Acts 7:6

Verse

God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And God said that his seed would be living in a strange land, and that they would make them servants, and be cruel to them for four hundred years.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And 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.

Free Bible Version

God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved there, and would be mistreated for four hundred years.

Geneva Bible 1599

But God spake thus, that his seede should be a soiourner in a strange land: and that they should keepe it in bondage, and entreate it euill foure hundreth yeeres.

King James (Authorized) 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.

Plain English Version

But God told him, ‘You will have grand-kids, and more grand-kids after them. Your family will go to a country that belongs to other people, to live there. Those people will treat your family really bad and make them work hard for no pay. They will do that for 400 years.

Translation for Translators

“Later God told Abraham, ‘Your descendants will go and live in a foreign country. They will live there for 400 years, and during that time their leaders will mistreat your descendants and force them to work as slaves.’

Unlocked Literal Bible

God was speaking to him like this, that his descendants would live for a while in a foreign land, and that the inhabitants there would bring them into slavery and treat them badly for four hundred years.

Noah Webster Bible

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.

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.

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,

Context

Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

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.⁶God 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.’

Summary

This verse in Acts recounts the prophecy given to Abraham by God, foretelling the future enslavement and mistreatment of his descendants in a foreign land. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over history and His faithfulness to fulfill His promises, even in the midst of suffering and hardship. The verse sets the stage for the Israelites' eventual deliverance from Egypt and points to the overarching theme of God's redemptive plan for His people throughout the Bible.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

That his seed should sojourn in a strange land - See Gen 15:13, Gen 15:14. Four hundred years - Moses says, Exo 12:40, that the sojourning of the children of Israel in Egypt - was 430 years. See the note there. St. Paul has the same number, Gal 3:17; and so has Josephus, Ant. lib. ii. cap. 1, sect. 9; in Bell. lib. v. cap. 9, sect. 4. St. Stephen uses the round number of 400, leaving out the odd tens, a thing very common, not only in the sacred writers, but in all others, those alone excepted who write professedly on chronological matters.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And God spake on this wise,.... The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "and God spake to him", and so does one of Beza's copies; and the Ethiopic version reads it both ways, God "said thus to Abraham", as in Gen 15:13. That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; or "be a stranger in a land not theirs"; first in the land of Canaan, and then in Egypt, which were possessed by other persons, the natives of them: and that they should bring them into bondage; that is, the inhabitants of the lands, and particularly Egypt, should bring the seed of Abraham into bondage, as they did; and very hard bondage it was, at least some part of it: and entreat them evil four hundred years; which must be reckoned not from the time of their going down into Egypt, which to their coming up out of it were but two hundred and ten years, but from the birth of Isaac: which was as soon as Abraham had the promised seed, and may be reckoned after this manner; from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob, sixty years, Gen 25:26 and from thence to the coming of Jacob into Egypt, one hundred and thirty years, Gen 47:9 and from thence to the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, two hundrd and ten years; which in all make up four hundred years; for the sojourning and evil entreating of Abraham's seed are not to be confined to the land of Egypt, but belong to other lands, where they were within this time, though that land is more especially intended; and so the Septuagint version renders the text in Exo 12:40. "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, which they (and some copies add, and their fathers) sojourned in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, were four hundred and thirty years": and this text is differently read in the Talmuds, in one of them thus (f); "and the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt", , "and in all the lands, were four hundred and thirty years"; and in the other of them thus (g), "and the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt", , "and in the rest of the lands, were four hundred years"; upon which latter the gloss has these words; "from the time that the decree of the captivity was made between them to the birth of Isaac, were thirty years; and from the birth of Isaac, until the Israelites went out of Egypt, were four hundred years; take out of them the sixty of Isaac, and the one hundred and thirty that Jacob had lived when he went down into Egypt, and there remain two hundred and ten; and so is the decree, that "thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs", Gen 15:13 and it is not said in Egypt, but in a land not theirs; and when Isaac was born, Abraham was a sojourner in the land of the Philistines; and from thence, till they went out of Egypt, it will be found that Isaac and his seed who were the seed of Abraham, were strangers: and the thirty years before that are not numbered in the decree;'' See Gill on Gal 3:17. (f) T. Hieros, Megilla, fol. 71. 4. (g) T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 9. 1. Vid. Aben Ezra, in Exod. xii. 40.

Acts 7:6

Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

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.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And God said that his seed would be living in a strange land, and that they would make them servants, and be cruel to them for four hundred years.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And 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.

Free Bible Version

God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved there, and would be mistreated for four hundred years.

Geneva Bible 1599

But God spake thus, that his seede should be a soiourner in a strange land: and that they should keepe it in bondage, and entreate it euill foure hundreth yeeres.

King James (Authorized) 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.

Plain English Version

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Noah Webster Bible

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.

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.

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,

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 7:6

Verse

Context

Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 7:6

Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary