Acts 7:24

Verse

And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.

American Standard Version (1901)

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian:

Bible in Basic English

And seeing one of them being attacked, he went to his help and gave the Egyptian a death-blow:

Douay-Rheims 1899

And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him; and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.

Free Bible Version

He saw one of them being mistreated, so he intervened to defend him. On behalf of the man he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.

Geneva Bible 1599

And whe he saw one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and auenged his quarell that had the harme done to him, and smote the Egyptian.

King James (Authorized) Version

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

Plain English Version

While he was there, he saw an Egypt man beating up an Israel man. Moses wanted to help that Israel man, so he killed that Egypt man.

Translation for Translators

He saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelis. So he went over to help [MTY] the Israeli man who was being hurt/beat {whom the Egyptian was hurting/beating}, and he ◄got revenge on/paid back► the Israeli man by killing the Egyptian who was hurting/beating him.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Seeing an Israelite being mistreated, Moses defended him and avenged him who was oppressed by striking the Egyptian:

Noah Webster Bible

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him , and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

World English Bible

Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

Young's Literal Translation

and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he did defend, and did justice to the oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian;

Context

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

²³When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.²⁴And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.²⁵He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.

Summary

In Acts 7:24, Stephen recounts the story of Moses defending an Israelite against an Egyptian oppressor. This narrative highlights Moses' early inclination to defend his people and his sense of justice. It foreshadows Moses' future role as the deliverer of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Stephen's retelling of this event serves to emphasize the theme of God's deliverance and redemption throughout Israel's history, setting the stage for his defense of the Christian faith in the following verses.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Smote the Egyptian - See this explained, Exo 2:11, Exo 2:12 (note).

John Gill Bible Commentary

And seeing one of them suffer wrong,.... Beza's Cambridge copy, and one of Stephens's, and one in the Bodleian library add, "of his own kindred": and so Exo 2:11 he is said to be "one of his brethren"; which Aben Ezra explains, "of his family", one of the tribe of Levi; and so another Jewish writer (m) is very particular, and says, "Moses went out to the camp of the Israelites, and saw an Egyptian smite one of the sons of Kohath, who was of his brethren of the tribe of Levi, as it is said, Exo 2:11.'' This man, according to some of the Jewish writers (n), was the husband of Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, Lev 24:11 but, according to others, it was Dathan (o): the cause and manner of his suffering wrong was this, as they report (p); one of the taskmasters having set his eyes upon his wife, who was a beautiful woman, came early one morning, and got him out of his house to work, and then went into his wife, and lay with her; which when the man understood, he made some disturbance about it, for which he caused him to serve in very hard bondage, and beat him severely; who flying to Moses for protection, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed; he took his part, and screened him from the insults and blows of the officer, and avenged his cause: and smote the Egyptian; and killed him: it is commonly said by the Jews (q), that he killed him by the sword of his mouth, by making use of the word Jehovah; though others (r) say, he smote him with his fist, which is more likely; or rather with his sword; the Ethiopic version adds, "and buried him in the sand". Beza's ancient copy, and one of Stephens's, add, "and he hid him in the sand", as it is in Exo 2:12 and which the Jews understand not literally of any sand pit, into which he might cast him, and cover him; or of the sand of the sea, near which he was, and which does not appear; but mystically of the people of Israel, comparable to the sand of the sea, among whom he hid him. So in one of their Midrashes (s) it is observed on these words, "and "he hid him in the sand"; though there were none there but the Israelites---who are like to sand: he said unto them, ye are like the sand; take this man here and put him there, and his voice is not heard; so this thing will be hid among you, and not heard. And so you find that the thing was not heard but by the means of the Hebrews, as it is said, "and he went out on the second day, and two men of the Hebrews", &c.'' And another of their (t) writers, says, that when Moses saw the Egyptian smiting the Hebrew, "he began to curse him, and took the sword of his lips, and killed him, and hid him in the camp of the Israelites, as it is said, Exo 2:12 not in the sand, but among the Israelites: hence it is said, "the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea", Hos 1:10.'' To which may be added what one of their chronologers (u) affirms, that "Moses slew the Egyptian with the ineffable name of God, and hid him among the children of Israel, who are like to sand.'' This Egyptian is said, by Jarchi, to be one of the taskmasters who was appointed over the officers of Israel, who, from the cockcrowing, kept them to their work, which is very probable. (m) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. (n) Jarchi in Exod. ii. 12. (o) Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 91. 4. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 2. (p) Shemot Rabba, & Shalshalet, ib. & Chronicon Mosis, fol. 5. 2. & Jarchi in Exod. ii. 12. (q) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. Shalshalet, ib. Clement. Alex. Strom. l. 1. p. 344. (r) Shemot Rabba, ib. (s) Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 9l. 4. (t) Pirke Eliezer, c. 48. (u) R. Gedaliah, Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 5. 2.

Acts 7:24

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.

American Standard Version (1901)

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian:

Bible in Basic English

And seeing one of them being attacked, he went to his help and gave the Egyptian a death-blow:

Douay-Rheims 1899

And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him; and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.

Free Bible Version

He saw one of them being mistreated, so he intervened to defend him. On behalf of the man he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.

Geneva Bible 1599

And whe he saw one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and auenged his quarell that had the harme done to him, and smote the Egyptian.

King James (Authorized) Version

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

Plain English Version

While he was there, he saw an Egypt man beating up an Israel man. Moses wanted to help that Israel man, so he killed that Egypt man.

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Seeing an Israelite being mistreated, Moses defended him and avenged him who was oppressed by striking the Egyptian:

Noah Webster Bible

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him , and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

World English Bible

Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

Young's Literal Translation

and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he did defend, and did justice to the oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian;

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Smote the Egyptian - See this explained, Exo 2:11, Exo 2:12 (note).

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 7:24

Verse

Context

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 7:24

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary