“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that Moses' decision to "visit" his people wasn't a spontaneous or casual thought, but a significant internal prompting, suggesting a divine awakening of his compassion and purpose. The phrase "it came into his heart" implies a deep, almost involuntary rising of concern, hinting that God was stirring Moses' heart for the task ahead, even before Moses fully grasped it.
“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen recounts Moses' life, highlighting his education in Egypt and his immense capabilities. At the age of forty, a strong desire arose within Moses to go and see his enslaved Hebrew brothers, indicating a turning point where his Egyptian upbringing gave way to his Israelite heritage. This proactive step, driven by compassion, set the stage for his fateful encounter with an Egyptian oppressing one of his kinsmen.
Moses was 40 years old. What prompted him to finally act? It wasn't just a passing thought.
The text says, 'it came into his heart.' This phrase, used in the Old Testament and here in Acts, suggests a deep, internal stirring, often influenced by God's Spirit. It wasn't a casual idea that popped into Moses' head; it was a significant inner prompting that arose from the depths of his soul. This wasn't Moses deciding to take a trip; it was God preparing his heart for a monumental task. The timing, precisely at 40 years, highlights that God’s plans unfold in His perfect timing, often after a period of preparation and stillness. This wasn't a decision made out of boredom or a sudden impulse, but a divinely orchestrated movement of the heart.
Moses lived as an Egyptian prince for 40 years. Was he just passively waiting, or was God at work?
While the Scripture doesn't detail these 40 years, tradition and theological reflection suggest this was a crucial period of preparation. Moses was educated in 'all the wisdom of the Egyptians,' making him mighty in word and deed (Acts 7:22). This wasn't time wasted; God was equipping him with skills, knowledge, and potentially even the very abilities he would need to lead the Israelites. Even though he lived in a royal palace, detached from his people, God was weaving together the experiences and character that would be essential for his future role. His renunciation of his Egyptian identity later (Hebrews 11:24) shows that this time was not a full endorsement of Egyptian ways but a period of formation under God's unseen hand.
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Moses was living a privileged life. What drove him to turn his attention back to the suffering Israelites?
The verse states Moses' desire was to 'visit his brethren, the children of Israel.' This wasn't an abstract sense of duty but a specific concern for his kinsmen. While he was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and educated as an Egyptian, his identity as an Israelite was still present, perhaps dormant, until this stirring in his heart. The commentators suggest this desire to 'visit' was a precursor to deliverance. It signifies a conscious choice to look upon their suffering, a move away from his comfortable life to engage with their plight. This act marks the beginning of Moses' active identification with his oppressed people, driven by a love that transcended his privileged upbringing.
Understand the original words
kardia · Greek Noun
In biblical usage, the heart is the center of the human personality, encompassing the intellect, will, emotions, and moral decision-making.
Stephen highlights Moses' forty years of preparation in Egypt, emphasizing that his desire to visit and help his people wasn't impulsive but a divinely-timed move after a significant period of his life.
c. 1500s BC
Moses' Birth Amidst Oppression
Moses is born into Israelite slavery in Egypt during a time of intense persecution, including a decree to kill newborn Israelite males.
c. 1460s BC
Moses Raised in Pharaoh's Court
Miraculously saved and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, Moses is raised as an Egyptian prince, receiving a high level of education.
c. 1420s BC— this verse
Moses' Forty Years of Preparation
After forty years, Moses, now a mature man, feels compelled by God to identify with his oppressed Hebrew brethren and assess their suffering.
c. 1420s BC
Moses Intervenes and Flees Egypt
Moses defends an Israelite, kills an Egyptian oppressor, and then flees Egypt upon realizing his action is known and he is rejected by his own people.
c. 1420 BC - c. 1380 BC
Forty Years in Midian
Moses lives as a shepherd in Midian, a period of further character development and waiting for God's appointed time.
c. 1380s BC
The Burning Bush and Call
At eighty years old, Moses is divinely commissioned by God at the burning bush to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of bondage.
This passage describes Moses' initial encounter with the suffering of his people and his first, unacknowledged attempt to deliver them, mirroring Stephen's account of Moses' forty-year-old resolve.
Hebrews 11:24-26This New Testament passage highlights Moses' deliberate choice to identify with the Israelites, understanding that his act of striking the Egyptian was a step toward his people's deliverance, reflecting the sentiment in Acts 7:23.
Exodus 3:1-10This passage details God's direct call to Moses at the burning bush, forty years after his initial impulsive act, signifying a divinely appointed time for the visitation and deliverance of Israel.
Galatians 4:4-5This verse speaks of God sending His Son when the fullness of time had come, a concept that parallels the idea of a divinely appointed 'ripe time' for Moses' visitation and intervention, as suggested by the 'forty years' in Acts 7:23.
ellicottActs 7:23: "And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel."
(23) It came into his heart. —The distinct purpose in going out to look after his brethren is stated somewhat more emphatically than in Exodus 2:11 .
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…
This verse highlights that Moses' decision to "visit" his people wasn't a spontaneous or casual thought, but a significant internal prompting, suggesting a divine awakening of his compassion and purpose. The phrase "it came into his heart" implies a deep, almost involuntary rising of concern, hinting that God was stirring Moses' heart for the task ahead, even before Moses fully grasped it.
Stephen recounts Moses' life, highlighting his education in Egypt and his immense capabilities. At the age of forty, a strong desire arose within Moses to go and see his enslaved Hebrew brothers, indicating a turning point where his Egyptian upbringing gave way to his Israelite heritage. This proactive step, driven by compassion, set the stage for his fateful encounter with an Egyptian oppressing one of his kinsmen.
Stephen recounts Moses' life, highlighting his education in Egypt and his immense capabilities. At the age of forty, a strong desire arose within Moses to go and see his enslaved Hebrew brothers, indicating a turning point where his Egyptian upbringing gave way to his Israelite heritage. This proactive step, driven by compassion, set the stage for his fateful encounter with an Egyptian oppressing one of his kinsmen.
"“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel." — This verse highlights that Moses' decision to "visit" his people wasn't a spontaneous or casual thought, but a significant internal prompting, suggesting a divine awakening of his compassion and purp…
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Last reviewed October 2026