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Acts 7:41

in Acts 7

At 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.

This verse in Acts 7

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

"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

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 17 · Written before 407.

proposed

"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.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 17 · Written before 407.

proposed

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.

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

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.

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,
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

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 & Brown

1802–1910

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 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.

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

The walk

8 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

    Revelation 9:20

    Now 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…

  • Through

    Hosea 9:10

    I 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,

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
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.