The Meaning of Acts 7:39 Explained

Acts 7:39

KJV: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

YLT: to whom our fathers did not wish to become obedient, but did thrust away, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

Darby: to whom our fathers would not be subject, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

ASV: to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To whom  our  fathers  would  not  obey,  but  thrust [him] from them,  and  in their  hearts  turned back again  into  Egypt, 

What does Acts 7:39 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 7:30-46 - Stephen's Defense: Disobedience In The Wilderness
The angel who appeared in the bush that burned with fire was the angel of God's presence, who saved the Israelites and bare them and carried them all the days of old. See Isaiah 63:9. Who could this be save our Lord Himself? Only He could speak of Himself as I am. Remember the use our Lord made of that present tense, as carrying with it evidence that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all of them living, though centuries had passed since their bodies had been deposited in Machpelah's cave. See Luke 20:38. It is very helpful to note that reference to the hand of the angel in Acts 7:35; Acts 7:38. It reminds us of Acts 11:21. Would that, in our service for God, we were always conscious of the co-operating hand of the Savior!
The prophet referred to in Acts 7:37 is, of course, our Lord, and the parallel between Him and Moses is very apparent during our Lord's human ministry-for meekness, for reference in all things to the sending of God, for the work they did, as negotiating the Law from Sinai and the Mount of Beatitudes. But the difference in their posthumous ministry is emphasized in Hebrews 3:1-6. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 7

1  Stephen, permitted to answer to the accusation of blasphemy,
2  shows that Abraham worshipped God rightly, and how God chose the fathers,
20  before Moses was born, and before the tabernacle and temple were built;
37  that Moses himself witnessed of Christ;
44  and that all outward ceremonies were ordained to last but for a time;
51  reprehending their rebellion, and murdering of Christ, whom the prophets foretold
54  Whereupon they stone Stephen to death,
59  who commends his soul to Jesus, and humbly prays for them

Greek Commentary for Acts 7:39

To whom [ωι]
That is Moses, this Moses. [source]
Would not be [ουκ ητελησαν γενεσται]
Aorist active, negative aorist, were unwilling to become Indirect middle of the very verb used of the man (Acts 7:27) who “thrust” Moses away from him. Turned back Second aorist passive indicative of στρεπω — strephō to turn. They yearned after the fleshpots of Egypt and even the gods of Egypt. It is easy now to see why Stephen has patiently led his hearers through this story. He is getting ready for the home-thrust. [source]
Thrust him from them [απωσαντο]
Indirect middle of the very verb used of the man (Acts 7:27) who “thrust” Moses away from him. [source]
Turned back [εστραπησαν]
Second aorist passive indicative of στρεπω — strephō to turn. They yearned after the fleshpots of Egypt and even the gods of Egypt. It is easy now to see why Stephen has patiently led his hearers through this story. He is getting ready for the home-thrust. [source]
Turned back in their hearts []
Not desiring to go back, but longing for the idolatries of Egypt.sa40 [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 7:39

Acts 13:46 It was necessary to you first [υμιν ην αναγκαιον πρωτον]
They had done their duty and had followed the command of Jesus (Acts 1:8). They use the very language of Peter in Acts 3:26 Ye thrust it from you (απωτειστε αυτον — apōtheisthe auton). Present middle (indirect, from yourselves) indicative of απωτεω — apōtheō to push from. Vigorous verb seen already in Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39 which see. Judge yourselves unworthy Present active indicative of the common verb κρινω — krinō to judge or decide with the reflexive pronoun expressed. Literally, Do not judge yourselves worthy. By their action and their words they had taken a violent and definite stand. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles (ιδου στρεπομετα εις τα ετνη — idou strephometha eis ta ethnē). It is a crisis (ιδου — idou lo): “Lo, we turn ourselves to the Gentiles.” Probably also aoristic present, we now turn (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 864-70). Στρεπομετα — Strephometha is probably the direct middle (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive εστραπην — estraphēn is so used also (Acts 7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the future history of Christianity. In Romans 9-11 Paul will discuss at length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles to be the real (the spiritual) Israel. [source]
Acts 13:46 Ye thrust it from you [απωτειστε αυτον]
Present middle (indirect, from yourselves) indicative of απωτεω — apōtheō to push from. Vigorous verb seen already in Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39 which see. [source]
Acts 13:46 Judge yourselves unworthy [ουκ αχιους κρινετε εαυτους]
Present active indicative of the common verb κρινω — krinō to judge or decide with the reflexive pronoun expressed. Literally, Do not judge yourselves worthy. By their action and their words they had taken a violent and definite stand. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles (ιδου στρεπομετα εις τα ετνη — idou strephometha eis ta ethnē). It is a crisis (ιδου — idou lo): “Lo, we turn ourselves to the Gentiles.” Probably also aoristic present, we now turn (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 864-70). Στρεπομετα — Strephometha is probably the direct middle (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive εστραπην — estraphēn is so used also (Acts 7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the future history of Christianity. In Romans 9-11 Paul will discuss at length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles to be the real (the spiritual) Israel. [source]
Acts 13:46 Lo, we turn to the Gentiles [ιδου στρεπομετα εις τα ετνη]
It is a crisis Στρεπομετα — Strephometha is probably the direct middle (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive εστραπην — estraphēn is so used also (Acts 7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the future history of Christianity. In Romans 9-11 Paul will discuss at length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles to be the real (the spiritual) Israel. [source]
Acts 7:27 Thrust him away [απωσατο αυτον]
First aorist middle indicative (Koiné{[28928]}š for Attic απεωσατο — apeōsato) of απωτεω — apōtheō to push away from oneself in middle voice as here, common in old Greek. Again in Acts 7:39; Acts 13:46; Romans 11:1; 1 Timothy 1:19. It is always the man who is doing the wrong who is hard to reconcile. [source]
2 Corinthians 2:9 Obedient [υπηκοοι]
Old word from υπακουω — hupakouō to give ear. In N.T. only in Paul (2 Corinthians 2:9; Philemon 2:8; Acts 7:39). [source]
Philippians 2:8 He humbled himself [εταπεινωσεν εαυτον]
First aorist active of ταπεινοω — tapeinoō old verb from ταπεινος — tapeinos It is a voluntary humiliation on the part of Christ and for this reason Paul is pressing the example of Christ upon the Philippians, this supreme example of renunciation. See Bruce‘s masterpiece, The Humiliation of Christ. Obedient (υπηκοος — hupēkoos). Old adjective, giving ear to. See note on Acts 7:39; 2 Corinthians 2:9. Unto death “Until death.” See “until blood” Yea, the death of the cross (τανατου δε σταυρου — thanatou de staurou). The bottom rung in the ladder from the Throne of God. Jesus came all the way down to the most despised death of all, a condemned criminal on the accursed cross. [source]
Philippians 2:8 Obedient [υπηκοος]
Old adjective, giving ear to. See note on Acts 7:39; 2 Corinthians 2:9. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 7:39 mean?

to whom not were willing obedient to be the fathers of us but thrust away and turned back in the hearts of them to Egypt
οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ὑπήκοοι γενέσθαι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ ἀπώσαντο καὶ ἐστράφησαν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον

  to  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἠθέλησαν  were  willing 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
ὑπήκοοι  obedient 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὑπήκοος  
Sense: giving ear, obedient.
γενέσθαι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Middle
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
πατέρες  fathers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀπώσαντο  thrust  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀπωθέω  
Sense: to thrust away, push away, repel.
ἐστράφησαν  turned  back 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: στρέφω  
Sense: to turn, turn around.
καρδίαις  hearts 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Αἴγυπτον  Egypt 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Αἴγυπτος  
Sense: a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa.