Acts 7:9

Acts 7:9-10 . And the patriarchs, moved with envy — The rest of the twelve sons of Jacob, though their relation to such holy ancestors might have taught them a much better lesson; yet, influenced by envy at the superior regard which Jacob showed to his favourite son, most inhumanly sold Joseph — Their brother; into Egypt — Where he became a slave, and suffered a great variety of calamities; but God was with him — In the midst of them, supporting him, though he was not in this land, and rendering that country a scene of very glorious providences toward him: for by these things God was working, in a mysterious and surprising manner, for the accomplishment of the prediction before mentioned. From what Stephen relates of the story of Joseph, it was obvious for the members of the council to infer that the greatest favourites of Heaven might suffer by the envy of those who were called the Israel of God; and might be exalted by him after having been rejected by them: a thought worthy of their consideration with respect to Jesus; but prudence would not allow Stephen, in the beginning of his defence, to say expressly what they could not have borne to hear; for that they could not, appears by the manner in which they resented his application of these premises, when, he was drawing toward a conclusion.

And delivered him out of all his afflictions — To which he was exposed in consequence of his integrity and piety; and gave him favour and wisdom — That is, favour on account of his distinguished wisdom; in the sight of Pharaoh, who made him governor over Egypt — Committing all things in the palace, as well as elsewhere, to his direction and management. Thus did God, in the course of his providence, wonderfully exalt this despised Joseph, whom his brethren (then the whole house of Israel) had most outrageously insulted and abused, and even sold for a slave. And thus, Stephen insinuated, hath God exalted Jesus, whom ye treated as a slave, insulted, and abused, scourged, and hanged on a tree.

Moved with envy; enraged: the holy martyr accommodates his apology so, as that they may yet have occasion to reflect on themselves; for as they had sold our Saviour unto strangers, so had their fathers sold Joseph. But God was with him, to favour and bless him; for God’s presence brings all good along with it: with this he comforts himself and others, that it was not without example or precedent that God should be with such whom their persecutors could not endure.

Acts 7:9 . [ Ζηλώσαντες , moved with envy ) Stephen shows that the ancestors of the Jews were already at that early time stiff-necked.—V. g.]— ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγυπτον , sold away into Egypt ) removed ( alienated ) from them him who was presently after carried away into Egypt . An abbreviated expression: and so the LXX., Genesis 45:4 , “I am Joseph, whom ἀπέδοσθε εἰς Αἴγυπτον .”

{3} And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was {f} with him, (3) Steven diligently recounts the horrible misdeeds of some of the fathers, to teach the Jews that they ought not rashly to rest in the authority or examples of the fathers. (f) By these words are meant the peculiar favour that God shows men: for he seems to be away from those whom he does not help: and on the other hand, he is with those whom he delivers out of troubles, no matter how great the troubles may be.

Verse 9. - Moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him , for moved with envy sold Joseph , A.V., more correctly, and in accordance with Genesis 37:11 , LXX.; and for but , A.V. Moved with jealousy , etc. Here breaks out that part of Stephen's argument which went to show how the Israelites had always ill-used their greatest benefactors, and resisted the leaders sent to them by God. Acts 7:9

9 . the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph ] The same word is used ( Acts 17:5 ) of the hostile feelings of the Jews at Thessalonica against Paul and Silas. In the history ( Genesis 37:4-5 ) it is said “his brethren hated him,” and ( Genesis 37:11 ) “they envied him.” sold Joseph into Egypt ] See Genesis 37:28 for the way in which this was done. but God was with him ] Read, and God, &c. The conjunction is καί . The statement is from Genesis 39:2 ; Genesis 39:21 ; Genesis 39:23 , and is used by Stephen here to give point to his argument that God’s presence is not circumscribed, and so neither should His worship be tied to place.

Acts 7:9-13 . Ζηλώσαντες ] here of envious jealousy , as often also in classical writers. Certainly Stephen in this mention has already in view the similar malicious disposition of his judges towards Jesus, so that in the ill-used Joseph, as afterwards also in the despised Moses (both of whom yet became deliverers of the people), he sees historical types of Christ. ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγ .] they gave him away (by sale , comp. Acts 5:8 ) to Egypt (comp. Genesis 45:4 , LXX.). For analogous examples to ἀποδ . εἰς , see Elsner, p. 390. The following clauses, rising higher and higher with simple solemnity, are linked on by καί . χάριν κ . σοφίαν ] It is simplest (comp. Genesis 39:21 ) to explain χάριν of the divine bestowal of grace, and to refer ἐναντίον Φαρ . merely to σοφίαν : He gave him grace (generally) and (in particular) wisdom before Pharaoh , namely, according to the history which is presumed to be well known, in the interpretation of dreams as well as for other counsel. ἡγούμ .] “vice regis cuncta regentem,” Genesis 41:43 , Grotius. κ . ὁλ . τ . οἰκ . αὐτ .] as high steward . χορτάσματα ] fodder for their cattle. So throughout with Greek writers, and comp.LXX. Genesis 24:25 ; Genesis 24:32 ; Genesis 42:27 ; Jdg 19:19 ; Sir 33:29 ; Sir 38:29 . A scarcity of fodder , to which especially belongs the want of cereal fodder, is the most urgent difficulty, in a failure of crops, for the possessors of large herds of cattle. ὄντα σιτία ] that there was corn . The question, Where?

finds its answer from the context and the familiar history. The following εἰς Αἴγυπτον (see critical remarks) belongs to ἐξαπέστ ., and is, from its epoch-making significance, emphatically placed first. On ἀκούειν , to learn , with the predicative participle, see Winer, p. 325 [E. T.436]; frequent also in Greek writers. ἀνεγνωρίσθη ] he was recognised by his brethren (Plat. Pol. p. 258 A, Pharm. p. 127 A, Lach. p.181 C), to be taken passively , as also Genesis 45:1 , when the LXX. thus translates הִתְוַדַּע . τὸ γένος τοῦ Ἰωσήφ ] the name (instead of the simple αὐτοῦ , as A E, 40, Arm. Vulg. read) is significantly repeated (Bornem. ad Xen. Symp. 7. 34; Kühner, ad Xen. Anab. i. 7. 11); a certain sense of patriotic pride is implied in it.

(9) The patriarchs, moved with envy. —This, interpreted by what follows, is the first step in the long induction which is to show that the elect of God had always been opposed and rejected by those who were for the time the representatives of the nation. Envy had actuated the patriarchs when they sold Joseph; envy had led their descendants to deliver up Jesus ( Matthew 27:18 ). But man’s evil will had not frustrated God’s gracious purpose. Joseph was made ruler over a kingdom. A greater glory might therefore be in store for Him who had now been rejected by them. Sold Joseph into Egypt.—The objection that Joseph’s brethren sold him not into Egypt, but to the Midianites and Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:25; Genesis 37:28), may well be dismissed as frivolous. They knew the trade which the Midianite slave-dealers carried on, and where their brother would be taken. So Joseph himself says of them “ye sold me hither” (Genesis 45:5).