Lexical Summary sunelaunó: to drive together, to bring together, to assemble Original Word: συνελαύνω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to reconcileFrom sun and elauno; to drive together, i.e. (figuratively) exhort (to reconciliation) -- + set at one again. see GREEK sun see GREEK elauno NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originvariant reading for sunallassó, q.v. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4900: συναλλάσσωσυναλλάσσω: (see καταλλάσσω); to reconcile (Thucydides, Xenophon, Plato, Dio Cassius; in different senses by different secular authors): συνήλλασσεν αὐτούς εἰς εἰρήνην (Vulg.reconciliabat, i. e. sought to reconcile), conative imperfect (cf. Buttmann, 205 (178); R. V. would have set them at one again), Acts 7:26 L T Tr WH (see συνελαύνω). STRONGS NT 4900: συνελαύνωσυνελαύνω: 1 aorist συνήλασα; from Homer down; to drive together, to compel; tropically, to constrain by exhortation, urge: τινα εἰς εἰρήνην, to be at peace again, Acts 7:26 R G (εἰς τόν τῆς σοφίας ἐρωτᾷ, Aelian v. h. 4, 15). Acts 7:26 records the sole New Testament use of the verb (συνήλλασσεν). Stephen recounts how Moses “tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’” (Acts 7:26). The context echoes Exodus 2:13–14, where Moses intervenes between two Hebrews who are striving. By choosing this term, Luke highlights the peacemaking intent of Moses and frames it in distinctly relational language. Old Testament Background Moses’ effort to bring harmony between fellow Israelites emerges soon after his defense of the oppressed Hebrew against the Egyptian. His appeal—“You are brothers”—leans on covenant solidarity first announced in Genesis 12:2–3 and reiterated in Exodus 2:24. Yet the attempt fails, exposing the depth of Israel’s internal alienation, a fracture that prefigures their larger need for divine mediation. Relationship to New Testament Teaching on Reconciliation Although συνάλλασσω appears only here, its thought-world converges with other reconciliation vocabulary that Paul later employs (καταλλάσσω in Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; ἀποκαταλλάσσω in Colossians 1:20–22; Ephesians 2:16). Moses’ unsuccessful mediation underscores the insufficiency of human effort alone and sets the stage for the saving work of Christ, “our peace, who has made the two one” (Ephesians 2:14) and who “reconciled us to God through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Christological Echoes Moses’ role as would-be reconciler anticipates the greater Mediator (Hebrews 3:1–6). Whereas Moses could call for peace, Jesus secures it through His cross (Colossians 1:20). The incident in Acts 7 exposes sin’s resistance to reconciliation, driving readers toward the gospel’s power to accomplish what the law and human goodwill could not. Ecclesial Implications The church, comprised of people “all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28), carries forward the reconciling agenda. Stephen’s retelling calls believers to confront internal strife, remembering that discord among brethren dishonors the covenant community (Psalm 133:1; John 13:34–35). The early Jerusalem congregation embodied this when “there was not a needy one among them” (Acts 4:34), contrasting sharply with the quarrel in Moses’ day. Pastoral and Missional Application 1. Peacemaking as a Gospel Imperative: Jesus’ mandate—“First be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24)—echoes Moses’ appeal but finds fulfillment in Spirit-enabled obedience. Historical Reflection Early Christian writers (e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.12.4) linked Moses’ failed arbitration to humanity’s broader estrangement, contrasting it with Christ’s successful reconciling work. Patristic homilies frequently used Acts 7:26 to exhort congregations toward unity, warning that unresolved disputes undermine witness. Conclusion Strong’s Greek 4900 illuminates a pivotal moment in redemptive history: a nascent attempt at brotherly reconciliation that ultimately points beyond itself to the cross. Moses’ desire prefigures Christ’s accomplishment; Stephen’s citation challenges the church to embody and proclaim that same peace until “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). |
    |