Page images
PDF
EPUB

Whom they refused.-That is, when he first presented himself to them. (Exod. ii. 13, 14.) Stephen introduces and dwells upon this refusal in order, perhaps, to remind them that this had been the character of their nation; and to prepare the way for the charge which he intended to bring against those whom he addressed, as being stiff-necked and rebellious. See ver. 51, 52, &c. A ruler.-A military leader, or a governor in civil matters. A deliverer.-A redeemer. Towry. It properly means, one who redeems a captive or a prisoner by paying a price or ransom. And it is applied thus to our Lord Jesus, as having redeemed or purchased sinners by his blood as a price. (Titus ii. 14. 1 Pet. i. 18. Heb. ix. 12.) It is used here, however, in a more general sense to denote the deliverance, without specifying the manner. Comp. Ex. vi. 5. Luke xxiv. 21; i. 68; ii. 38. By the hand of the angel.Under the direction and by the help of the angel. (Numb. xx. 16.) See on ver. 30.

[ocr errors]

with great propriety to the assembly or multitude called out of Egypt, and separated from the world. It has not, however, of necessity our idea of a church; but means the assembly, or people called out of Egypt, and placed under the conduct of Moses. With the angel.-In this place there is undoubted reference to the giving of the law on mount Sinai. Yet that was done by God himself. (Exod. xx.) It is clear, therefore, that by the Av-angel here, Stephen intends to designate him who was God. It may be observed, however, that the law is represented as having been given by the ministry of an angel (in this place) and by the ministry of angels, Acts vii. 53. Heb. ii. 2. The essential idea is, that God did it by a messenger, or by mediators. The character and rank of the messengers, or of the principal messenger, must be learned by looking at all the circumstances of the case. The lively oracles.See Rom. iii. 2. The word "oracles" here, means commands or laws of God. The word "lively," or "living," (@vra,) stands in opposition to that which is dead, or useless, and means that which is vigorous, efficacious; and in this place it means that the commands were of such a nature, and given in such circumstances, as to secure attention; to produce obedience; to excite them to act for God-in opposition to laws which would fall powerless, and produce no effect.

VER. 36. He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

i

i Exod. xvi. 35.

h Exod. vii.-xi., xiv. Wonders and signs.-Miracles, and remarkable interpositions of God. See Note, Acts ii. 22. In the land of Egypt.- By the ten plagues. (Exod. iv.-xii.) In the Red sea.-Dividing it, and conducting the Israelites in safety, and overthrowing the Egyptians. (Exod. xiv.) In the wilderness. -During their forty years' journey to the promised land. The wonders or miracles were, providing them with manna daily; with flesh in a miraculous manner; with water from the rock, &c. (Exod. xvi. xvii. &c.)

VER. 37. This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me him 'shall ye hear. Chap. iii. 22.

j Deut. xviii. 15, 18. k or, as myself. Matt. xvii. 5.. Which said, &c.-(Deut. xviii. 15, 18.) See this explained Acts iii. 22. Stephen introduced this to remind them of the promise of a Messiah; to show his faith in it; and, particularly, to remind them of their obligation to hear and obey him.

VER. 38. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel " which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

m Heb. ii. 2.

o Exod. xix. 3, 17.

n Isa. lxiii. 9. Gal. iii. 19.

q Rom. iii. 2.

VER. 39. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

Would not obey, &c.-This refers to what they said of him when he was in the mount. (Exod. xxxii. 1. 23.) In their hearts turned, &c.—They wished to return to Egypt. They regretted that they had come out of Egypt, and desired again the things which they had there, as preferable to what they had in the desert. (Numb. xi. 5.) Perhaps, however, the expression means, not that they desired literally to return to Egypt, but that their hearts inclined to the habits and morals of the Egyptians. They forsook God, and imitated the idolatries of the Egyptians.

VER. 40. Saying 'unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

r Exod. xxxii. 1.

Saying unto Aaron.-Exod. xxx. 1. Make us gods.-That is, idols.

VER. 41. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

s Deut. ix. 16. Psa. cvi. 19, 20.

And they made a calf.-This was made of the

p Deut. v. 27, 31. John i. 17. ear-rings and ornaments which they had brought from Egypt. (Exod. xxxii. 2-4.) Stephen introduces this to remind them how prone the nation had been to reject God, and walk in the ways of sin.

means

In the church.-The word "church" literally, "the people called out;" and is applied

[blocks in formation]

Then God turned.-That is, turned away from them; abandoned them to their own desires. The host of heaven.-The stars, or heavenly bodies. The word "host" means armies. It is applied to the heavenly bodies because they are very numerous, and appear to be marshalled or arrayed in military order. It is from this, that God is called Jehovah of hosts, as being the ruler of these well arranged heavenly bodies. (Isa. i. 9.) The proof that they did this, Stephen proceeds to allege by a quotation from the prophets. In the book of the prophets.-(Amos v. 25, 26.) The twelve minor prophets were commonly written in one volume, and were called the Book of the Prophets; the book containing these several prophecies, Daniel, Hosea, Micah, &c. They were small tracts separately, and were bound up together to preserve them from being lost. This passage is not quoted literally; it is evidently made from memory; and though in its main spirit it coincides with the passage in Amos, yet in some important respects it varies from it. O ye house of Israel.-Ye people of Israel. Have ye offered, &c.-That is, ye have not offered. The interrogative form is often an emphatic way of saying that the thing had not been done. But it is certain that the Jews did offer sacrifices to God in the wilderness, though it is also certain that they did not do it with a pure and upright heart. They kept up the form of worship generally, but they frequently forsook God, and offered worship to idols. Through the continuous space of forty years, they did not honour God, but often departed from him, and worshipped idols.

VER. 43. Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Yea, ye took up.-That is, you bore, or you carried with you, for purposes of idolatrous worship. The tabernacle. This word properly means a tent; but it is also applied to the small tent or house in which was contained the image of the god: the house, box, or tent, in which the idol was placed. It is customary for idolatrous nations to bear their idols about with them, enclosed in cases or boxes of various sizes, usually very small, as their idols are commonly small. Probably they were made in the shape of small temples or tabernacles; and such appear to have been the silver shrines for Diana, made at Ephesus. (Acts xix. 24.) These shrines, or images, were borne with them as a species of amulet, or charm, or talisman, to defend them from evil.

Such images the Jews seem to have borne with them. Moloch.-This word comes from the Hebrew word signifying "king." This was a god of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered. Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire. (Lev. xviii. 21; xx. 2-5.) There is great probability that the Hebrews were addicted to the worship of this deity after they entered the land of Canaan. Solomon built a temple to Moloch on the mount of Olives, (1 Kings xi. 7;) and Manasseh made his son pass through the fire in honour of this idol. (2 Kings xxi. 3, 6.) The image of this idol was made of brass, and his arms extended so as to embrace any one; and when they offered children to him, they heated the statue, and when it was burning hot, they placed the child in his arms, where it was soon destroyed by heat. It is not certain what this god was supposed to represent. Some suppose it was in honour of the planet Saturn; others, the sun; others, Mercury, Venus, &c. What particular god it was, is not material. It was the most cutting reproof that could be made to the Jews, that their fathers had been guilty of worshipping this idol. And the star.-The Hebrew in this place is, "Chiun your images, the star of your god." The expression here used leads us to suppose that this was a star which was worshipped, but what star it is not easy to ascertain; nor is it easy to determine why it is called both Chiun and Remphan. Stephen quotes from the LXX. They have rendered the word "Chiun" by the word "Raiphan" or "Rephan," easily changed into "Remphan." Why the LXX adopted this, is not known. It was probably, however, from one of two causes. (1.) Either because the word "Chiun" in Hebrew meant the same as Remphan" in the language of Egypt, where the translation was made; or, (2.) Because the object of worship called "Chiun" in Hebrew, was called "Remphan" in the language of Egypt. It is generally agreed that the object of their worship was the planet Saturn, or Mars, both of which planets were worshipped as gods of evil influence. In Arabic, the word Chevân denotes the planet Saturn. Probably "Rephan" or " Remphan," is the Coptic name for the same planet, and the Septuagint adopted this because their translation was made in Egypt, where the Coptic language was spoken. Figures which made.Images of the god which they made. See the article "Chiun" in Robinson's Calmet. And I will carry you away, &c.-This is simply expressing in a few words what is stated at greater length in Amos v. 27. In Hebrew it is Damascus; but this evidently denotes the eastern region, in which also Babylon was situated.

[ocr errors]

66

[ocr errors]

ye

VER. 44. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. w or, who spake. Exod. xxv. 40; xxvi. 30.

Heb. viii. 5.

The tabernacle of witness.-The tent or taber

102

Whom they re presented himse Stephen introduc in order, perhap been the charact the way for the bring against the stiff-necked and A ruler.-A m civil matters. τρωτὴν. It pro captive or a pris And it is applic ing redeemed as a price. (T 12.) It is used sense to denote ing the manne 21; i. 68; ii. 3 Under the dire (Numb. xx. 16

VER. 36. He 1 had showed Egypt, and ness forty

[graphic]
[graphic]
[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Who found favour, &c.-That is, God granted him great prosperity, and delivered him from his enemies. To find a tabernacle.-To prepare a permanent dwelling-place for the ark, and for the visible symbols of the divine presence. Hitherto the ark had been kept in the tabernacle, and had been borne about from place to place. David sought to build an house that should be permanent, where the ark might be deposited. (2 Sam. vii. 1 Chron. xxii. 7.)

d

nacle which Moses was commanded to make. It
was called a tabernacle of witness, or of testi-
mony, because it was the visible witness or proof
of God's presence with them; the evidence that
he to whom it was devoted was their protector
and guide. The name is given either to the tent,
or to the two tables of stone, or to the ark; all
of which were witnesses, or evidences of God's
relation to them as their lawgiver and guide.
(Exod. xvi. 34; xxv. 16, 21; xxvii. 21; xxx. 6,
36; xxxi. 18, &c. Numb. i. 50, 53.) The two
charges against Stephen were that he had spoken VER. 47. But Solomon built him an house.
blasphemy against Moses or his law, and against
the temple. (Chap. vi. 13, 14.) In the previous
part of this defence he had shown his respect for
Moses and his law. He now proceeds to show
that he did not design to speak with disrespect
of the temple, or the holy places of their worship.
He therefore expresses his belief in the divine
appointment of both the tabernacle (ver. 45-46)
and of the temple, (ver. 47.) According to the
fashion, &c.-According to the pattern that was
shown to him, by which it was to be made.
(Exod. xxv. 9, 49; xxvi. 30.) As God showed
him a pattern, it proved that the tabernacle had
his sanction. Against that Stephen did not in-
tend to speak.

а

VER. 45. Which also our fathers that came
after brought in with Jesus into the possession
of the Gentiles, whom a God drove out before
the face of our fathers, unto the days of David,
y Josh. iii. 14.
z or, having received.

a Neh. ix. 24. Psa, xliv. 8; 1xxviii. 55.

Our fathers that came after.-None of the generation that came out of Egypt were permitted to enter into the land of Canaan on account of their rebellion, except Caleb and Joshua. (Num. xiv. 22-24; xxxii. 11, 12.) Hence it is said that their fathers who came after, i. e. after the generation when the tabernacle was built. The Greek, however, here means, properly, "which also our fathers, having received, brought," &c. The sense is not materially different. Stephen means that it was not brought in by that generation, but by the next. With Jesus. This should have been rendered "with Joshua." Jesus is the Greek mode of writing the name Joshua. But the Hebrew name should by all means have been retained here, as also in

Heb. iv. 8. Into the possession of the Gentiles.Into the land possessed by the Gentiles, that is, into the promised land then occupied by the Canaanites, &c. Whom God, &c.-That is, he continued to drive them out until the time of David, when they were completely expelled. Or it may mean that the tabernacle was in the possession of the Jews, and was the appointed place of worship, until the time of David, who desired to build him a temple. The Greek is ambiguous. The connexion favours the latter interpretation.

d1 Kings vi. 1, &c.; viii. 20.

But Solomon, &c.-Built the temple. David was not permitted to do it because he had been a man of war. (1 Chron. xxii. 8.) David preSolomon built it. (1 Chron. xxii. Comp. 1 pared the principal materials for the temple, but Kings vi.)

VER. 48. Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

e 1 Kings viii. 27. Chap. xvii. 24.

But

Howbeit.--But. Why Stephen added this, is very clear. He was charged with speaking against the temple. He had now shown that he had due veneration for it, by his declaring that it had been built by the command of God. he now adds, that God does not need such a temple. Heaven is his throne; the universe bis dwelling place; and therefore this temple might be destroyed. A new, glorious truth was to be revealed to mankind, that God was not confined in his worship to any age, or people, or nation. In entire consistency, therefore, with all proper respect for the temple at Jerusalem, it might be maintained that the time would come when that i temple would be destroyed, and when God might be worshipped by all nations. The Most HighGod. This sentiment was expressed by Solomon when the temple was dedicated. (1 Kings viii. 27.) As saith the prophet.-Isa. lxvi. 1, 2. The place is not literally quoted, but the sense is given.

VER. 49. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest ?

fIsa. lxvi. 1, 2.

Heaven is my throne.-See Note, Matt. v. 34. Earth is my footstool.-Note, Matt. v. 35. What house, &c.--What house or temple can be large or magnificent enough for the dwelling of Him who made all things? The place of my rest.— My home, my abode, my fixed seat or habitation.

VER. 46. Who found favour before God, and Comp. Psa. xcv. 11.

desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

[blocks in formation]

VER. 50. Hath not my hand made all these things?

"

« PreviousContinue »