What is the meaning of Acts 7:27?

But the man who was abusing his neighbor

• Stephen is recounting Exodus 2:13 – the day after Moses defended an Israelite from an Egyptian, he tried to reconcile two quarreling Hebrews.

• The aggressor’s identity isn’t named, but his conduct shows hardness of heart, a theme common whenever God raises a deliverer and people resist (Exodus 5:21; John 3:19).

• Scripture repeatedly condemns brethren mistreating each other (Leviticus 19:17; 1 John 4:20). When we see oppression among God’s people, He calls us to address it, not ignore it (Isaiah 1:17).

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pushed Moses aside

• Physically and symbolically, the attacker rejects Moses’ intervention. In Exodus 2:14 he “pushed” him away verbally; Stephen highlights the literal sense, showing a heart that shoves away God’s help.

• This foreshadows Israel’s broader pattern of resisting those God sends (2 Chronicles 36:16; Acts 7:51).

• By pushing Moses, the man also pushes aside the salvation God planned to bring through Moses (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42).

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and said

• Words reveal the heart (Matthew 12:34). The aggressor’s question exposes unbelief and rebellion, not genuine inquiry.

• Similar challenges greet nearly every God-appointed leader—Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 37:8), David before Saul’s army (1 Samuel 17:28), even Christ Himself (Luke 20:2).

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“Who made you ruler and judge over us?”

• Direct quotation from Exodus 2:14. It is a denial of Moses’ God-given call, though at this early moment the call is not yet public.

• Stephen uses it to illustrate Israel’s historical rejection of divine authority—first Moses, later Jesus (John 1:11; Acts 2:36).

• The question drips with irony: God Himself will make Moses both ruler and judge (Exodus 3:10; Numbers 12:7), just as He establishes all rightful authority (Romans 13:1).

• The phrase also anticipates Israel’s later refusal of Christ—“We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15)—underscoring a consistent pattern of preferring human autonomy over God’s appointed rule.

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summary

Acts 7:27 highlights Israel’s initial rejection of Moses, paralleling their later rejection of Christ. Stephen shows that pushing aside God’s chosen deliverer and challenging His authority is not new; it is the tragic thread running through Israel’s history. The verse reminds believers to receive, not resist, the leaders and salvation God graciously provides, recognizing that rejecting His messenger is ultimately rejecting Him.