Acts 7:28

28 Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

Acts 7:28 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:28

Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
] That is, is it thy will? dost thou design to kill me? or, as in ( Exodus 2:14 ) "intendest" thou to kill me? In the Hebrew text it is, "wilt thou kill me, dost thou say?" that is, as Aben Ezra rightly interprets it, dost thou say so "in thine heart?" which is a much better observation than that of Jarchi's;

``from hence we learn, says he, that he slew him by the ineffable name:''

though this is the sense of some of their ancient doctors F3;

``"to kill me dost thou say?" it is not said, "dost thou seek?" but "dost thou say?" from whence you may learn, that the ineffable name was made mention of over the Egyptian, and he slew him.''

The word "yesterday" is added by Stephen, but with great truth and propriety, and is in the Septuagint version of ( Exodus 2:14 ) . The "as" here does not intend the manner of killing, whether by the fist or sword, or by pronouncing the word Jehovah, as Jarchi thinks, but killing itself, by whatsoever way; and the words were very spitefully said, on purpose to publish the thing, and to expose Moses to danger of life, as it did.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Shemot Rabba, ib.

Acts 7:28 In-Context

26 The next day when Moses saw two men of Israel fighting, he tried to make peace between them. He said, 'Men, you are brothers. Why are you hurting each other?'
27 The man who was hurting the other pushed Moses away and said, 'Who made you our ruler and judge?
28 Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 When Moses heard him say this, he left Egypt and went to live in the land of Midian where he was a stranger. While Moses lived in Midian, he had two sons.
30 "Forty years later an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush as he was in the desert near Mount Sinai.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.