Acts 7:22

22 He was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man in words and deeds.

Acts 7:22 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:22

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
&c,] Which was reckoned very considerable: ( 1 Kings 4:30 ) Philo the Jew says F5 that he learned arithmetic, geometry, and every branch of music, the hieroglyphics, the Assyrian language, and the Chaldean knowledge of the heavens, and the mathematics; yet was not a magician, or skilled in unlawful arts, as Justin suggests F6:

and was mighty in words;
he had a command of language, and a large flow of words, and could speak properly and pertinently upon any subject; for though he was slow of speech, and of tongue, and might have somewhat of a stammering in speaking, yet he might have a just diction, a masculine style, and a powerful eloquence, and the matter he delivered might be very great and striking:

and in deeds;
or in "his deeds", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read: he was a man of great abilities, and fit for business both in the cabinet and in the field. Josephus F7 relates an expedition of his against the Ethiopians, whilst he was in Pharaoh's court, in which he obtained victory over them, when the Egyptians had been greatly oppressed by them; in which his prudence and fortitude were highly commended.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 606. Clement. Alex. Strom. l. 1. p. 343.
F6 L. 36. c. 2.
F7 Antiqu l. 2. c. 10. sect. 1. 2. 3.

Acts 7:22 In-Context

20 It was at this time that Moses was born, a very beautiful child. He was cared for at home for three months,
21 and when he was put out of his home, the king's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
22 He was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man in words and deeds.
23 "When Moses was forty years old, he decided to find out how his fellow Israelites were being treated.
24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his help and took revenge on the Egyptian by killing him
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.