Acts 7 50

Acts 7:50 kjv

Hath not my hand made all these things?

Acts 7:50 nkjv

Has My hand not made all these things?'

Acts 7:50 niv

Has not my hand made all these things?'

Acts 7:50 esv

Did not my hand make all these things?'

Acts 7:50 nlt

Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?'

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 50 Meaning

Acts 7:50 is a rhetorical question from Stephen's sermon, directly quoting Isaiah 66:2, which serves as an emphatic affirmation of God's sole, transcendent, and uncreated sovereignty. It declares that God alone is the Creator of everything that exists, signifying His ownership, power, and independence from anything man-made, especially in the context of a physical temple. The verse underscores that God, as the Almighty Creator, cannot be confined or adequately housed by human hands or structures, thus challenging the exclusive focus on the Temple in Jerusalem.

Acts 7 50 Context

Acts 7:50 forms a crucial part of Stephen's defense speech before the Sanhedrin, which ultimately leads to his martyrdom. Stephen is accused of blasphemy against Moses, the Law, and the Temple. His long discourse surveys Israel's history, emphasizing God's progressive revelation and His constant faithfulness despite Israel's frequent rebellion. Within this context, verses 44-50 specifically address the topic of the Tabernacle and the Temple. Stephen traces their origin, noting that both were made according to divine pattern but were still human constructions, indicating that God's presence was not inherently limited or bound to them. By quoting Isaiah 66:1-2, Stephen directly challenges the prevailing Jewish belief that God's dwelling place was exclusively and fully contained within the physical Temple in Jerusalem. This perspective was a source of great pride and reliance for the Jewish leadership. Stephen's argument implies that the very reverence for the Temple, rather than reverence for the omnipresent Creator, was a form of misplaced worship, bordering on idolatry. He posits that if God, as the Maker of all things, created the vast universe, He cannot possibly be contained by any building made by human hands. This sets up a profound polemic against the physical and spiritual limitations the Sanhedrin imposed on God's presence and work, thereby opening the door to God's presence among all nations and through the spiritual reality of Christ.

Acts 7 50 Word analysis

• Has not: This serves as a strong rhetorical interrogative, common in both Hebrew and Greek literature. It functions as an emphatic affirmative statement, akin to "Indeed, My hand has made all these things!" or "Surely My hand has made all these things!" Its use here highlights the undeniable and self-evident truth of God's creative power, leaving no room for denial.
• My hand: Refers to God's power, agency, and creative ability. It's an anthropomorphism, attributing human characteristics (hands) to God to describe His active involvement in creation and divine action. It signifies the direct and personal involvement of God, not just a distant command, but an active forming and shaping of existence. In ancient Near Eastern thought, the "hand" symbolized power and authority.
• made: (Ancient Greek: ἐποίησεν, epoiēsen - from poieō). This verb denotes creation, bringing into existence, manufacturing, or forming. It implies deliberate action and purpose in forming the world and all its elements. In the context of the larger biblical narrative, it ties back to Genesis 1, where God "made" the heavens and the earth. The power conveyed here stands in stark contrast to anything humans could "make" (referring to the temple), which would always be finite and dependent.
• all these things: (Ancient Greek: ταῦτα πάντα, tauta panta). This comprehensive phrase signifies the entire created order—the heavens, the earth, and everything in them, from the grandest cosmic bodies to the smallest details of life. In the context of Isaiah 66:1-2 and Stephen's sermon, "these things" directly contrasts with "the house you will build for me" or "My resting place." It encompasses not just physical creation but the whole expanse of reality that testifies to God's unbounded nature, beyond the confines of human religious constructs like a temple.

Words-group analysis

• Has not My hand made: This rhetorical question highlights the absolute and exclusive divine prerogative in creation. It underscores that creation is solely God's work, an act of His unique and unchallengeable power. The question itself, posed to the Sanhedrin, implicitly asks them to consider if anyone else's hand, or any human effort, contributed to the making of "all these things," thereby emphasizing God's self-sufficiency and the futility of trying to "contain" or "house" such a Being within finite human constructs. It challenges their anthropocentric religious view by pointing to the Divine reality.
• My hand made all these things: This phrase asserts God's ultimate authority and ownership over all creation. Because God made everything, He is the sole owner and controller. This fact means He is not dependent on what humans make for Him, nor is His presence limited by their structures. It builds a polemic against the notion that God needs or desires a specific building on earth to contain Him, correcting a misinterpretation of divine presence and challenging the idea that He is exclusive to a single location or people group. The focus shifts from the earthly temple to the boundless glory of the Creator.

Acts 7 50 Bonus section

The profound irony in Stephen's quotation of Isaiah 66:1-2, reiterated in Acts 7:50, is that the very religious leaders who prided themselves on their custodianship of the Temple were themselves resisting the Holy Spirit by rejecting the one (Jesus) through whom God was doing a new, universal work—a work not confined to any physical temple or particular people group. Stephen's argument aims to broaden their understanding of God from a localized deity, whose primary dwelling was thought to be in the Jerusalem Temple, to the universal and transcendent Creator. His sermon challenges not just their theology of the Temple but their entire worldview regarding God's activity, which was now moving from an exclusive covenant with Israel towards an inclusive spiritual kingdom open to all who believe. The "all these things" encompass the breadth of God's dominion, urging a worship that acknowledges His presence not only in sacred spaces but across all creation and in every believer.

Acts 7 50 Commentary

Acts 7:50, drawing directly from Isaiah 66:2, represents a climactic point in Stephen's defense, functioning as a powerful theological indictment. Stephen confronts the Sanhedrin's misplaced reverence for the physical Temple by reasserting God's ultimate transcendence and immanence through His creative work. By emphasizing that God "made all these things," Stephen reminds his audience that the Creator of the universe cannot be contained or defined by human-made structures, however sacred they may be. The rhetorical "Has not...?" drives home the obvious truth of God's supreme power and independence. This profound truth served to dismantle the false security that the Jewish leaders found in the Temple and their ritualistic adherence to it, rather than seeking a true spiritual relationship with the omnipresent God who reveals Himself through creation and, pre-eminently, through Jesus Christ. Stephen implies that their reliance on the Temple blinds them to the broader, dynamic work of God that extends beyond Jerusalem and encompasses all of humanity. This verse directly echoes the theme from Acts 17:24, which states that "God, who made the world and everything in it... does not dwell in temples made with hands," thereby preparing the theological ground for the universal spread of the Gospel, not bound by geographical or cultural limitations associated with the Temple.