Acts 7:34

“I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’”
Acts 7:34 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

I have surelyἰδὼνseenεἶδονthe mistreatmentτὴν κάκωσινof myτοῦ μουpeopleλαοῦwho areτοῦinἐνEgypt,ΑἰγύπτῳandκαὶI have heardἤκουσαtheirτοῦ αὐτοῦgroaning,στεναγμοῦandκαὶI have come downκατέβηνto rescueἐξελέσθαιthem.αὐτούςAndκαὶnowνῦνcome,δεῦροI will sendἀποστείλωyouσεtoεἰςEgypt.’Αἴγυπτον

Quotation · Exodus 3:7-10

Go to Exodus 3:7-10

Stephen sums up Exodus 3:7-10: God has seen the affliction of his people and sends Moses to Egypt.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἤκουσα καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה רָאֹה רָאִיתִי אֶת עֳנִי עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת צַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפְּנֵי נֹגְשָׂיו כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ אֶל מְקוֹם הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה אֵלָי וְגַם רָאִיתִי אֶת הַלַּחַץ אֲשֶׁר מִצְרַיִם לֹחֲצִים אֹתָם וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֶל פַּרְעֹה וְהוֹצֵא אֶת עַמִּי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם

Septuagint (Exodus 3:7-10 in the Septuagint numbering): εἶπεν δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἰδὼν ἴδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν ἀκήκοα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργοδιωκτῶν· οἶδα γὰρ τῆ ὀδύνην αὐτῶν, καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης, καὶ εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν ἀγαθὴν καὶ πολλήν, εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι, εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν χαναναίων καὶ Χετταίων καὶ Ἀμορραίων καὶ καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ κραυγὴ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἥκει πρὸς μέ, κἀγὼ ἑώρακα τὸ θλιμμὸν ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι θλίβουσιν αὐτούς. καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραὼ Βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἐξάξεις τὸν λαόν μου τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 9 consecutive words: “τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Acts 7:34, word by word

I have surelyἰδὼνidōn

see

To perceive with sight, to look and notice what is in front.

Where else “idōn” appears

the mistreatmentκάκωσινkakōsin

mistreatment

Mistreatment, oppression.

Where else “kakōsin” appears

peopleλαοῦlaou

people

A people, above all Israel, God's people.

Where else “laou” appears

EgyptΑἰγύπτῳAigyptōi

Egypt

See it on the map Where else “Aigyptōi” appears

I have heardἤκουσαēkousa

hear

To perceive a sound, a voice or words with the ears.

Where else “ēkousa” appears

groaningστεναγμοῦstenagmou

groaning

Groaning, a sigh of pain.

Where else “stenagmou” appears

I have come downκατέβηνkatebēn

go down, come down

Go down, come down, descend.

Where else “katebēn” appears

to rescueἐξελέσθαιexelesthai

rescue

To snatch someone out of the hands of whoever oppresses or threatens them.

Where else “exelesthai” appears

comeδεῦροdeuro

come

A call for someone to draw near.

Where else “deuro” appears

I will sendἀποστείλωaposteilō

send

To send someone somewhere on an errand, on behalf of the sender.

Where else “aposteilō” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Exodus 3:7-10

Stephen sums up Exodus 3:7-10: God has seen the affliction of his people and sends Moses to Egypt.

See them side by side

Acts 7:34

³⁴I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

Exodus 3:7-10

⁷YHWH said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sufferings.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
Genesis 12:10 Genesis 37:28 Exodus 12:41 Matthew 2:14

The context

33And the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

34 · This verse (above)

35This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ this man God has sent as both ruler and redeemer with the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

Read all of Acts 7

To study Acts 7 in a group

1. What it says
At the end of his speech, what does Stephen see, and what does he pray while they stone him? (vv. 55-60)
2. What it means
Stephen recounts Israel's story from Abraham. What point does he seem to be making with that survey? (vv. 2-53)
3. How I live it
Stephen asked that this sin not be held against those who harmed him (v. 60). How do you respond when someone wrongs you?

How to use it