Acts 7:8

8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

Acts 7:8 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:8

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision
Or the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign or token, ( Genesis 17:11 ) . Stephen speaks here in the language of the Jews, who are wont to speak of circumcision after this manner; hence in the Jewish liturgy, there is a collect, (hlym tyrbl) , "for the covenant of circumcision" ^F8; and so it is said ^F9,

``when Joseph died, they made void the "covenant of circumcision":''

and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day;
according to the express command in ( Genesis 17:12 ) (See Gill on Philippians 3:5)

and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs;
the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Seder Tephillot, fol. 197. 1. Ed. Basil. Vid. Kimchi in Mal. iii. 1.
F9 Shemot Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 90. 1.

Acts 7:8 In-Context

6 And God spoke in this way: that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should be brought into bondage and be mistreated for four hundred years.

7 `And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge,' said God, `and after that shall they come forth, and serve Me in this place.'

8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him

10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.