Acts 7:5
in Acts 7He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
KJV
And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
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This verse in Acts 7
Commentary
16 notes on this verseThus, then, the promise of God, which He gave to Abraham, remains stedfast. For thus He said: "Lift up thine eyes, and look from this place where now thou art, towards the north and south, and east and west.
This site's exposition
He gave him no inheritance here
God gave Abraham no foot of ground yet promised the land to him and his descendants while he had no child. The promise outran every visible evidence, and Hebrews 11 reads the whole life of Abraham this way.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
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, …
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 ChrysostomON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 25.1 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Do you see how what occurred contradicted the promise? Again he said, "In Isaac will your seed be named," and Abraham believed. Then he says, "Offer to me as sacrifice this," while this was the one who was to fill all the world from his seed. Did you notice the contradiction between the commands and the promise? He commanded what was in opposition to the promises. Yet not even so did the just man lose his head or say that he had been deceived.
"And He gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on." And He promised to give it to him." Do you perceive, that he does not merely resume the thread of his discourse? "He gave him not," says he; "and He promised; and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." Again, what God can do: that out of impossibilities, He doeth all; For here is a man in Persia, so far away, and this man God saith He will make lord of Palestine.
"And He promised," it says, "to give it to him, and to his seed after him." Herein is shown the greatness both of God's goodness and of Abraham's faith. For the expression, "when as yet he had no child," does show his obedience and faith. "Promised to give it to him and to his seed." And yet the events showed the contrary: namely, after he came, he had not "so much as to set his foot on," had not a child; which very things were contrary to his faith.
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
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 Medieval Church1 voice
"And gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on." Observe how by his discourse about the promised land he leads them to the truth. Why did the Lord not give an inheritance to Abraham? Because this land …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
No, not to set his foot on - For the field mentioned, ver. 16, he did not receive by a Divine donation, but bought it; even thereby showing that he was a stranger in the land.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-16-anchored-5-5
And he gave him none inheritance in it,....
But, First, As yet he had no child, nor any by Sarah for many years after. Secondly, He himself was but a stranger and a sojourner in that land, and God gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on; but there he was as in a strange country, where he was always upon the remove, and could call nothing his own.
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 Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is the glory of absolutely free grace. appeared unto our father Abraham before he dwelt in Charran, and said, &c.--Though this first call is not expressly recorded in Genesis, it is clearly implied in Ge 15:7 and Ne 9:7; and the Jewish writers speak the same language.
Gave him none inheritance - Both Abraham and Jacob had small parcels of land in Canaan; but they had them by purchase, not by God’s gift; for, as Abraham was obliged to buy a burying-place in Canaan, Genesis 23:3-18, it is obvious he had no inheritance there. And to his seed after him - See Gen 12:7 (note); Gen 13:15, and the notes there.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he gave him none inheritance - Abraham led a wandering life; and this passage means that he did not himself receive a permanent possession or residence in that land.
The words behind it
27 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 |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔδωκεν | edoken | He did give | G1325 → | 412 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| κληρονομίαν | kleronomian | an inheritance | G2817 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐτῇ | autea | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὐδὲ | oude | not even [give] | G3761 → | 141 times |
| βῆμα | bema | [the] length | G968 → | 12 times |
| ποδὸς | podos | of a foot | G4228 → | 93 times |
| καὶ | kai | but | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπηγγείλατο | epengeilato | He promised | G1861 → | |
| δοῦναι | dounai | to give | G1325 → | 412 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| κατάσχεσιν | kataschesin | a possession | G2697 → | |
| αὐτὴν | auten | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπέρματι | spermati | descendants | G4690 → | 43 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | after | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτόν, | auton | him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ὄντος | ontos | there being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τέκνου. | teknou | a child. | G5043 → | 99 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔδωκενHe did give
edokenG1325 →412 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
κληρονομίανan inheritance
kleronomianG2817 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐτῇit
auteaG846 →5565 times
οὐδὲnot even [give]
oudeG3761 →141 times
βῆμα[the] length
bemaG968 →12 times
ποδὸςof a foot
podosG4228 →93 times
καὶbut
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπηγγείλατοHe promised
epengeilatoG1861 →
δοῦναιto give
dounaiG1325 →412 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
κατάσχεσινa possession
kataschesinG2697 →
αὐτὴνit
autenG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
σπέρματιdescendants
spermatiG4690 →43 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
μετ᾽after
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτόν,him,
autonG846 →5565 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ὄντοςthere being
ontosG1510 →2333 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
τέκνου.a child.
teknouG5043 →99 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
Genesis 15:18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
it leads to
- Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 13:15
for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 1:3–4
I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses.
- Genesis 24:7
The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this…
- Genesis 12:7
Through
Genesis 26:3Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath…
it leads to
- Genesis 28:15
Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what…
- Psalms 105:9
the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.
- Genesis 28:15
Through
Genesis 13:15for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 20:7
Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?
- 2 Chronicles 20:7
Through
Genesis 17:8And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:12
I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.
- Leviticus 26:12
Where this verse is studied
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About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 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); Irenaeus, AGAINST HERESIES 5.32.2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 25.1; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 15; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; 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.