Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Acts 7:12

in Acts 7

When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

KJV

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

⋯

This verse in Acts 7

Commentary

11 notes on this verse
Was corn in Egypt - The word “corn” here rather denotes “wheat.” See the notes on Mat 12:1. Our fathers - His ten sons; all his sons except Joseph and Benjamin, Gen. 42: Stephen here “refers” only to the history, without entering into details. By this general reference he sufficiently showed that he believed what Moses had spoken, and did not intend to show him disrespect.

This site's exposition

Then famine and great suffering

on Acts 7:11-14

Stephen counts Jacob's relatives as seventy-five in all, where the Hebrew of Genesis 46:27 counts seventy. The Greek Septuagint, which Stephen and his hearers knew, counts seventy-five, so the number shows which text Stephen is using.

This site's exposition

he sent our fathers

These fathers were Jacob's ten sons, all but Joseph and Benjamin. Albert Barnes observes that Stephen only touches the story of Genesis 42 without its details. By retelling it plainly, Stephen shows that he believes what Moses wrote and means him no disrespect.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

All these things, however, are small, if measured to the ultimate heroism directed toward Christ. Therefore they are hard-hearted and uncircumcised in heart, and their ears are clogged. For which reason they were murderers of the prophets, bringing destruction upon themselves, and even of Christ, …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

The first example is taken from Abraham, showing that one ought not to hasten what is delayed by divine promises, for Abraham indeed sought to hasten the departure of his descendants from Egypt: although it was revealed to him that their imprisonment was to be …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 16 · Written before 407.

proposed

"Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren." They came down to buy, and had to depend upon him for everything. What then did he? "He made himself known to his brethren:" not to this point only did he carry his friendliness; he also made them known to Pharaoh, and brought them down into the land. "And Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." "Now there came a dearth," etc. On account of famine--such preparations is he making--"with threescore and fifteen souls," he says, "Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." It shows, that they were not masters even to the extent of a burying-place.

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

In many ways, through the present discourse the blessed Stephen refutes both his own gentleness toward the Jews and their ferocity toward him. For when he addresses them as brothers and fathers, what else is shown by these names than the proper relation of kinship? …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

And the second time that they went, Joseph, who at first made himself strange to them, made himself known to them, and it was notified to Pharaoh that they were Joseph's kindred and had a dependence upon him (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

He applies this to those that prosecuted him, and sat in judgment upon him, sharply reproving them for their wickedness, by which they had brought upon themselves the ruin of their place and nation, and then could not bear to hear of it,

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him--Here Stephen gives his first example of Israel's opposition to God's purposes, in spite of which and by means of which those purposes were accomplished.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

The words behind it

12 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • ἈκούσαςHaving heard

    akousasG191 →425 times

  • δὲnow

    deG1161 →2765 times

  • ἸακὼβJacob

    iakobG2384 →27 times

  • ὄντα[there] is

    ontaG1510 →2333 times

  • σιτίαgrain

    sitia

  • εἰςin

    eisG1519 →1755 times

  • ΑἴγυπτονEgypt

    aiguptonG125 →25 times

  • ἐξαπέστειλενhe sent forth

    exapesteilenG1821 →12 times

  • τοὺςthe

    tousG3588 →19766 times

  • πατέραςfathers

    paterasG3962 →410 times

  • ἡμῶνof us

    hemonG3165 →1936 times

  • πρῶτον,first,

    protonG4413 →152 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Genesis 43:2

    So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

    it leads to

    • 1 Timothy 6:6–8

      Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.

    • Proverbs 16:18

      Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

    • Proverbs 15:16

      Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.

    • Genesis 42:1–2

      When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

    • 1 Timothy 5:8

      If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies38

On this verse

On this chapter

Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 1 title

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 7 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 16; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 7 →