Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse subtly highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, entered Canaan not just with Joshua, but after the previous generation had died off. This emphasizes God's faithfulness to his promises, continuing them through a new generation and a new leader named "Savior" (Joshua/Jesus), even as older plans concluded.
Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated failure to be faithful to God despite His presence with them. He's just spoken of the Tabernacle God commanded Moses to build, explaining it was meant to be a place where God would meet them. Now he describes how that Tabernacle was carried into the Promised Land by the generation led by Joshua, continuing through the time of David.
Did you notice that 'Jesus' appears in this verse? It's not the Jesus we usually think of, but a connection that speaks volumes about God's saving power throughout history.
Stephen uses the name 'Jesus' here, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew name 'Joshua'. This isn't accidental. Joshua was the faithful leader who brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, dispossessing the nations God had judged.
A Echo of Salvation
This echoes the ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ, who brings us into God's spiritual kingdom. By using this name, Stephen subtly points to God's consistent action of salvation and deliverance across different eras, highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
Succession and Faith
The phrase 'our fathers that came after' or 'having received it after' emphasizes the generational aspect of faith. The Tabernacle, a symbol of God's presence, was passed down. This succession wasn't just about an object, but about the ongoing covenant and the faithfulness of God, even as generations changed.
The land the Israelites entered was already occupied. How does God view the displacement of peoples for His chosen nation, and what does it reveal about His long-term plans?
This verse speaks of the Tabernacle being brought 'into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out.' This wasn't a random conquest, but a divinely orchestrated judgment and fulfillment of promise.
God's Sovereignty in Judgment
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Stephen reminds his audience that the nations occupying Canaan were there because God had allowed it, and it was God who actively 'drove them out' before Israel. This highlights God's ultimate sovereignty over all nations and lands. He judges wickedness and makes way for His covenant people to inherit His promises.
Temporary Occupation, Eternal Purpose
The Tabernacle's journey into this 'possession' signifies God establishing His presence among His people in the land He promised them. Even though the land was occupied, God's purpose for His people and His dwelling place among them ultimately prevailed. This sets the stage for understanding that physical possession is a shadow of a greater, spiritual reality.
The Tabernacle wasn't always destined for a grand temple. It journeyed with God's people. What does this mobility teach us about worship and God's presence?
Stephen traces the Tabernacle's presence from its entry into Canaan under Joshua right up 'unto the days of David.' This wasn't a static period but one where the Tabernacle moved and had various temporary locations.
Worship on the Move
For generations, the central place of worship, the Tabernacle, was not fixed in one grand structure. It was a mobile sanctuary that traveled with the Israelites. This shows that God's presence and the act of worship are not confined to a building but are portable, accompanying His people.
Preparing for a Permanent Dwelling
This period, extending to David's desire for a permanent temple, highlights a developmental stage in Israel's worship. The ongoing presence of the Tabernacle, even with its movements, pointed towards God's ultimate plan to establish a more permanent dwelling place – a foreshadowing of Christ and His church as the true temple of God.
Understand the original words
exōthēsen · Greek Verb
The act of driving out or displacing inhabitants from a land. In the context of Israel, it is the act of claiming the Promised Land under God’s authorization as judgment upon the wicked nations.
Stephen emphasizes the continuous presence of the Tabernacle from the conquest of Canaan under Joshua until David's desire for a permanent Temple, highlighting God's faithfulness and the transition from nomadic worship to settled worship.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israel Enters Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of the land of Canaan, driving out the native peoples.
c. 1400 BC - 1050 BC
Tabernacle in the Land
The Tabernacle, which had been in the wilderness, was set up in various locations in Canaan, serving as the center of Israel's worship during the period of conquest and settlement.
c. 1050 BC
Ark Captured by Philistines
During a battle, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, a significant disruption to the worship centered around the Tabernacle.
c. 1050 BC - 1010 BC
Ark in Philistine and Israelite Hands
The Ark was held by the Philistines for a time before being returned to Israel, residing in various places like Kiriath-jearim, until David's reign.
c. 1010 BC - 1004 BC
David Brings Ark to Jerusalem
King David succeeded in bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, establishing it as the religious capital of Israel and desiring to build a permanent temple.
c. 1004 BC
Solomon Begins Temple Construction
Following David's preparations, Solomon began the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling David's desire for a permanent dwelling for God's presence.
This passage describes the Israelites, led by Joshua (whose name is the Greek equivalent of Jesus), crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, mirroring the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into the land and dispossessing the Canaanites.
2 Samuel 7:1-2This passage highlights David's desire to build a permanent house for God, contrasting with the Tabernacle's continued presence and movement, setting the stage for Solomon's temple and Stephen's argument about God not being confined to a building.
Psalm 78:55-56This psalm recounts God giving the land of Canaan to Israel and driving out the nations, echoing Stephen's historical narrative and emphasizing God's active role in their possession of the land.
Hebrews 4:8This verse also uses the name Jesus (referring to Joshua) in the context of entering the Promised Land, reinforcing the connection Stephen is making between the Old Testament leader and the concept of salvation and possession.
ellicottActs 7:45: "Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;"
(45) Brought in with Jesus. —This is, of course, as in Hebrews 4:8 , the “Joshua” of the Old Testament. It would, perhaps, have been better, as a general rule, to have reproduced the Hebrew rather than the Greek form of Old Testament names in the English version of the New. On the other hand, there is, in this i…
calvinActs 7:44-50: "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen."
- Our fathers had the testimony of witness in the wilderness, like as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen: 45. Which tabernacle our fathers which succeeded brought with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, which God drove out before the face…
The verse subtly highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, entered Canaan not just with Joshua, but after the previous generation had died off. This emphasizes God's faithfulness to his promises, continuing them through a new generation and a new leader named "Savior" (Joshua/Jesus), even as older plans concluded.
Stephen is recounting Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated failure to be faithful to God despite His presence with them. He's just spoken of the Tabernacle God commanded Moses to build, explaining it was meant to be a place where God would meet them. Now he describes how that Tabernacle was carried into the Promised Land by the generation led by Joshua, continuing through the time of David.
Stephen is recounting Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated failure to be faithful to God despite His presence with them. He's just spoken of the Tabernacle God commanded Moses to build, explaining it was meant to be a place where God would meet them. Now he describes how that Tabernacle was carried into the Promised Land by the generation led by Joshua, continuing through the time of David.
"Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David," — The verse subtly highlights that the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, entered Canaan not just with Joshua, but after the previous generation had died off. This emphasizes God's faithfulness to his…
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Last reviewed October 2026