71 And the chief priest said, 'Are then these things so?' 2 and he said, 'Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of the glory did appear to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling in Haran, 3 and He said to him, Go forth out of thy land, and out of thy kindred, and come to a land that I shall shew thee. 4 'Then having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran, and from thence, after the death of his father, He did remove him to this land wherein ye now dwell, 5 and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and did promise to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him—he having no child. 6 'And God spake thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause it to serve, and shall do it evil four hundred years, 7 and the nation whom they shall serve I will judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and shall do Me service in this place. 8 'And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision, and so he begat Isaac, and did circumcise him on the eighth day, and Isaac 'begat' Jacob, and Jacob—the twelve patriarchs; 9 and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and God was with him, 10 and did deliver him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he did set him—governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 'And there came a dearth upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance, 12 and Jacob having heard that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a first time; 13 and at the second time was Joseph made known to his brethren, and Joseph's kindred became manifest to Pharaoh, 14 and Joseph having sent, did call for his father Jacob, and all his kindred—with seventy and five souls— 15 and Jacob went down to Egypt, and died, himself and our fathers,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 7:1-15
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.