Acts 7 58

Acts 7:58 kjv

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Acts 7:58 nkjv

and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7:58 niv

dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7:58 esv

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7:58 nlt

and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7 verses

Acts 7 58 Meaning

Acts 7:58 describes the immediate brutal consequence of Stephen's powerful sermon and divine vision. Following the accusation of blasphemy by the infuriated Sanhedrin, Stephen was violently dragged outside Jerusalem and stoned to death. Crucially, this verse introduces Saul (later Paul), marking his direct presence and approval as a prominent persecutor in the first Christian martyrdom.

Acts 7 58 Context

Acts 7:58 occurs at the climax of Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin. He has delivered a scathing historical review, demonstrating how Israel continually resisted the Holy Spirit, much like their ancestors rejected God's prophets and ultimately killed the Righteous One, Jesus. His sermon escalates when he proclaims his vision of Jesus standing at God's right hand (Acts 7:55-56), which the Jewish leaders deem blasphemous. Infuriated (Acts 7:54, 57), they stop listening and drag him out to execute him. This verse depicts the beginning of his execution, strictly following the Old Testament legal prescription for blasphemy: removal from the city and stoning by witnesses. Historically, stoning was a communal act intended to publicly cleanse the community of perceived grievous sin, symbolizing collective guilt or participation in upholding God's law.

Acts 7 58 Word analysis

• And: Conjunction indicating direct continuation from the previous verses' furious reaction.
• cast: Greek: ekballo (ἐκβάλλω). Meaning: to cast out, throw out, expel by force. Signifies a violent removal, an expulsion from the sacred space of the city, likely because executions, especially for blasphemy, occurred outside city limits (Lev 24:14).
• him: Referring to Stephen.
• out of the city: Greek: exō tēs poleōs (ἔξω τῆς πόλεως). Literal: outside the city. Jerusalem was considered a holy city, and capital offenses, particularly blasphemy, often required execution outside its walls to prevent defilement (Lev 24:14; Num 15:35-36). This also aligns with Jesus suffering outside the gate (Heb 13:12).
• and stoned: Greek: kai elithoboloun (καὶ ἐλιθοβόλουν). Imperfect tense verb, indicating an ongoing or repeated action. It means they began stoning him, and the act continued, signifying the brutal, relentless nature of the execution until death. Lithos (λίθος) is "stone" and ballo (βάλλω) is "to throw."
• him: Referring to Stephen.
• and the witnesses: Greek: kai hoi martyres (καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες). "Witnesses" (plural of martys) in this context are the legal accusers who testified against Stephen (Acts 6:13). According to Deut 17:7, the witnesses were required to cast the first stones in an execution, emphasizing their responsibility and conviction in the judgment. This term is also the origin of the word "martyr," linking Stephen's legal accusation to his ultimate witness for Christ.
• laid down: Greek: apethento (ἀπέθεντο). Meaning: put off, lay aside. This was a deliberate act by the witnesses, suggesting readiness for strenuous activity. It was a common practice for strenuous physical labor or combat.
• their clothes: Greek: ta himatia (τὰ ἱμάτια). Refers to their outer garments or cloaks. They removed these to facilitate their full effort in stoning Stephen and possibly to keep them free from blood.
• at a young man's feet: Signifies the place of authority or supervision. Laying something at someone's feet implied submitting it to their control, custody, or approval. Saul's direct involvement in overseeing or approving the process is clearly highlighted.
• whose name was Saul: The crucial introduction of Saul, the fervent persecutor, later to be known as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. This is a dramatic narrative pivot point, connecting Stephen's death directly to the future Apostle's life and highlighting the depth of his eventual conversion.

Words-Group analysis:

• "cast him out of the city, and stoned him": This phrase captures the immediate, violent, and extra-legal mob action that culminated in Stephen's judicial execution. While seemingly legal by Mosaic standards, the process was fueled by unchecked rage, interrupting proper procedure. The act of "casting out" precedes the execution, aligning with ancient custom to cleanse the city of sin.
• "and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul": This entire phrase is profoundly significant. It links the legal aspect of the stoning (witnesses casting the first stones) with the personification of aggressive opposition to Christianity in Saul. The act of laying clothes at his feet is a symbolic gesture of assent or placing their authority and perhaps the supervision of the execution under his purview. Saul, a leading figure among the persecutors, is presented here for the first time as a central antagonist in the burgeoning church's history. His presence is not merely incidental; it marks his explicit endorsement and active role in Stephen's murder. This moment directly sets the stage for his subsequent intense persecution campaign and, by divine irony, his radical conversion and future role in spreading the Gospel he now seeks to destroy.

Acts 7 58 Bonus section

The stoning of Stephen serves as the dramatic theological and narrative link between the persecution of Christ and the persecution of His followers, establishing a pattern that would continue throughout Christian history. The immediate introduction of Saul connects Stephen's death directly to the intense period of persecution that follows in Acts 8:1-3, acting as a catalyst for the spread of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem. Stephen's steadfastness and Christ-like forgiveness in his final moments (Acts 7:59-60), witnessed by Saul, foreshadow the transformation of Saul and may have lingered in his subconscious, preparing the ground for his Damascus Road encounter. The scene demonstrates that intense spiritual conviction, both for and against Christ, can lead to dramatic outcomes, highlighting the clash between the rigid legalism of the Old Covenant system and the Spirit-filled liberation of the New.

Acts 7 58 Commentary

Acts 7:58 encapsulates the peak of rejection and the dawn of a profound shift within the early church narrative. Stephen's execution is depicted with chilling procedural accuracy, albeit carried out by an enraged mob circumventing due process. Being "cast out of the city" followed the established legal protocol for offenses like blasphemy, ensuring the city's perceived purity. The stoning itself, executed by "witnesses" as the law prescribed, was a brutal and collective act. More than just a death scene, this verse strategically introduces Saul, a Pharisaic Jew vehemently zealous for the Law and opposed to Christianity. His receiving of the witnesses' cloaks at his feet signifies not just his physical presence but his complicity, endorsement, and perhaps a role of leadership or authority over the executioners. This chilling endorsement of the church's first martyr serves as a dark backdrop against which the later, miraculous transformation of Saul into the apostle Paul will appear all the more powerful and grace-filled, highlighting God's redemptive power even over His greatest adversaries.