While the verse highlights Moses' incredible education and influence, it subtly corrects our perception by noting he was "mighty in words and deeds" before his life-changing encounter with God at the burning bush, suggesting God's future purpose was already shaping him in unexpected ways. This training wasn't just secular knowledge; it was preparing a man with inherent capabilities that God would later supercharge for a monumental task.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the story of Israel's history, arguing that God has always worked through people and that their leaders, including Moses, were empowered by God. Before this verse, he emphasizes Moses' unusual birth and adoption into Pharaoh's household, setting the stage for his upbringing. Immediately following, Stephen details Moses' first attempt to deliver his people, his act of striking an Egyptian, and the subsequent rejection by the Israelites, which led to his flight and forty years in Midian.
Moses was deeply educated in Egypt, a land that would later oppress his people. How could this education serve God's plan?
Stephen highlights that Moses was 'instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.' This wasn't just about accumulating knowledge; it was about God's intentional preparation. The Egyptians were known for their learning in areas like mathematics, medicine, and even what was considered mystical knowledge. God allowed Moses to absorb this sophisticated understanding, not to endorse Egyptian paganism, but to equip him. Think of it like a builder using the best tools available, even if those tools were forged in a place of ignorance. This earthly wisdom, when surrendered to God, became a powerful asset for God's purposes, demonstrating that God can use any background, any education, for His ultimate glory.
Moses is described as 'mighty in words and in deeds.' How does this square with his later struggles with speech?
Stephen calls Moses 'mighty in words and in deeds.' This might seem contradictory to Moses' own description of himself as 'slow of speech and tongue' (Exodus 4:10). However, 'mighty' here doesn't necessarily mean eloquent or physically imposing in the way we might think. It signifies effectiveness and power. His 'words' were mighty because they carried God's authoritative message to Pharaoh, even if delivered through Aaron. His 'deeds' were mighty because they were demonstrations of God's power through him – the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. It's the divine enablement behind his actions and his message, not inherent personal charisma, that made him mighty. This highlights that God's power is often most evident through our perceived weaknesses.
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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.
kardia · Greek Noun
In biblical usage, the heart is the center of the human personality, encompassing the intellect, will, emotions, and moral decision-making.
adikoumenon · Greek Verb (Participle)
A legal, social, or physical injustice committed against an individual, implying a violation of rights or moral law.
kataponoumenō · Greek Verb (Participle)
Refers to those who are burdened, crushed, or treated harshly by others, often calling for divine justice or intervention.
epoiēsato ekdikēsin · Greek Verb Phrase
The act of seeking justice or imposing penalty against a wrongdoer, which in a biblical context is ultimately reserved for God, though delegated to human authorities.
Stephen highlights Moses' Egyptian education not to endorse pagan wisdom, but to show God's sovereign hand, using the very cultural and intellectual systems of Egypt to prepare His chosen deliverer.
c. 1570 BC
New Kingdom Egypt Established
The expulsion of the Hyksos and the establishment of the New Kingdom marked a period of Egyptian strength and cultural flourishing, influencing arts, sciences, and religious thought. This era likely provided the sophisticated intellectual environment in which Moses was educated.
c. 1479 BC
Hatshepsut's Reign
During the reign of Hatshepsut, Egypt experienced a period of peace and prosperity. As a powerful female pharaoh, she oversaw extensive building projects and trade expeditions, further contributing to Egypt's cultural and intellectual prominence.
c. 1458 BC
Thutmose III's Military Campaigns
Thutmose III, often called the 'Napoleon of Egypt,' expanded the Egyptian empire through numerous military campaigns. This era of military success and imperial expansion would have showcased Egyptian prowess in strategy and leadership, possibly influencing the traditions about Moses' military achievements.
c. 1400-1300 BC— this verse
Moses' Early Life and Education
Moses, born to Hebrew slaves but raised as an Egyptian prince, received the finest education available in the Egyptian court. This training encompassed 'all the wisdom of the Egyptians,' including sciences, arts, and possibly statecraft and military strategy, as Stephen highlights.
c. 1350 BC
Amarna Period and Akhenaten's Monotheism
The religious revolution of Akhenaten, who promoted the worship of the sun disk Aten, shook Egyptian polytheistic traditions. While Moses' upbringing predates this, the intellectual and religious ferment of Egyptian society would have been a backdrop to his formative years.
c. 1300 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Following his divine calling and the plagues, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. His prior education and demonstrated 'might in words and deeds' likely equipped him for the monumental task of leading a nation through the wilderness.
This passage directly states Moses was raised as Pharaoh's grandson, setting the stage for his Egyptian education described in Acts 7:22.
Hebrews 11:24-26This New Testament passage highlights Moses' choice to identify with the suffering Israelites rather than the 'passing pleasures of sin,' framing his Egyptian upbringing not as a permanent allegiance but as a preparatory stage for God's purposes.
Exodus 4:10-16This shows Moses' own self-perceived weakness in speech, contrasting with Stephen's description of him being 'mighty in words,' suggesting that his might in words came through God's empowerment and through Aaron's speaking on his behalf.
1 Kings 4:29-30This verse speaks of Solomon's exceptional wisdom, which was said to surpass all the wisdom of the East and Egypt, providing a benchmark for understanding the 'wisdom of the Egyptians' that Moses learned.
2 Timothy 3:8This passage mentions Jannes and Jambres, Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses, hinting at the specific, potentially even adversarial, nature of the wisdom and power Moses encountered and perhaps even mastered in Egypt.
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…
While the verse highlights Moses' incredible education and influence, it subtly corrects our perception by noting he was "mighty in words and deeds" before his life-changing encounter with God at the burning bush, suggesting God's future purpose was already shaping him in unexpected ways. This training wasn't just secular knowledge; it was preparing a man with inherent capabilities that God would later supercharge for a monumental task.
Stephen is recounting the story of Israel's history, arguing that God has always worked through people and that their leaders, including Moses, were empowered by God. Before this verse, he emphasizes Moses' unusual birth and adoption into Pharaoh's household, setting the stage for his upbringing. Immediately following, Stephen details Moses' first attempt to deliver his people, his act of striking an Egyptian, and the subsequent rejection by the Israelites, which led to his flight and forty years in Midian.
Stephen is recounting the story of Israel's history, arguing that God has always worked through people and that their leaders, including Moses, were empowered by God. Before this verse, he emphasizes Moses' unusual birth and adoption into Pharaoh's household, setting the stage for his upbringing. Immediately following, Stephen details Moses' first attempt to deliver his people, his act of striking an Egyptian, and the subsequent rejection by the Israelites, which led to his flight and forty years in Midian.
"And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged…" — While the verse highlights Moses' incredible education and influence, it subtly corrects our perception by noting he was "mighty in words and deeds" before his life-changing encounter with God at t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
