Acts 7:27

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?

Acts 7:27 in Other Translations

KJV
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
ESV
27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
NLT
27 “But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked.
MSG
27 "The one who had started the fight said, 'Who put you in charge of us?
CSB
27 "But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him away, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?

Acts 7:27 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:27

But he that did his neighbour wrong
Who seems to be the same person whom Moses had defended the day before; and, according to the Jews, must be Dathan F1: the same

thrust him away;
from them, when he went to part them, and persuade them to be good friends:

saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
which was very ungrateful, if he was the man he had delivered the day before; and very impertinent, since he did not take upon him to rule and judge, but only to exhort and persuade to peace and brotherly love: the language suits with the spirit of Dathan or Abiram; ( Numbers 16:3 Numbers 16:12 Numbers 16:13 ) This is thought to be said to him by way of contempt of him, as being a very young man: the words are thus commented on in one of the ancient commentaries of the Jews F2,

``R. Judah says, Moses was twenty years of age at that time: wherefore it was said to him, thou art not yet fit to be a prince and a judge over us, seeing one of forty years of age is a man of understanding. And R. Nehemiah says, he was forty years of age; (See Gill on Acts 7:23) and it was said to him, truly thou art a man, but thou art not fit to be a prince and a judge over us: and the Rabbans say, he said to him, art thou not the son of Jochebed, though they call thee the son of Bithiah? and dost thou seek to be a prince and a judge over us? it is known concerning thee what thou didst to the Egyptian.''


FOOTNOTES:

F1 Targum Jon. in Exod. ii. 14. Debarim Rabba, sect. 2. fol. 237. 1.
F2 Shemot Rabba, ib.

Acts 7:27 In-Context

25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.
26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Genesis 19:9; Numbers 16:13
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