Acts 7:41
in Acts 7At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
KJV
And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
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This verse in Acts 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"And they made a calf in those days." The same is found in David: "and they made a calf at Horeb" (Ps. 106:19). And Horeb is not mentioned without purpose, but in order to show the extreme madness of the Israelites: here God appeared to …
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.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Make us gods"-they did not say, "a God."-And yet one may well wonder at this, that they do not even know.-"And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands": for which they ought to have hid their faces. What wonder that ye know not Christ, seeing ye knew not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such wonders? But they not only knew Him not: they also insulted in another way, by their idol making.
Hence these same "customs" date their origin, hence the sacrifices: they were themselves the first that made sacrifices to their idols! For that is why it is marked, "They made a calf in Horeb, and offered sacrifices to the idol:" seeing that, before this the name of sacrifice is nowhere mentioned, but only lively ordinances, and "lively oracles. And rejoiced"-that is the reason for the feasts.
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they made a calf in those days,.... Whilst Moses was in the mount; this was done in imitation of the Egyptian idol Apis or Serapis, which was an ox or a bullock; and it was made of the golden earnings of the people, which were melted down, and cast into the form of a calf, and graved by Aaron with a graving tool, Exo 32:2 And so the Syriac version here reads in the singular number, "and he made them a calf"; this was a most shameful and scandalous piece of idolatry.
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,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And they made a calf - This was made of the ear-rings and ornaments which they had brought from Egypt, Exo 32:2-4. Stephen introduces this to remind them how prone the nation had been to reject God, and to walk in the ways of sin.
A 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).
The words behind it
19 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 |
| ἐμοσχοποίησαν | emoschopoiesan | they made a calf | G3447 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡμέραις | hemerais | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ἐκείναις | ekeinais | those | G1565 → | 260 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀνήγαγον | anegagon | offered | G321 → | 23 times |
| θυσίαν | thusian | a sacrifice | G2378 → | |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εἰδώλῳ | eidolo | idol | G1497 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εὐφραίνοντο | euphrainonto | they were rejoicing | G2165 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τοῖς | tois | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔργοις | ergois | works | G2041 → | 168 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρῶν | cheiron | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| αὐτῶν. | auton | of them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐμοσχοποίησανthey made a calf
emoschopoiesanG3447 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἡμέραιςdays
hemeraisG2250 →389 times
ἐκείναιςthose
ekeinaisG1565 →260 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀνήγαγονoffered
anegagonG321 →23 times
θυσίανa sacrifice
thusianG2378 →
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
εἰδώλῳidol
eidoloG1497 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εὐφραίνοντοthey were rejoicing
euphrainontoG2165 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τοῖςthe
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἔργοιςworks
ergoisG2041 →168 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
χειρῶνhands
cheironG5495 →175 times
αὐτῶν.of them.
autonG846 →5565 times
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
Revelation 9:20Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze,…
it leads to
- Daniel 5:23
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised…
- Deuteronomy 31:29
For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will…
- Romans 1:21–23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Acts 19:26
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made…
- Daniel 5:23
Through
Hosea 9:10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 11:13
Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
- Hosea 4:14
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people…
- Numbers 25:1–18
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Jeremiah 11:13
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

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 17; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.
