Acts 7 51

Acts 7:51 kjv

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 7:51 nkjv

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

Acts 7:51 niv

"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

Acts 7:51 esv

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Acts 7:51 nlt

"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 51 Meaning

Stephen's declaration in Acts 7:51 is a climactic, stinging indictment. It accuses his Jewish audience, particularly the Sanhedrin, of deep-seated, spiritual obstinacy and unresponsiveness to God's truth. Their physical rituals, such as circumcision, are rendered meaningless by their spiritual resistance. This resistance, Stephen claims, is a persistent and chronic rebellion against the Holy Spirit, echoing the historical pattern of their ancestors who likewise rejected divine revelation and messengers throughout Israel's history. It asserts that their current rejection of Jesus Christ and His Spirit is merely a continuation of this age-old rebellion.

Acts 7 51 Context

Acts 7:51 marks the fiery climax of Stephen's monumental defense speech before the Sanhedrin. Before this verse, Stephen systematically recounts Israel's history, starting from Abraham, moving through Joseph, Moses, the wilderness wanderings, and the building of the Temple. His historical survey isn't just a recount; it's an interpretative narrative designed to highlight a consistent pattern: God's faithfulness to His promises despite Israel's perpetual unfaithfulness and rebellion against His chosen messengers, culminating in their rejection of Jesus, the Messiah. He underscores that God's presence is not limited to the Temple and that true worship is not about external rituals but inward obedience. When Stephen reaches verse 51, he abruptly shifts from historical exposition to direct, prophetic accusation. He effectively turns the charges of blasphemy against him back onto his accusers, painting them as the true blasphemers who continue the historical legacy of spiritual rebellion that culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus, whom Stephen subtly refers to as the "Righteous One" (Acts 7:52). This powerful confrontation leads directly to Stephen's martyrdom, as the Sanhedrin, overcome with rage, stone him to death.

Acts 7 51 Word analysis

• Ye / You:
  • Direct address: Points directly at Stephen's audience, the Jewish Sanhedrin.
  • Personal culpability: Emphasizes their individual and corporate responsibility for their spiritual condition.
• stiffnecked:
  • Greek: sklērotrachēloi (σκληροτράχηλοι), literally "hard-necked."
  • Old Testament idiom: Draws from numerous Hebrew Scriptures (Exo 32:9, Deut 9:6) to describe Israel's characteristic obstinacy, stubbornness, and unwillingness to obey God's commands or humble themselves before Him.
  • Significance: It's a refusal to yield, akin to an ox resisting the yoke; symbolizes rebellion against divine authority.
• and uncircumcised:
  • Greek: aperitmētoi (ἀπερίτμητοι), meaning "uncircumcised," "lacking circumcision."
  • Physical vs. Spiritual: Directly challenges their primary mark of Jewish identity. For the Jews, physical circumcision signified covenant inclusion.
  • Stephen redefines it: Argues that true covenant standing is about spiritual reality, not merely outward ritual.
• in heart:
  • Greek: kardia (καρδίᾳ).
  • Seat of will and intellect: In biblical thought, the heart is the core of a person's being—the center of thought, emotion, and will.
  • Spiritual deadness: Implies spiritual resistance and lack of true repentance and faith; an uncircumcised heart is unholy, unyielding to God.
• and ears:
  • Greek: ōsin (ὠσίν).
  • Faculty of hearing and obeying: Represents receptivity to God's Word and messengers.
  • Spiritual deafness: Means an inability or unwillingness to truly hear, understand, and heed divine truth, reminiscent of Jer 6:10.
• ye do always resist:
  • Greek: aei antipiptete (ἀεὶ ἀντιπίπτετε). aei means "always" or "continually"; antipipto means "to fall against," "to resist," "to oppose."
  • Continuous opposition: Emphasizes a consistent, habitual, and deliberate pattern of antagonism. It's not a momentary lapse but a chronic state.
  • Active antagonism: Suggests an active struggle against divine influence.
• the Holy Ghost / Holy Spirit:
  • Greek: to pneuma to hagion (τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον).
  • Divine agency: The Spirit is God's active presence, His voice, His guiding power, who inspired prophets and spoke through them.
  • Ultimate rejection: Resistance to the Spirit is direct resistance to God Himself, a profound blasphemy and spiritual deadness that precludes salvation.
• as your fathers did, so do ye:
  • Direct parallel: Explicitly links the audience's behavior to that of their ancestors, particularly their history of rebellion in the wilderness and rejection of God's prophets.
  • Guilt of continuation: The Sanhedrin's rejection of Jesus and Stephen is not new but part of a continuous, generational pattern of opposing God's chosen ones (cf. Mt 23:31).

Word-Group Analysis:

• "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears": This powerful pairing encapsulates comprehensive spiritual deficiency. "Stiffnecked" highlights overt rebellion and refusal to submit, while "uncircumcised in heart and ears" points to an internal spiritual impermeability—they lack genuine devotion and cannot truly hear or understand God's truth, despite their external religious adherence. It's an indictment of spiritual blindness and deafness.
• "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost": This phrase indicts their consistent and deliberate opposition to divine promptings and revelation. It emphasizes that their resistance is not accidental or sporadic but a perpetual, characteristic disposition. To resist the Holy Spirit, who is the very breath and power of God, is to stand against God Himself.
• "as your fathers did, so do ye": This assertion firmly places the current audience's actions within a tragic, recurring historical pattern. Stephen posits that the rejection of Christ and the apostles is simply the latest manifestation of Israel's enduring legacy of turning away from God's messengers and truth, validating his argument from their own history.

Acts 7 51 Bonus section

• Stephen as a Prophet: In uttering this piercing accusation, Stephen steps into the role of an Old Testament prophet, delivering a word from God that cuts to the heart of Israel's rebellion, similar to Elijah confronting Ahab or Jeremiah indicting the nation. His directness and severity evoke the spirit of the prophetic tradition that his audience had historically resisted.
• Irony and Polemic: The Sanhedrin was about to accuse Stephen of blasphemy and treason against God's law and temple. Stephen turns the accusation back on them, showing that they are the ones guilty of true resistance to God by rejecting His Spirit and His ultimate revelation in Jesus. Their focus on external religious markers (like physical circumcision) is exposed as hollow in the face of their spiritual reality.
• Foreboding and Consequence: This verse not only highlights a pattern of rebellion but also serves as a harbinger. The intensity of Stephen's words and the severity of his accusation lead directly to his martyrdom (Acts 7:54-60). This event then sparks the wider persecution of the early church, leading to the dispersion of believers (Acts 8:1) and ironically, the rapid spread of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem to Samaria and eventually the Gentiles, fulfilling God's broader redemptive plan.

Acts 7 51 Commentary

Acts 7:51 is a thunderous prophetic indictment, hurled by Stephen as he culminates his historical survey, directly accusing his elite Jewish audience. He challenges their self-perception as true inheritors of God's covenant by exposing their spiritual bankruptcy. The term "stiffnecked," laden with Old Testament echoes (e.g., Ex. 32:9; Deut. 9:6), immediately portrays them as disobedient and stubborn, like recalcitrant animals resisting God's yoke. Following this, the charge of being "uncircumcised in heart and ears" strikes at the very core of their religious identity. While physically circumcised, their internal spiritual state—their wills, affections, and ability to truly hear and respond to God's voice—is unhumbled and resistant. Stephen asserts that their external obedience, traditions, and temple rituals are spiritually void due to this inner recalcitrance. Their historical and ongoing pattern of "always resisting the Holy Ghost" reveals a chronic spiritual condition. The Holy Spirit is the active divine presence that inspires, guides, and empowers God's messengers, and thus to resist the Spirit is to resist God Himself. This constant resistance is directly compared to the generational pattern of their "fathers" who, time and again, rejected God's prophets and leaders, culminating in the ultimate rejection of the Messiah, Jesus. Stephen's sharp rebuke demonstrates that they are not faithful heirs of Abraham but rather the continuation of a rebellious lineage, deaf to God's continuous revelation, from Moses and the prophets to Christ and the Spirit-filled apostles.