the patriarchs, and a direct refutation of any notion that God had abandoned them or was unfamiliar with their heritage. This is a critical point in establishing continuity between God’s past actions and the present mission of Jesus Christ.
Acts 7 32 Word Analysis
- "The Lord" (ho Kyrios, ὁ Κύριος): Refers to YHWH, the covenant name of God revealed to Moses. It denotes God’s sovereign authority and relational presence.
- "is" (estin, ἐστὶν): Present tense verb, affirming a continuous reality.
- "the God" (ho Theos, ὁ Θεὸς): The general term for deity, used here in direct conjunction with the specific covenant name.
- "of your fathers" (tōn patriōn hymōn, τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν): Possessive genitive. "Fathers" (patēr, πατὴρ) refers to ancestral progenitors. It connects God’s present relationship to them with His historic relationship to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the founding fathers of their nation and covenant people.
- "the God of Abraham" (ho Theos Abram, ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραάμ): Directly names Abraham, the recipient of the initial covenant of blessing and a multitude of descendants.
- "and of Isaac" (kai Isaak, καὶ Ἰσαάκ): Isaac, Abraham’s son, through whom the covenant was passed.
- "and of Jacob" (kai Iakōb, καὶ Ἰακώβ): Jacob, Isaac’s son, whose name was changed to Israel, and from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended. This repetition underscores the direct lineage of the covenant.
Acts 7 32 Bonus Section
This phrase "I am the God of your fathers" echoes through key moments of divine revelation in the Old Testament, notably the calling of Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6). Stephen is employing this powerful declaration to underline the continuity of God's relationship with Israel. It serves as a foundational theological truth in Jewish belief. Stephen's use here is both affirmative of God's nature and subtly polemical, pointing out that if God is truly the God of their fathers, then their current rejection of the Messiah (Jesus) is a betrayal of that very heritage and covenant. The Sanhedrin’s claim to honor their fathers would be called into question by their rejection of Jesus, who fulfills the promises made to those fathers. It highlights that faithfulness to God's historical covenants is demonstrated by obedience to His present revelations.
Acts 7 32 Commentary
Stephen is strategically reminding his accusers of their shared heritage and God’s unchanging faithfulness to His covenant promises, established through their founding fathers. By invoking God as "the God of your fathers," Stephen implies that God’s relationship with them is a continuation of His historical covenantal dealings. He is not some distant deity, but the same God who chose, guided, and promised blessing to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This statement is powerful because it links God’s present actions (in sending Jesus and the apostles) to His past, thereby validating the continuity of God’s redemptive plan. It's an appeal to their own history to recognize the divine origin and legitimacy of Jesus Christ, whom their fathers had persecuted.