Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. New Living Translation God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. English Standard Version And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. Berean Standard Bible God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. Berean Literal Bible And God spoke thus, that his seed will be a sojourner in a strange land, and they will enslave it and will mistreat it four hundred years. King James Bible And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. New King James Version But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. New American Standard Bible But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE STRANGERS IN A LAND THAT WAS NOT THEIRS, AND THEY WOULD ENSLAVE AND MISTREAT THEM FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. NASB 1995 “But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. NASB 1977 “But God spoke to this effect, that his OFFSPRING WOULD BE ALIENS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. Legacy Standard Bible But God spoke in this way, that his SEED WOULD BE SOJOURNERS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. Amplified Bible And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE ALIENS (strangers) IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. Berean Annotated Bible God {Theos} told him that his descendants (seed) would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. Christian Standard Bible God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years. Holman Christian Standard Bible God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them 400 years. American Standard Version And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill, four hundred years. Contemporary English Version God said Abraham's descendants would live for a while in a foreign land. There they would be slaves and would be mistreated 400 years. English Revised Version And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil, four hundred years. GOD'S WORD® Translation God told Abraham that his descendants would be foreigners living in another country and that the people there would make them slaves and mistreat them for 400 years. Good News Translation This is what God said to him: 'Your descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred years. International Standard Version "This is what God promised: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and its people would enslave them and oppress them for 400 years. NET Bible But God spoke as follows: 'Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. New Heart English Bible God spoke in this way, that his 'descendants would live as foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. Webster's Bible Translation And God spoke on this wise, That his offspring should sojourn in a foreign land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill four hundred years. Weymouth New Testament And God declared that Abraham's posterity should for four hundred years make their home in a country not their own, and be reduced to slavery and be oppressed. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleGod told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. World English Bible God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd God spoke thus, that his seed will be sojourning in a strange land, and they will cause it to serve, and will do it evil [for] four hundred years. Berean Literal Bible And God spoke thus, that his seed will be a sojourner in a strange land, and they will enslave it and will mistreat it four hundred years. Young's Literal Translation 'And God spake thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause it to serve, and shall do it evil four hundred years, Smith's Literal Translation And God spake thus, That his seed shall be dwelling in a strange land; and it shall subjugate them, and inflict evil four hundred years. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd God said to him: That his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and that they should bring them under bondage, and treat them evil four hundred years. Catholic Public Domain Version Then God told him that his offspring would be a settler in a foreign land, and that they would subjugate them, and treat them badly, for four hundred years. New American Bible And God spoke thus, ‘His descendants shall be aliens in a land not their own, where they shall be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years; New Revised Standard Version And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleGod spoke to him and said, Your descendants will be settlers in a foreign land where they will be enslaved and mistreated for a period of four hundred years. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And God was speaking with him when he said to him, 'Your seed will be a stranger in a foreign land, and they will enslave him and will afflict him four hundred years;' NT Translations Anderson New TestamentAnd God spoke thus: That his posterity should sojourn in a strange land, and they should enslave them and afflict them, for four hundred years. Godbey New Testament And thus God spoke, that his seed shall sojourn in a strange land, and they will enslave it and oppress it four hundred years. Haweis New Testament Then spake God to him thus, That his seed should sojourn in a foreign land: and that they should enslave it, and grievously afflict it, four hundred years. Mace New Testament God declar'd likewise, "that his posterity should sojourn in a strange land, where they should be enslaved and abused four hundred years. Weymouth New Testament And God declared that Abraham's posterity should for four hundred years make their home in a country not their own, and be reduced to slavery and be oppressed. Worrell New Testament And God spake thus; that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land; and they would bring it into servitude, and ill-use it four hundred years. Worsley New Testament And God spake thus unto him, "that his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and they shall in slave and abuse them four hundred years:" Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin…5He 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. 6 God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’… Cross References God told him Genesis 15:1-5 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” / But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” / Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.” … Genesis 12:1-3 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. / I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. / I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” Nehemiah 9:7-8 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. / You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous. that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, Hebrews 11:13 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Genesis 46:3-4 “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. / I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.” Exodus 6:4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. and that they would be enslaved Exodus 1:13-14 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly / and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh. Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. Deuteronomy 26:6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. and mistreated Exodus 1:11-12 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. / But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. Psalm 105:25 whose hearts He turned to hate His people, to conspire against His servants. Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. four hundred years. Genesis 15:13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. Exodus 12:40-41 Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years. / At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions went out of the land of Egypt. Galatians 3:17 What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise. Genesis 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.” Treasury of Scripture And God spoke on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. That. Genesis 15:13,16 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; … four. Exodus 12:40,41 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years… Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Jump to Previous Abraham's Aliens Belonging Bondage Cause Country Cruel Declared Enslave Enslaved Entreat Evil Foreign Four Home Hundred Ill Ill-Treat Live Mistreated Offspring Oppressed Others Posterity Reduced Seed Servants Serve Slavery Sojourn Sojourning Strange Treat Way WiseJump to Next Abraham's Aliens Belonging Bondage Cause Country Cruel Declared Enslave Enslaved Entreat Evil Foreign Four Home Hundred Ill Ill-Treat Live Mistreated Offspring Oppressed Others Posterity Reduced Seed Servants Serve Slavery Sojourn Sojourning Strange Treat Way WiseActs 7 1. Stephen, permitted to answer to the accusation of blasphemy,2. shows that Abraham worshipped God rightly, and how God chose the fathers, 20. before Moses was born, and before the tabernacle and temple were built; 37. that Moses himself witnessed of Christ; 44. and that all outward ceremonies were ordained to last but for a time; 51. reprehending their rebellion, and murdering of Christ, whom the prophets foretold. 54. Whereupon they stone Stephen to death, 59. who commends his soul to Jesus, and humbly prays for them. God told him This phrase refers to God's communication with Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 15:13. It highlights the direct revelation from God, emphasizing the covenant relationship between God and Abraham. This divine communication underscores the prophetic nature of God's promises and the unfolding of His plan for Israel. that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe sovereign deity who communicates His plans and prophecies to His people. 2. Abraham The patriarch to whom God made the promise regarding his descendants. 3. Descendants of Abraham Refers to the Israelites, who would experience enslavement and mistreatment. 4. Foreign Land Egypt, where the Israelites were enslaved for four hundred years. 5. Stephen The speaker in Acts 7, delivering a defense before the Sanhedrin, recounting Israel's history. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty and FaithfulnessGod's promises are sure and will come to pass, even if they involve periods of suffering or waiting. Understanding God's Timing The four hundred years of enslavement remind us that God's timing is not our own, and His plans often unfold over long periods. Endurance Through Trials The Israelites' experience in Egypt teaches us about enduring hardship with the hope of deliverance, trusting in God's ultimate plan. The Role of Prophecy Prophecies serve as a reminder of God's control over history and His ability to bring about His purposes. Faith in God's Promises Like Abraham, we are called to have faith in God's promises, even when circumstances seem contrary. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Acts 7:6?2. How does Acts 7:6 illustrate God's sovereignty in Israel's history? 3. What lessons can we learn from Israel's 400-year period of oppression? 4. How does Acts 7:6 connect to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis? 5. How can we trust God's timing when facing personal trials and challenges? 6. What role does patience play in fulfilling God's promises in our lives? 7. What does Acts 7:6 reveal about God's plan for the Israelites' future? 8. How does Acts 7:6 align with God's covenant promises to Abraham? 9. Why did God allow the Israelites to be enslaved for 400 years in Acts 7:6? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Acts 7? 11. Why does Stephen cite a 400-year period in Acts 7:6 when Exodus 12:40 indicates 430 years of Israelite bondage? 12. What is the significance of 400 years in Egypt? 13. What was the Synagogue of the Freedmen? 14. Acts 13:19–20: Why does Paul’s recounting of Israel’s history (a 450-year period) seem to conflict with Old Testament timelines? What Does Acts 7:6 Mean God told him“God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a land not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.’ ” (Acts 7:6) • “Him” is Abraham, first called by God in Genesis 12:1–3 and later assured in Genesis 15:13–14 that the unfolding plan would include a long sojourn and affliction. • Stephen, retelling Israel’s history, highlights God’s initiative—He is the One who reveals, directs, and guarantees every step (Genesis 17:1–8). His descendants • The promise points beyond Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes (Genesis 12:7; 22:17). • This lineage is not merely biological; it is covenantal—God binds Himself to the offspring (Exodus 3:15–16). • Even when circumstances grow dark, the family line remains the channel of blessing (Romans 9:7–8). Foreigners in a strange land • “Foreigners” underscores displacement; Egypt was never meant to be their home (Genesis 46:1–4). • Joseph’s rise prepared the refuge, yet by Exodus 1:8 “a new king… did not know Joseph,” turning hospitality into hardship. • Living as outsiders trains God’s people to rely on Him alone (Deuteronomy 10:19; Hebrews 11:9). Enslaved and mistreated • Exodus 1:11–14 recounts forced labor: “They made their lives bitter with arduous labor”. • Oppression fulfills God’s forewarning but also sets the stage for His mighty deliverance (Exodus 3:7–8; Psalm 105:23–25). • Affliction does not negate the covenant; it showcases God’s power to redeem (Romans 8:18). Four hundred years • Genesis 15:13 gives the same figure; Galatians 3:17 shows the period ends with the giving of the Law. • The number is literal yet rounded, matching the 430 years in Exodus 12:40–41 that count from Jacob’s arrival to the Exodus. • God rules the calendar; the duration is fixed by His wisdom, proving His sovereignty over history (Acts 17:26). summary Acts 7:6 reminds us that God foreknew Israel’s exile, foretold its hardship, limited its length, and pledged deliverance. Abraham’s descendants would suffer, yet every moment unfolded under the watchful hand of the covenant-keeping God who turns bondage into blessing and strangers into heirs. (6) And that they should bring them into bondage . . .--Here again there is another apparent discrepancy of detail. Taking the common computation, the interval between the covenant with Abraham and that with Moses was 430 years (Galatians 3:17), of which only 215 are reckoned as spent in Egypt. The Israelites were indeed sojourners in a strange land for the whole 430 years, but the history shows that they were not in bondage nor evil entreated till the Pharaoh arose who knew not Joseph. The chronological difficulty, however, lies in reconciling St. Paul's statement in Galatians 3:17 with the language of Genesis 15:13, which gives 400 years as the sojourning in Egypt, and Exodus 12:40, which gives 430, and with which St. Stephen is in substantial agreement. St. Paul appears to have followed the LXX. reading of Exodus 12:40, which inserts "in the land of Cannan," and in some MSS. "they and their fathers," and with this the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees. Josephus varies, in some passages (Ant. ii. 15, ? 2), giving 215 years; in others (Ant. ii. 9, ? 1; Wars, v. 9, ? 4), 400. All that can be said is, as before, that chronological accuracy did not affect the argument in either case. It was enough for St. Stephen, as for St. Paul, to accept this or that system of dates, as they had been taught, without inquiring into the grounds on which it rested. Such inquiries were foreign to the Jewish character generally, and above all to that character when possessed by the sense of new and divine realities. Round numbers were enough for them to mark the successive stages of God's dealings with His people.Verse 6. - In a strange land; a land belonging to some one else (Hebrews 11:9, γῆ ἀλλοτρία, as here); a land in which he had none inheritance, not yet become the possession of his seed; for as the writer to the Hebrews says, he dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob; not applicable, therefore, in the first instance to Egypt at all. And this sojourning as strangers and pilgrims lasted altogether four hundred and thirty years, vie. two hundred and fifteen years in Canaan, and two hundred and fifteen in Egypt; which agrees exactly with St. Paul's reckoning in round numbers of four hundred years from the giving of the promise to Abraham to the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Galatians 3:17). The "four hundred years" must not be taken in connection with the bondage" and the ill treatment which characterized the last half of the period, but as spoken of the whole period during which they had not possession of the promised land. Bring them into bondage. So the LXX.; but the Hebrew, as rendered in the A.V., has "and they shall serve them." But some (see Gesenius, 'Thes.') render the Hebrew as the LXX. Do. Four hundred years. This is a round number, as in Genesis 15:13. The exact time, as given in Exodus 12:40, 41, was four hundred and thirty years.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek GodΘεὸς (Theos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. told [him] ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words. that ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. his αὐτοῦ (autou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. descendants σπέρμα (sperma) Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 4690: From speiro; something sown, i.e. Seed; by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant. would be ἔσται (estai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. foreigners πάροικον (paroikon) Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 3941: Foreign, alien, subst: a foreigner, sojourner. From para and oikos; having a home near, i.e. a by-dweller. in ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. a strange ἀλλοτρίᾳ (allotria) Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular Strong's 245: From allos; another's, i.e. Not one's own; by extension foreign, not akin, hostile. land, γῇ (gē) Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. they would be enslaved δουλώσουσιν (doulōsousin) Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Strong's 1402: To enslave. From doulos; to enslave. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. mistreated κακώσουσιν (kakōsousin) Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Strong's 2559: To treat badly, afflict, embitter, make angry. From kakos; to injure; figuratively, to exasperate. four hundred τετρακόσια (tetrakosia) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 5071: Four hundred. Plural from tessares and hekaton; four hundred. years. ἔτη (etē) Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 2094: A year. Apparently a primary word; a year. Links Acts 7:6 NIVActs 7:6 NLT Acts 7:6 ESV Acts 7:6 NASB Acts 7:6 KJV Acts 7:6 BibleApps.com Acts 7:6 Biblia Paralela Acts 7:6 Chinese Bible Acts 7:6 French Bible Acts 7:6 Catholic Bible NT Apostles: Acts 7:6 God spoke in this way: that his (Acts of the Apostles Ac) |
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