At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "beautiful in God's sight" isn't just a compliment; it uses a Hebrew idiom to mean Moses was exceptionally, divinely beautiful. This profound beauty, ordained by God, foreshadowed his extraordinary future as a deliverer.
At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness even amidst their suffering and Pharaoh's cruel decree to kill all newborn Israelite boys. He emphasizes that Moses' birth and protection during this perilous time demonstrate God's power working through human weakness and seeming hopelessness.
When Pharaoh ordered all Israelite baby boys to be thrown into the Nile, it seemed like the end of God's people. Yet, this was precisely when God chose to bring forth their deliverer.
Stephen highlights the 'time' of Moses' birth. This wasn't just any moment; it was a 'sad, seasonable' time, as one commentator put it. The king's brutal decree meant that any male Israelite child born was in imminent danger of death. It looked like God's covenant promises were about to be extinguished. But this, Stephen shows, is precisely when God loves to step in. When human hope is gone, and all counsel seems lost, God's power is most clearly displayed. This reveals a divine principle: God often brings about His greatest victories in the face of impossible odds, using the very circumstances designed to destroy His people as the stage for His intervention.
The Bible calls the infant Moses 'beautiful in God's sight.' What does this mean, and why is it significant?
The phrase 'beautiful in God's sight' is a powerful idiom. It doesn't just mean he was a cute baby! It's a Hebrew way of expressing the highest degree of excellence or attractiveness – something so wonderful it's worthy of God's own approval. Think of it like saying something is 'heavenly' or 'divine' in quality. It signifies a beauty that was not merely physical but pointed to something deeper, something set apart and pleasing to the Lord. This divine endorsement foreshadows Moses' future role and his unique calling. His very appearance was a testament to God's favor and a subtle sign of the extraordinary purpose God had for him, even from infancy.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
asteios · Greek Adjective
In a biblical context, this term often describes someone who is pleasing, acceptable, or specifically favored by God. It signifies a divine recognition of character, destiny, or spiritual potential.
Stephen highlights Moses' birth during a brutal genocide, emphasizing God's power to protect and use the vulnerable. Moses' exceptional beauty, treasured by Pharaoh's daughter, underscores how God can work even through pagan favor, preparing His deliverer in unexpected ways.
c. 1390 BC
Pharaoh's Decree to Kill Hebrew Male Infants
Pharaoh, fearing the growing Israelite population, commands the midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. When they refuse, he orders all his people to throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River.
c. 1390 BC— this verse
Birth and Hiding of Moses
Moses is born during this time of intense oppression and fear. His mother, Jochebed, hides him for three months, recognizing his exceptional beauty and likely divine protection.
c. 1390 BC
Moses Placed in the Nile
When hiding Moses becomes impossible, his mother places him in a basket among the reeds by the riverbank, trusting God to protect him.
c. 1390 BC
Discovery by Pharaoh's Daughter
Pharaoh's daughter finds the infant Moses while bathing in the Nile. She takes pity on him and decides to raise him as her own.
c. 1340 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
After killing an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, Moses flees Egypt to escape Pharaoh's wrath. He settles in Midian, marries, and becomes a shepherd.
c. 1300 BC
The Burning Bush
When Moses is eighty years old, God appears to him in a burning bush, commissioning him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
This is the foundational narrative of Moses' birth and miraculous rescue, directly detailing the events Stephen is summarizing in Acts 7.
Hebrews 11:23This verse highlights the faith of Moses' parents in hiding him, emphasizing his 'proper' or 'beautiful' appearance which was a key factor in his preservation, connecting to the 'beautiful in God's sight' phrase.
Genesis 10:9This passage uses the same Hebrew idiom translated as 'fair in God's sight' in Acts 7:20 ('mighty hunter before the Lord'), illustrating how God's perspective signifies the highest degree of a quality.
Philippians 3:4-6Paul recounts his own pedigree and upbringing, similar to Moses' privileged Egyptian education, yet contrasts it with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, showing how outward advantages don't guarantee spiritual standing.
calvinActs 7:20-29: "In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:"
- At that time was Moses born, who was acceptable to God And he was brought up three months in his father's house. 21. And the daughter of Pharaoh took him up when he was cast out, and nourished him up for her own son. 22. And Moses was taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in word and deed. 23. And when the time of forty years was fulfilled, it came into…
vincentActs 7:20: "In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:"
Time (καιρῷ)Better, season or juncture. "Sad, seasonable" (Bengel). See on Acts 1:7.Exceeding fair (ἀστεῖος τῷ θεῷ)Lit., fair unto God: a Hebrew superlative. Compare Jonah 3:3 : great unto God; A. V., exceeding great. Genesis 10:9, of Nimrod: a mighty hunter before the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:4 : mighty unto God; i.e., in God's sight. Ἀστεῖος, fair (only here and Hebr…
The phrase "beautiful in God's sight" isn't just a compliment; it uses a Hebrew idiom to mean Moses was exceptionally, divinely beautiful. This profound beauty, ordained by God, foreshadowed his extraordinary future as a deliverer.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness even amidst their suffering and Pharaoh's cruel decree to kill all newborn Israelite boys. He emphasizes that Moses' birth and protection during this perilous time demonstrate God's power working through human weakness and seeming hopelessness.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness even amidst their suffering and Pharaoh's cruel decree to kill all newborn Israelite boys. He emphasizes that Moses' birth and protection during this perilous time demonstrate God's power working through human weakness and seeming hopelessness.
"At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house," — The phrase "beautiful in God's sight" isn't just a compliment; it uses a Hebrew idiom to mean Moses was exceptionally, divinely beautiful. This profound beauty, ordained by God, foreshadowed his extr…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026