Acts 7:30
in Acts 7After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
KJV
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
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This verse in Acts 7
Commentary
10 notes on this verseNow he calls the Son of God an angel, just as elsewhere he calls him a man. For he is the angel of great counsel. (Isa. 9:6 LXX) Therefore shortly afterwards he shows him speaking to the blessed Moses: "I am the God of your …
This site's exposition
an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush
on Acts 7:30-34
After forty years an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush appears to Moses in the wilderness of mount Sina, and the voice that follows speaks in the first person, I am the God of thy fathers, put off thy shoes from thy feet, and I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people. The speaker is named the angel of the Lord yet speaks as God himself without distinction, a pattern many readers across church history take as a preincarnate appearance of the Son, while others read it as an angel commissioned to speak God's own words in his name, and the text does not settle which. Either reading agrees that the ground is made holy by the presence that meets Moses there, not by anything in the ground itself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush." Do you mark that it is not hindered by lapse of time? For when he was an exile, when a stranger, when he had now passed much time in a foreign land, so as to have two sons, when he no longer expected to return, then does the Angel appear to him. The Son of God he calls an Angel, as also he calls Him man. Appears in the desert, not in a temple. See how many miracles are taking place, and no word of Temple, no word of Sacrifice. And here also not simply in the desert, but in the bush. "When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him." Lo! he was deemed worthy of the Voice also.
The Medieval Church1 voice
But his flight did not disrupt God's plans either, because it is said: "when forty years were fulfilled, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai" — He appeared when Moses was in flight, when he did not even …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); that angel went before him, and was guide to him, else he could not have been a guide to Israel; of this God speaks ( Exod. xxiii. 20 ), I send an angel before thee, and Exod. xxxiii. He was in the church with the angel, without whom he could have done no service to the church; but Christ is himself that angel which was with the ch
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
), that the stone which the builders refused was become the head-stone in the corner, ch. iv. God showed favour to them by him, and he was very forward to serve them, though they had thrust him away. God might justly have refused them his service, and he might justly have declined it; but it is all forgotten: they are not so much as upbraided with it,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when forty years were expired,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And when forty years ... - At the age of 80 years. This, however, was known by tradition. It is not expressly mentioned by Moses. It is said, however, to have been after the king of Egypt had died Exo 2:23; and the tradition is not improbable. In the wilderness of mount Sina - In the desert adjacent to, or that surrounded Mount Sinai. In Exo 3:1, it is said that this occurred at Mount “Horeb.” But there is no contradiction; Horeb and Sinai are different peaks or elevations of the same mountain.
In a flame of fire in a bush - See this and the following verses largely explained in the notes on Exo 3:1-8 (note).
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πληρωθέντων | plerothenton | when were passing | G4137 → | 86 times |
| ἐτῶν | eton | years | G2094 → | 48 times |
| τεσσεράκοντα | tesserakonta | forty | G5062 → | 21 times |
| ὤφθη | ophthe | appeared | G3700 → | 54 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐρήμῳ | eremo | wilderness | G2048 → | 48 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄρους | orous | Mount | G3735 → | 62 times |
| Σινᾶ | sina | Sinai | G4614 → | |
| ἄγγελος | angelos | an angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| φλογὶ | phlogi | a flame | G5395 → | |
| πυρὸς | puros | of fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| βάτου. | batou | of a bush. | G942 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πληρωθέντωνwhen were passing
plerothentonG4137 →86 times
ἐτῶνyears
etonG2094 →48 times
τεσσεράκονταforty
tesserakontaG5062 →21 times
ὤφθηappeared
ophtheG3700 →54 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἐρήμῳwilderness
eremoG2048 →48 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ὄρουςMount
orousG3735 →62 times
ΣινᾶSinai
sinaG4614 →
ἄγγελοςan angel
angelosG32 →175 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
φλογὶa flame
phlogiG5395 →
πυρὸςof fire
purosG4442 →70 times
βάτου.of a bush.
batouG942 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Isaiah 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched;…
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Psalms 66:12
You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us into abundance.
- Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- Daniel 3:25–27
“Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Isaiah 63:9In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days…
it leads to
- Exodus 33:14
And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
- Exodus 23:20–21
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Exodus 33:14
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.