Acts 7:27

27 qui autem iniuriam faciebat proximo reppulit eum dicens quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos

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 existimabat autem intellegere fratres quoniam Deus per manum ipsius daret salutem illis at illi non intellexerunt
26 sequenti vero die apparuit illis litigantibus et reconciliabat eos in pacem dicens viri fratres estis ut quid nocetis alterutrum
27 qui autem iniuriam faciebat proximo reppulit eum dicens quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos
28 numquid interficere me tu vis quemadmodum interfecisti heri Aegyptium
29 fugit autem Moses in verbo isto et factus est advena in terra Madiam ubi generavit filios duos
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.