39Our fathers refused to be obedient to him. They thrust him aside and turned in their hearts toward Egypt, [7:40] saying to Aaron: 'Make gods for us who will lead us, for this Moses who led us out of Egypt — we do not know what has happened to him.' [7:41] They made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. [7:42] But God turned away and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel? [7:43] You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan — the images you made to bow down to. I will deport you beyond Babylon.'
ACT 7:39-43
The Rebellion of Israel
In the world it was spoken into
In Acts 7:39-43, Stephen recounts Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness, a narrative deeply familiar to his Jewish audience. The rejection of Moses’ leadership and the creation of the golden calf would have evoked strong associations with idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness, central themes in Second Temple Jewish thought. The term (obedient) would have resonated with the Jewish understanding of covenantal fidelity, where obedience to God’s commands was paramount. The forceful rejection of Moses’ authority would have been seen as a direct affront to God’s chosen mediator. The worship of the golden calf, described as an (idol), would have been understood as a grave violation of the Second Commandment, which forbade the worship of graven images. Stephen’s audience, steeped in the Torah and prophetic writings, would have recognized this as a pattern of Israel’s recurring apostasy, leading to divine judgment and exile, themes echoed in the prophets.
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How other translations render this
ACT 7:39
- KJV
- To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
- BSB
- But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
- Koinōnos
- Our fathers refused to be obedient to him. They thrust him aside and turned in their hearts toward Egypt,
ACT 7:40
- KJV
- Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
- BSB
- They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
- Koinōnos
- saying to Aaron: 'Make gods for us who will lead us, for this Moses who led us out of Egypt — we do not know what has happened to him.
ACT 7:41
- KJV
- And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
- BSB
- At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
- Koinōnos
- They made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
ACT 7:42
- KJV
- Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
- BSB
- But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
- Koinōnos
- But God turned away and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel?
ACT 7:43
- KJV
- Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
- BSB
- You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
- Koinōnos
- You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan — the images you made to bow down to. I will deport you beyond Babylon.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.1
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.8.5
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.1
“So he introduced Cæsar's effigies, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very making of images”
Cited to ground: The worship of the golden calf, described as an (idol), would have been understood as a grave violation of the Second Commandment, which forbade the worship of graven images.
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.8.5
“his wrath would, without delay, be executed on such as had the courage to disobey what he had commanded, and this immediately”
Cited to ground: The forceful rejection of Moses’ authority would have been seen as a direct affront to God’s chosen mediator.
Translator's notes
ACT 7:39
- obedient:The word translated 'obedient' here describes someone who is literally 'under-hearing' or listening attentively, implying a readiness to comply with what is heard.
- they thrust away:The phrase translated 'they thrust away' conveys a strong sense of pushing something away with force, indicating a deliberate and violent rejection.
ACT 7:41
- idol:The word translated 'idol' originally referred to a phantom or an unsubstantial image, highlighting the emptiness and lack of reality behind the object of worship.
ACT 7:42
- to worship:The term translated 'to worship' originally meant to work for hire or to be in servitude, emphasizing the idea of serving or being enslaved to a deity.