Acts 7:39-40
Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read "turned back again into Egypt" as simply a desire to physically return. But the text highlights a deeper rebellion: their hearts were longing for the familiar idolatry and sinful ways of Egypt, not just the comforts of slavery. This internal turning away from God's way, even while physically on the journey out, is the true tragedy here.
Stephen is recounting Israel's history to show how they consistently rejected God's messengers, even after experiencing His incredible deliverance from slavery. He reminds them that their ancestors refused to obey Moses, who was leading them out of Egypt, and instead, their hearts longed for the familiar comforts and even the idolatry of Egypt, directly disobeying the living God who had spoken to them.
Ever felt like you're walking in God's path, only to realize others are pushing back and wanting to go their own way? Stephen highlights this ancient pattern.
Stephen accuses the Israelites of actively refusing to obey Moses, God's messenger. The Greek word used, 'apōsanto,' means to 'push away' or 'thrust aside.' This wasn't just passive disobedience; it was a forceful rejection.
A Pattern of Rebellion
This happened repeatedly in their journey. They didn't just ignore God's instructions; they actively pushed away the one God sent to lead them. This rejection of Moses was a rejection of God Himself, who had just miraculously delivered them from slavery.
When we physically leave a place, does our heart always follow? For the Israelites, the answer was a resounding 'no.'
Even as they traveled through the wilderness, liberated from slavery, the hearts of the Israelites were still captivated by Egypt. Stephen uses the phrase 'in their hearts they turned to Egypt,' indicating a deep, internal longing for what they had left behind.
More Than Just Nostalgia
This wasn't simply missing the comforts of Egypt. It was a yearning for its idolatry, its familiar sins, and the godless way of life they had known. They traded the 'lively oracles' of God for the corrupting influences of their former oppressors. This internal turning meant their outward actions, like demanding a golden calf, were inevitable.
Understand the original words
apeitheō · Greek Verb
To reject God’s authority or direction, characterized by a hardened heart and a failure to submit to His revealed will.
theos · Greek Noun (plural)
Deities or objects of worship, often reflecting human attempts to manufacture divine assistance or control the divine, which is strictly prohibited by God's commandments.
Stephen highlights a recurring pattern of rebellion: just as the Israelites rejected Moses and God's deliverance by turning back to Egypt in their hearts, so too were his accusers rejecting the true deliverer, Jesus, whom they had just crucified.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following generations of slavery, the Israelites are miraculously delivered from Egypt under Moses' leadership.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Sinai Covenant and the Golden Calf
While Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Law, the people grow impatient and, led by Aaron, fashion a golden calf to worship, desiring the familiar practices of Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
Rejection of Moses and the Law
The people refuse to obey Moses, thrusting him and God's commands aside as they long for the perceived comforts and idolatry of Egypt, rather than trusting God's guidance.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Due to their repeated disobedience and lack of faith, the Israelites spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
This passage directly parallels the fathers' refusal to obey Moses by demanding Aaron make gods for them, reflecting the same spirit of turning away from God's leadership.
Numbers 11:5This verse shows the Israelites longing for the food and comforts of Egypt, demonstrating the 'turning back in their hearts' that Stephen describes, even while being led by God.
Deuteronomy 9:7Moses recounts their rebelliousness even from the beginning, specifically mentioning their provocation of God at Horeb, which echoes the sentiment of rejecting God's ways.
Psalm 106:7This psalm describes the fathers' actions at the Red Sea, noting how they did not believe God's promises and rebelled, which is a foundational example of their stubborn disobedience.
Nehemiah 9:16This prayer recounts the people's stubbornness and rebellion in the wilderness, directly linking their turning away from God's commands to their unfaithfulness, similar to Stephen's accusation.
barnesActs 7:39: "To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,"
Would not obey ... - This refers to what they said of him when he was in the mount, Exodus 32:1 , Exodus 32:23 . In their hearts turned ... - They wished to return to Egypt. They regretted that they had come out of Egypt, and desired again the things which they had there, as preferable to what they had in the desert, Numbers 11:5. Perhaps, however, the expression means, n…
calvinActs 7:38-41: "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:"
- This is he which was in the congregation in the wilderness, with the angel which had spoken unto him in mount Sinai, [or did speak to him in the mount,] and with our fathers; who received lively oracles, that he might give them to us: 39. Whom our fathers would not obey, but they refused him, and they…
It's easy to read "turned back again into Egypt" as simply a desire to physically return. But the text highlights a deeper rebellion: their hearts were longing for the familiar idolatry and sinful ways of Egypt, not just the comforts of slavery. This internal turning away from God's way, even while physically on the journey out, is the true tragedy here.
Stephen is recounting Israel's history to show how they consistently rejected God's messengers, even after experiencing His incredible deliverance from slavery. He reminds them that their ancestors refused to obey Moses, who was leading them out of Egypt, and instead, their hearts longed for the familiar comforts and even the idolatry of Egypt, directly disobeying the living God who had spoken to them.
Stephen is recounting Israel's history to show how they consistently rejected God's messengers, even after experiencing His incredible deliverance from slavery. He reminds them that their ancestors refused to obey Moses, who was leading them out of Egypt, and instead, their hearts longed for the familiar comforts and even the idolatry of Egypt, directly disobeying the living God who had spoken to them.
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"Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has bec…" — It's easy to read "turned back again into Egypt" as simply a desire to physically return. But the text highlights a deeper rebellion: their hearts were longing for the familiar idolatry and sinful wa…
