71 The high priest said , "Are these things so ?" 2 And he said , "Hear me, brethren e and fathers ! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia , before he lived in Haran , 3 and said to him, ' LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES , AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.' 4 " Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran . From there , after his father died , God had him move to this country in which you are now living . 5 "But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground , and yet, even when he had no child , He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION , AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM. 6 "But God spoke to this effect , that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND , AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS . 7 " 'AND WHATEVER e NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE ,' said God , 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE .' 8 "And He gave him the covenant of circumcision ; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac , and circumcised him on the eighth day ; and Isaac became the father of Jacob , and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs . 9 "The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt . Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions , and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh , king of Egypt , and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household . 11 "Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan , and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food . 12 "But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt , he sent our fathers there the first time . 13 "On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers , and Joseph's family was disclosed to Pharaoh . 14 "Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five e persons in all. 15 "And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died . 16 "From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 7:1-16
Commentary on Acts 7:1-16
(Read Acts 7:1-16)
Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God, and an apostate from the church; therefore he shows that he is a son of Abraham, and values himself on it. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraham advanced toward performance, plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was the heavenly. God owned Joseph in his troubles, and was with him by the power of his Spirit, both on his own mind by giving him comfort, and on those he was concerned with, by giving him favour in their eyes. Stephen reminds the Jews of their mean beginning as a check to priding themselves in the glories of that nation. Likewise of the wickedness of the patriarchs of their tribes, in envying their brother Joseph; and the same spirit was still working in them toward Christ and his ministers. The faith of the patriarchs, in desiring to be buried in the land of Canaan, plainly showed they had regard to the heavenly country. It is well to recur to the first rise of usages, or sentiments, which have been perverted. Would we know the nature and effects of justifying faith, we should study the character of the father of the faithful. His calling shows the power and freeness of Divine grace, and the nature of conversion. Here also we see that outward forms and distinctions are as nothing, compared with separation from the world, and devotedness to God.