Acts 7:42

“But God turned away and handed them over to worship the army of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘You did not offer me slaughtered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?”

Acts 7:42 · direct translation from the Greek
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42

Quotation · Amos 5:25-27

Go to Amos 5:25-27

Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27. Where the Hebrew says “Sikkut” and “Kiyyun,” Acts says “the tent of Molech” and “Rephan”; where the Hebrew says “beyond Damascus,” Acts says “beyond Babylon.”

Formula: καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν “as it is written in the book of the prophets” (Acts 7:42)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἔστρεψεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς λατρεύειν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν Μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἔτη τεσσεράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ Ῥαιφάν τοὺς τύπους οὓς ἐποιήσατε προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος

Hebrew (Masoretic text): הַזְּבָחִים וּמִנְחָה הִגַּשְׁתֶּם לִי בַמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּנְשָׂאתֶם אֵת סִכּוּת מַלְכְּכֶם וְאֵת כִּיּוּן צַלְמֵיכֶם כּוֹכַב אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם לָכֶם וְהִגְלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵהָלְאָה לְדַמָּשֶׂק אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ

Septuagint (Amos 5:25-27 in the Septuagint numbering): μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμᾳῳ μ ἔτη, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολόχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν Ῥαιφάν, τοὺς τύπους αὐτῶν οὓς ἐποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς· καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Δαμασκοῦ, λέγει Κύριος, ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 13 consecutive words: “οἶκος Ἰσραήλ καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ.”

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

Acts 7:42, word by word

Godθεὸςtheos

God

The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.

Where else “theos” appears
turned awayἔστρεψενestrepsen

change

To change direction or state: to turn toward something, to turn away, or to change one thing into another.

Where else “estrepsen” appears
handedπαρέδωκενparedōken

betray

To give someone up to enemies, betray them.

Where else “paredōken” appears
to worshipλατρεύεινlatreuein

worship, serve

Serve, worship: serve God in worship.

Where else “latreuein” appears
the armyστρατιᾷstratiai

army, host

Army, host; the heavenly host.

Where else “stratiai” appears
of heavenοὐρανοῦouranou

sky

The vault we see above the earth, where birds fly and the stars are.

Where else “ouranou” appears
it is writtenγέγραπταιgegraptai

it is written

So the Bible says; a passage is quoted.

Where else “gegraptai” appears
the bookβίβλῳbiblōi

book

Book, written scroll.

Where else “biblōi” appears
of the prophetsπροφητῶνprophētōn

prophet

Someone who speaks for God.

Where else “prophētōn” appears
offerπροσηνέγκατέprosēnenkate

offer

To present a sacrifice or gift to God.

Where else “prosēnenkate” appears
slaughtered victimsσφάγιαsphagia

sacrificial victim

Sacrificial victim, an animal slaughtered in sacrifice.

Where else “sphagia” appears
sacrificesθυσίαςthysias

sacrifice

What was offered to God on the altar.

Where else “thysias” appears
for fortyτεσσεράκονταtesserakonta

forty

Forty.

Where else “tesserakonta” appears
yearsἔτηetē

year

Year.

Where else “etē” appears
the wildernessἐρήμῳerēmōi

wilderness

Land without people or crops.

Where else “erēmōi” appears
houseοἶκοςoikos

house

The place where one lives; also the temple, God's dwelling.

Where else “oikos” appears
of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl

Israel

Israel: the name God gave to Jacob, and the people descended from him.

Where else “Israēl” appears

Translation note

Amos 5:25-27, following the Greek. The “army of heaven” is the stars.

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · Amos 5:25-27

Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27. Where the Hebrew says “Sikkut” and “Kiyyun,” Acts says “the tent of Molech” and “Rephan”; where the Hebrew says “beyond Damascus,” Acts says “beyond Babylon.”

See them side by side

Acts 7:42

42But God turned away and handed them over to worship the army of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘You did not offer me slaughtered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

Amos 5:25-27

25Did you bring me sacrifices and offering in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

The context

41And they made a calf in those days and offered a sacrifice to the idol, and they were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

42 · This verse (above)

43And you took up the tent of Molech and the star of the god Rephan, the images that you made to worship them. And I will deport you beyond Babylon.’

Read all of Acts 7

To study Acts 7 in a group

  1. 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. 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. 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