Acts 7 54

Acts 7:54 kjv

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Acts 7:54 nkjv

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

Acts 7:54 niv

When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

Acts 7:54 esv

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

Acts 7:54 nlt

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 54 Meaning

Acts 7:54 describes the intense, violent reaction of the Jewish Sanhedrin to Stephen's Spirit-filled sermon. Hearing his powerful denouncement of their rebellion against God and rejection of His prophets and ultimately the Messiah, their inner being was "sawn through" by extreme rage and malice. This internal torment led them to outwardly express their fury by gnashing their teeth at him. This was not a conviction leading to repentance, but a visceral outburst of antagonism, immediately preceding their violent stoning of Stephen.

Acts 7 54 Context

Stephen, described as full of grace and power, was performing great wonders (Acts 6:8) when false witnesses accused him of blasphemy against Moses, the Law, and the temple (Acts 6:11-14). This led to his arrest and appearance before the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish judicial and legislative body. Acts Chapter 7 is Stephen's lengthy and masterly defense, which gradually transforms into a Spirit-empowered indictment of Israel's persistent history of rebellion against God, His covenant, and His messengers, culminating in their rejection and murder of the Messiah (Acts 7:51-53). Verse 54 is the immediate, visceral response of his hearers, the Sanhedrin, upon hearing his final and cutting accusation. Their reaction signifies a hardening of their hearts in deep-seated anger rather than conviction leading to repentance, preparing the scene for his subsequent martyrdom.

Acts 7 54 Word analysis

• "When they heard" (ἀκούοντες, akouontes): This participle signifies not merely audial perception but a comprehensive grasping of Stephen's words and their damning implications. Their reaction confirms a full comprehension of the accusations made.

• "these things" (ταῦτα, tauta): Refers collectively to the entirety of Stephen's sermon in Acts 7, especially his culminating, Spirit-inspired accusations in verses 51-53, where he directly condemned their persistent rebellion and ultimate betrayal of the Messiah.

• "they were cut to the heart" (διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, dieprionto tais kardiais autōn):

  • διεπρίοντο is a strong, rare verb derived from διαπρίω meaning "to saw through," "to cut asunder." Here, in a figurative sense, it means they were deeply enraged, infuriated, or violently agitated.
  • Unlike the "cut to the heart" (κατενύγησαν, katenugēsan) in Acts 2:37, which signifies conviction and godly sorrow leading to repentance, this verb describes an extreme, internal rending born of rage and malice.
  • ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν (in their hearts): The "heart" in the Bible signifies the core of a person – the intellect, emotions, and will. Stephen's truth pierced their inner beings, but it provoked wrath rather than contrition.

• "and they gnashed on him with their teeth" (καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν, kai ebrychon tous odontas ep' auton):

  • ἔβρυχον (ebrychon) is the imperfect form of βρύχω, an onomatopoeic verb meaning "to gnash" or "to grind (teeth)." It denotes a physical expression of intense, uncontrollable rage, fury, and often despair or torment.
  • This gesture indicates not only extreme anger but also a frustrated, impotent rage, as if they wanted to devour Stephen. It signals a readiness for physical violence, characteristic of wild animals or those consumed by demonic anger.
  • ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν (at him/against him): Directs the fury of their gnashing specifically at Stephen, confirming his status as the object of their malice.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart": This phrase highlights the destructive impact of truth on unyielding pride and sin. The powerful, penetrating sermon of Stephen, saturated with divine truth, functioned like a sharp blade. However, instead of softening their hearts for repentance, it provoked a painful, infuriated response because it exposed their guilt and hypocrisy too plainly. This "cutting" was an unbearable spiritual agony fueling violent indignation, not conviction unto life.
  • "and they gnashed on him with their teeth": This expression amplifies the inner rage, projecting it outwardly and violently. It's a non-verbal display of savage hatred, signifying their utter contempt and abhorrence of Stephen and the truth he proclaimed. Unable to refute Stephen's arguments verbally or to withstand the Spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:10), they resorted to a primal, animalistic demonstration of their wrath, which prefigured their readiness for physical assault and murder.

Acts 7 54 Bonus section

This verse vividly illustrates the polarizing power of the Gospel truth. When confronted by the Word of God, especially through a Spirit-filled witness, human hearts either break in repentance or harden in rebellion. The Sanhedrin's violent reaction underscores that divine truth does not return void (Isa 55:11); it actively works to either save or condemn. Their gnashing of teeth, commonly associated in Jesus' parables with those in outer darkness or eternal torment (e.g., Mt 13:42), is highly significant. It served not only as a dramatic display of their present rage but also subtly prefigured the spiritual judgment awaiting those who violently reject Christ and His Spirit, revealing their inner spiritual alignment with the condemned. Their refusal to listen, and then their extreme, uncontrollable rage, revealed a heart totally closed to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7 54 Commentary

Acts 7:54 reveals the shocking depth of human rebellion against God's truth when confronted by it. Stephen's prophetic summary of Israel's history of rebellion against the Holy Spirit and their murder of God's prophets and finally, the Messiah, pushed the Sanhedrin past any semblance of composure. The unusual phrase "cut to the heart" (διεπρίοντο) is key; it graphically depicts an internal rending, as if Stephen's words were sawing through their very being, provoking an unbearable agony of exposed guilt that quickly festered into explosive rage. This was distinctly different from the heart-piercing conviction (Acts 2:37) that leads to repentance; here, it was the pain of unyielding pride and hostility being unmasked. Their subsequent act of "gnashing their teeth" vividly demonstrated a visceral, almost animalistic, hatred—a primal manifestation of their desire to tear Stephen apart. This intense physical expression confirmed their total rejection of divine truth, sealing their culpability and marking them as fulfilling Stephen's very indictment against their fathers for resisting the Holy Spirit.