The verse highlights Moses' training in "all the wisdom of the Egyptians," not just to show off his intellect, but to emphasize that God’s chosen leaders are often uniquely equipped through diverse experiences, even those seemingly secular. This profound preparation underscores that God can work through and redeem all knowledge and abilities for His redemptive purposes.
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. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness and human unfaithfulness, leading up to his accusation against his audience. He's presenting Moses, adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and educated in Egypt, as a foreshadowing of Christ. This description of Moses’s Egyptian education and influence sets the stage for his later role as a deliverer, even as it contrasts with his eventual humble appearance to his oppressed people.
Did you know that God uses all sorts of knowledge, even from outside His chosen people, to prepare leaders?
Stephen highlights that Moses was 'instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.' This isn't just a random detail; it's a theological statement.
God's Preparatory Work
How could someone described as 'slow of speech' be called 'mighty in words'?
Stephen declares Moses was 'mighty in words and in deeds.' This might seem contradictory to descriptions of Moses's speech impediment.
Divine Empowerment, Not Natural Ability
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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.
sōtērian · Greek Noun
The act of being rescued, delivered, or set free from danger, captivity, or the consequences of sin; fundamentally a work initiated and accomplished by God.
Stephen highlights Moses's elite Egyptian education and prowess not just to commend him, but to emphasize how God can use even those deeply immersed in worldly systems for His divine purposes.
c. 1570-1300 BC
New Kingdom Egypt's Golden Age
This period saw Egypt at its height of power and cultural influence. Moses would have been educated in a highly sophisticated and learned society.
c. 1473 BC
Reign of Thutmose III
A powerful pharaoh known for military expansion, this era represents the peak of Egyptian imperial power and intellectual achievement when Moses was likely a young adult.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses' Birth and Upbringing
Moses is born and raised in Pharaoh's court, receiving an education in Egyptian wisdom as described by Stephen.
c. 1406 BC
Moses' Forty Years in Midian
After fleeing Egypt for killing an Egyptian, Moses spends forty years as a shepherd, a stark contrast to his earlier life of privilege and learning.
c. 1406 BC - c. 1366 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery, a monumental event following Moses's return from Midian.
This passage directly contrasts with Stephen's statement, highlighting Moses' own admission of being 'slow of speech and of tongue,' which makes his later 'might in words' even more remarkable, likely due to divine empowerment.
Hebrews 11:24-26This New Testament passage frames Moses' rejection of Egyptian riches and status for the sake of Christ, underscoring that his 'might in words and deeds' stemmed from a profound faith and divine calling, not mere Egyptian training.
1 Kings 4:30This verse praises Solomon's wisdom as surpassing all the sons of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt, providing context for the high regard in which Egyptian wisdom was held, which Moses, by implication, mastered.
Deuteronomy 34:7This verse states Moses was 'basic in strength' at the time of his death, which, when contrasted with being 'mighty in words and deeds' earlier in his life, suggests a life of sustained impact and divine enablement.
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…
The verse highlights Moses' training in "all the wisdom of the Egyptians," not just to show off his intellect, but to emphasize that God’s chosen leaders are often uniquely equipped through diverse experiences, even those seemingly secular. This profound preparation underscores that God can work through and redeem all knowledge and abilities for His redemptive purposes.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness and human unfaithfulness, leading up to his accusation against his audience. He's presenting Moses, adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and educated in Egypt, as a foreshadowing of Christ. This description of Moses’s Egyptian education and influence sets the stage for his later role as a deliverer, even as it contrasts with his eventual humble appearance to his oppressed people.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness and human unfaithfulness, leading up to his accusation against his audience. He's presenting Moses, adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and educated in Egypt, as a foreshadowing of Christ. This description of Moses’s Egyptian education and influence sets the stage for his later role as a deliverer, even as it contrasts with his eventual humble appearance to his oppressed people.
"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…" — The verse highlights Moses' training in "all the wisdom of the Egyptians," not just to show off his intellect, but to emphasize that God’s chosen leaders are often uniquely equipped through diverse e…
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Last reviewed October 2026
