Acts 7:40
in Acts 7They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
KJV
Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
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This verse in Acts 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge, &c.--Here, again, "the stone which the builders refused is made the head of the corner" (Ps 118:22).
This site's exposition
the assembly in the wilderness
on Acts 7:38-41
Stephen calls Israel at Sinai the assembly in the wilderness, using the Greek ekklesia, the word the New Testament uses for its own gathering. That assembly received living words, yet made a calf weeks after hearing God's voice.
This site's exposition
Make us gods
The request comes from Exodus 32:1, and Albert Barnes explains that the gods meant are idols. Chrysostom notices the contempt in "this Moses," and that the people credit Moses alone for bringing them out, with no mention of God. They would not wait for his return.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Consider that at first they brought them offering sacrifices, and then that they offered them to idols. For previously the name "sacrifices" is nowhere found, but there were precepts concerning living and rational animals. The testimony, however, does not introduce this randomly, but so as …
"And said unto Aaron, Make us gods which shall go before us." O the folly! "Make," say they; "that they may go before us." Whither? "Into Egypt." See how hard they were to tear away from the customs of Egypt! What sayest thou? What, not wait for him that brought thee out, but flee the benefit, and deny the Benefactor? And mark how insulting they are: "For as for this Moses," they say:-"which brought us out of the land of Egypt" nowhere the name of God: instead of that, they ascribed all to Moses. Where they ought to give thanks (to God), they bring Moses forward: where it was, to do as the Law bade them, they no longer make account of Moses. "We know not what is become of him." And yet he told them that he was going up to receive the Law: and they had not patience to wait forty days.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Saying unto Aaron, make us gods to go before us,....
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
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Saying unto Aaron - Exo 32:1. Make us gods - That is, idols.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἰπόντες | eipontes | having said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἀαρών· | aaron | to Aaron; | G2 → | |
| ποίησον | poieson | do make | G4160 → | 569 times |
| ἡμῖν | hemin | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| θεοὺς | theous | gods | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| οἳ | hoi | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| προπορεύσονται | proporeusontai | will go before | G4313 → | |
| ἡμῶν· | hemon | us; | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | As for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| Μωϋσῆς | mouses | Moses | G3475 → | 78 times |
| οὗτος | houtos | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐξήγαγεν | exegagen | brought out | G1806 → | 12 times |
| ἡμᾶς | hemas | us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| γῆς | ges | [the] land | G1093 → | 248 times |
| Αἰγύπτου, | aiguptou | of Egypt, | G125 → | 25 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| οἴδαμεν | oidamen | we know | ||
| τί | ti | what | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | happened | G1096 → | 667 times |
| αὐτῷ. | auto | to him.’ | G846 → | 5565 times |
εἰπόντεςhaving said
eipontesG2036 →925 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Ἀαρών·to Aaron;
aaronG2 →
ποίησονdo make
poiesonG4160 →569 times
ἡμῖνus
heminG3165 →1936 times
θεοὺςgods
theousG2316 →1312 times
οἳwho
hoiG3739 →1405 times
προπορεύσονταιwill go before
proporeusontaiG4313 →
ἡμῶν·us;
hemonG3165 →1936 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
γὰρAs for
garG1063 →1039 times
ΜωϋσῆςMoses
mousesG3475 →78 times
οὗτοςthis
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐξήγαγενbrought out
exegagenG1806 →12 times
ἡμᾶςus
hemasG3165 →1936 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
γῆς[the] land
gesG1093 →248 times
Αἰγύπτου,of Egypt,
aiguptouG125 →25 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
οἴδαμενwe know
oidamen
τίwhat
tiG5101 →563 times
ἐγένετοhappened
egenetoG1096 →667 times
αὐτῷ.to him.’
autoG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 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
Exodus 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:9
When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.…
- Exodus 24:18
Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
- 2 Peter 3:4
“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”
- Matthew 24:48
But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’
- Deuteronomy 9:11–12
And at the end of forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant.
- Deuteronomy 9:9
Through
Exodus 32:23They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’
it leads to
- Exodus 32:1–4
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses…
- Exodus 32:8
How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said,…
- Exodus 32:1–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies38
On this verse
On this chapter
- Abraham
- Brit milah: circumcision on the eighth day
- Chaldea
- Circumcision of the Heart
- Egypt's Famine Years and the Land of Pharaoh
- Father, Forgive Them
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
- Types of Christ: Joseph and Joshua
- Joseph and the Tale of Two Brothers
- Joshua son of Nun
- Amos and the Courts at the Gate
- Love Your Enemies
- Mesopotamia
Show the next 6 titles
- Moses in the Bulrushes
- Mourning and Burial in Israel
- Outside the Camp
- Paul
- Prophet, Priest and King: The Threefold Office of Christ
- Scribes and the Sanhedrin
Show the next 6 titles
About Acts

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonExodus and Wilderness PeriodMosesIsrael's deliverer from Egyptian slavery, covenant mediator, and lawgiver.
- PersonExodus eraAaronBrother of Moses and Israel's first high priest; his rod budded, his garments were for glory and beauty, and his line carried the…
- PlaceThe NileEgyptThe land where Joseph rose, where Israel grew into a nation in bondage, where the Passover lamb was slain and the sea opened, and…
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 17; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts.
