And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
English Standard Version (ESV)
What’s easy to miss here is that Stephen, when quoting this number, isn't just stating a fact but drawing on a specific translation of Scripture familiar to his audience. This number, seventy-five, comes from the Greek Septuagint, which differed from the Hebrew text on this count, highlighting how Stephen, as a Hellenistic Jew, used the Scriptures most accessible to him. This detail underscores how deeply God's Word, in its various forms, shaped the early Christian community and their understanding.
And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God’s providential care for the nation from its beginnings. He details how Joseph, after revealing himself to his brothers and reconciling with them, brought his entire family, totaling seventy-five people, down to Egypt to escape a severe famine. This move established the foundation for the Israelites' presence in Egypt, setting the stage for their later enslavement and eventual deliverance.
Have you ever noticed how the Bible sometimes presents numbers that seem to conflict? Acts 7:14 mentions 75 people going to Egypt, but other Old Testament passages say 70. How can we understand this?
It's fascinating how Stephen, in his speech, uses the number 'seventy-five souls' for Jacob's family coming to Egypt (Acts 7:14). This number is found in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) for Genesis 46:27. However, the original Hebrew text of Genesis 46:27, along with Exodus 1:5 and Deuteronomy 10:22, states the number was 70.
Reconciling the Numbers
The difference comes down to how the counts were made. The Hebrew text generally counts Jacob's direct descendants, while the Septuagint includes a few more individuals, specifically some grandsons and great-grandsons of Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim.
Stephen, being a Hellenistic Jew (meaning he likely grew up speaking Greek and using the Greek scriptures), naturally quoted the number he was most familiar with from the Septuagint. For him and his audience, this version was authoritative and widely used.
Numbers in the Bible can be more than just statistics; they can point to God's unfolding plan. What does the gathering of this specific number of people reveal?
While the textual detail about 70 versus 75 is interesting, the larger point Stephen is making is about God's faithfulness to His promises. Jacob's entire household, numbering seventy-five souls according to Stephen's citation, was gathered together in Egypt.
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A Seed for a Nation
This gathering wasn't just a family reunion; it was the formation of a people whom God would mold into a nation. From this small group, God would multiply them into millions.
God's Unseen Hand
Stephen highlights that even though Joseph's brothers had acted wickedly (selling him into slavery), God was working through it all to bring His people to Egypt. This allowed them to survive a famine and ultimately become the nation of Israel. The number, whether 70 or 75, represents the faithful remnant gathered by God's sovereign hand.
Understand the original words
syngeneia · Greek Noun
A generic term used here to describe a person's relatives or household, emphasizing the family unit through which God preserves His covenant promises.
Stephen's recounting of seventy-five people aligns with the Septuagint translation, a Greek version of the Old Testament widely used by Hellenistic Jews like himself, even though the Hebrew text lists seventy. This highlights how differing textual traditions could influence early Christian understanding and preaching.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Jacob's Family Migrates to Egypt
Prompted by a severe famine and Joseph's elevated status, Jacob and his entire household, numbering seventy-five individuals according to Stephen's account in Acts, relocate from Canaan to Egypt. They settle in the fertile region of Goshen, a fertile land in Lower Egypt.
~1715 BC
Death of Jacob
Jacob, the patriarch, dies in Egypt after living there for seventeen years. His final words and blessings to his sons and grandsons are recorded in Genesis 48-49.
~1710 BC
Death of Joseph
Joseph, the key figure who orchestrated his family's move to Egypt, dies at the age of 110. He had served faithfully in Egypt for many years, witnessing the initial prosperity of his family in the land.
~1550 - 1450 BC
Israelites Multiply in Egypt
Over generations, the descendants of Jacob flourish and multiply significantly in Egypt, eventually becoming a large population. This period marks the transition from a welcomed family to a populous, distinct group.
c. 1450 BC
Israelites Enslaved
A new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, rises to power and views the growing Israelite population with suspicion and fear. The Israelites are then subjected to harsh enslavement and forced labor.
This passage lists the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt, providing a foundational count to compare with Stephen's expanded number, highlighting the differing scriptural accounts.
Exodus 1:5Similar to Genesis, this verse states the number of Jacob's descendants was seventy, underscoring the textual variations that Stephen's speech addresses by using the Septuagint's count.
Deuteronomy 10:22This passage also recounts the number of Jacob's descendants going to Egypt as seventy, reinforcing the common biblical tradition that Stephen deviates from in Acts 7.
Genesis 45:17-20This passage describes Pharaoh telling Joseph to bring his father and all his relatives to Egypt, setting the stage for the event Stephen is describing and showing God's provision through Pharaoh.
Acts 7:10This verse directly precedes the mention of the family's arrival in Egypt, showing God's sovereignty in Joseph's rise to power which enabled this very reunion.
ellicottActs 7:14: "Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls."
(14) Threescore and fifteen souls. —Seventy is given as the number, including Jacob, Joseph, and his sons, in Genesis 46:27 ; Exodus 1:5 ; Deuteronomy 10:22 . Here, however, Stephen had the authority of the LXX. of Genesis 46:27 , which gives the number at seventy-five, and makes it up by inserting the son and grandson of Manasseh, two sons and a grandson of Ephraim. With them i…
barnesActs 7:14: "Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls."
All his kindred - His father and family, Genesis 45:17-28 ; Genesis 46:1-26 . Threescore and fifteen souls - Seventy-five persons. There has been much perplexity felt in the explanation of this passage. In Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5, and Deuteronomy 10:22, it is expressly said that the number which went down to Egypt consisted of 70 persons. The question is, in what way these acc…
What’s easy to miss here is that Stephen, when quoting this number, isn't just stating a fact but drawing on a specific translation of Scripture familiar to his audience. This number, seventy-five, comes from the Greek Septuagint, which differed from the Hebrew text on this count, highlighting how Stephen, as a Hellenistic Jew, used the Scriptures most accessible to him. This detail underscores how deeply God's Word, in its various forms, shaped the early Christian community and their understanding.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God’s providential care for the nation from its beginnings. He details how Joseph, after revealing himself to his brothers and reconciling with them, brought his entire family, totaling seventy-five people, down to Egypt to escape a severe famine. This move established the foundation for the Israelites' presence in Egypt, setting the stage for their later enslavement and eventual deliverance.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God’s providential care for the nation from its beginnings. He details how Joseph, after revealing himself to his brothers and reconciling with them, brought his entire family, totaling seventy-five people, down to Egypt to escape a severe famine. This move established the foundation for the Israelites' presence in Egypt, setting the stage for their later enslavement and eventual deliverance.
"And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers," — What’s easy to miss here is that Stephen, when quoting this number, isn't just stating a fact but drawing on a specific translation of Scripture familiar to his audience. This number, seventy-five, c…
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Last reviewed October 2026