Acts 7:8

8 et dedit illi testamentum circumcisionis et sic genuit Isaac et circumcidit eum die octava et Isaac Iacob et Iacob duodecim patriarchas

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.

---

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 locutus est autem Deus quia erit semen eius accola in terra aliena et servituti eos subicient et male tractabunt eos annis quadringentis

7 et gentem cui servierint iudicabo ego dixit Deus et post haec exibunt et deservient mihi in loco isto

8 et dedit illi testamentum circumcisionis et sic genuit Isaac et circumcidit eum die octava et Isaac Iacob et Iacob duodecim patriarchas

9 et patriarchae aemulantes Ioseph vendiderunt in Aegyptum et erat Deus cum eo

10 et eripuit eum ex omnibus tribulationibus eius et dedit ei gratiam et sapientiam in conspectu Pharaonis regis Aegypti et constituit eum praepositum super Aegyptum et super omnem domum suam