And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen highlights that Moses’s profound capabilities weren’t just innate but deliberately cultivated through Egyptian education, showing how God can redeem even pagan wisdom. This "mighty in words and deeds" describes an impressiveness in both communication and action, implying a man ready for great things, even before his divine calling became apparent.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, focusing on how God has worked through seemingly unlikely figures. He highlights Moses' upbringing and education within the Egyptian court, emphasizing that despite this foreign training, Moses was destined for a divine purpose. This sets the stage for showing how God's plan unfolded through Moses, leading to the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
Stephen is laying out a case for Moses, showing how God used even a pagan culture to prepare him. How can God use the 'wisdom' of the world in our lives?
Stephen highlights that Moses was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." This wasn't just random knowledge; it was the advanced learning of their day, likely including mathematics, medicine, architecture, and even their understanding of governance.
Stephen calls Moses "mighty in words and in deeds." Yet, Moses himself said he was "slow of speech." How can both be true?
This phrase, "mighty in words and in deeds," points to Moses's immense capability and effectiveness. It suggests a man who was not only intellectually gifted but also powerfully effective in action.
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Understand the original words
sophia · Greek Noun
A term denoting the total body of Egyptian knowledge, science, philosophy, and occult practices, representing the highest intellectual attainments of the ancient world.
dynatos · Greek Adjective
Possessing strength, power, or capability, often used in scripture to describe those used by God to perform significant works.
Stephen highlights Moses's Egyptian training not just to praise him, but to show how God uses worldly wisdom and prepares unlikely leaders, even those who initially reject their people.
c. 1500s BC— this verse
Moses Born and Raised in Egypt
Moses is born into Israelite slavery but is adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and raised in the Egyptian royal court.
c. 1460s BC
Moses's Early Ministry/Rebellion
Moses, now a man, defends an Israelite slave and kills an Egyptian taskmaster, forcing him to flee Egypt.
c. 1420s BC
Moses's Encounter with the Burning Bush
God calls Moses from exile in Midian to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
c. 1420s BC
The Ten Plagues Begin
Moses, with Aaron, confronts Pharaoh and unleashes God's judgment upon Egypt through a series of plagues.
c. 1420s BC
The Exodus from Egypt
After the final plague, Pharaoh allows the Israelites to leave Egypt, culminating in the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
This passage highlights Moses' initial struggle with speaking, which contrasts with Stephen's description of him being 'mighty in words,' suggesting his might wasn't in natural eloquence but in God's power working through him.
Hebrews 11:24-26This passage emphasizes Moses' choice to identify with God's people and forsake the 'treasures of Egypt,' showing that his Egyptian upbringing was a tool God used, not something Moses clung to for its own sake.
1 Kings 4:30This verse describes Solomon's wisdom as surpassing all the wisdom of the Egyptians and the East, providing a point of comparison that acknowledges Egypt's ancient intellectual reputation.
2 Timothy 3:8This verse mentions Jannes and Jambres, Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses, hinting at a tradition of Egyptian learning that included opposition to divine power, which Moses would have been educated in.
Psalm 105:20-22This psalm recounts how God gave Moses 'wisdom and understanding' when Pharaoh set him over Egypt, indicating that his Egyptian education was divinely enabled and purposeful.
ellicottActs 7:22: "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."
(22) Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. —Better, was trained, or instructed. There is no direct statement to this effect in the history of the Pentateuch, but it was implied in Moses being brought up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and was in harmony with later paraphrases and expansions of the earlier history. The narrative of Josephus (as above) and the references…
barnesActs 7:22: "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."
Moses was learned - Or, was "instructed." It does not mean that he had that learning, but that he was carefully "trained" or educated in that wisdom. The passage does not express the fact that Moses was distinguished for "learning," but that he was carefully "educated," or that pains were taken to make him learned. In all the wisdom ... - The learning of the Egyptians was confined chiefl…
Stephen highlights that Moses’s profound capabilities weren’t just innate but deliberately cultivated through Egyptian education, showing how God can redeem even pagan wisdom. This "mighty in words and deeds" describes an impressiveness in both communication and action, implying a man ready for great things, even before his divine calling became apparent.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, focusing on how God has worked through seemingly unlikely figures. He highlights Moses' upbringing and education within the Egyptian court, emphasizing that despite this foreign training, Moses was destined for a divine purpose. This sets the stage for showing how God's plan unfolded through Moses, leading to the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, focusing on how God has worked through seemingly unlikely figures. He highlights Moses' upbringing and education within the Egyptian court, emphasizing that despite this foreign training, Moses was destined for a divine purpose. This sets the stage for showing how God's plan unfolded through Moses, leading to the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
"And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds." — Stephen highlights that Moses’s profound capabilities weren’t just innate but deliberately cultivated through Egyptian education, showing how God can redeem even pagan wisdom. This "mighty in words a…
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Last reviewed October 2026