Acts 7:45-46
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, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse subtly highlights the continuity of God’s presence and His people’s journey through generations, even as the physical dwelling shifted. It emphasizes that the Tabernacle was "received" by one generation and brought in by the next, showing God's faithfulness wasn't tied to a single group but passed along. This sets the stage for Stephen's larger point about God's presence transcending physical structures.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's relationship with God, focusing on the Tabernacle. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, given to them in the wilderness, was brought into the Promised Land by Joshua and the subsequent generation. This movement into the land, driving out the Canaanites, continued until the time of David, who then desired to build a permanent house for God.
Why does the New Testament call the great Israelite leader 'Jesus' here? It's more than just a name change; it's a theological connection.
Stephen, defending himself before the religious authorities, refers to Joshua, the successor to Moses who led Israel into the Promised Land.
A Shared Name, A Shared Mission
The name 'Jesus' in the New Testament is the Greek form of the Hebrew name 'Joshua'. Both names mean 'Yahweh saves' or 'The Lord is salvation'.
Stephen uses this shared name strategically. He highlights that the same God who saved Israel through Joshua is the God who sent Jesus. The conquest of Canaan under Joshua, driving out nations to give Israel a home, parallels Jesus' mission of spiritual salvation, bringing people into God's eternal kingdom.
It’s a powerful reminder that God’s saving work has a long, consistent history, pointing toward the ultimate Savior.
The Tabernacle, God's dwelling place, wasn't static. Its journey into the Promised Land reveals something profound about God's faithfulness.
Stephen traces the Tabernacle's path. After God commanded Moses to build it, it accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness.
A Faithfulness That Endures
Verse 45 states that "our fathers that came after brought it in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before our fathers." This means the Tabernacle, representing God's presence, was physically brought into the land God promised them, a land that was being cleared of its inhabitants by God's power.
This wasn't just a historical detail; it was a testament to God's commitment. Even as the people changed, and generations passed, God’s dwelling place—and His promise—moved with them into the new territory. It signifies that God's faithfulness isn't dependent on human generations but on His own unchanging character.
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.
charin · Greek Noun
Divine grace, graciousness, or acceptance granted by God to an individual. It implies God's benevolent choice to look upon a person with kindness.
Theō Iakōb · Hebrew/Greek Proper Noun Phrase
Refers to God in His role as the God of the covenant, specifically referencing the patriarch Jacob/Israel. It emphasizes God's personal connection to the history and promises made to the ancestors of Israel.
skēnōma · Greek Noun
Stephen highlights that the Tabernacle, a symbol of God's presence, was brought into the land by Joshua and remained with the people through the period of conquest and settlement until David's time, underscoring the continuity of God's presence with His people even before the Temple was built.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Israelites Enter Canaan
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites cross the Jordan River and begin conquering the land of Canaan, driving out its inhabitants.
c. 1400 BC - 1050 BC
Tabernacle in the Land
The Tabernacle, containing the Ark of the Covenant, is set up in various locations in Canaan, serving as the center of Israel's worship during the period of the Judges.
c. 1050 BC
Ark Captured by Philistines
During a battle, the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines, a significant disruption to Israelite worship and national identity.
c. 1040 BC
Ark Returned to Israel
After suffering plagues, the Philistines return the Ark to the Israelites, who place it in Kirjath-jearim, where it remains for about 70 years.
This passage describes the Israelites, led by Joshua (Jesus), entering the Promised Land and taking possession of it from the Gentile inhabitants, mirroring the context of the Tabernacle's arrival in Canaan.
2 Samuel 7:1-2This passage highlights David's desire to build a permanent house for God, marking a transition from the Tabernacle's era, which Stephen mentions as continuing until David's days.
Psalm 78:55-56This psalm recounts God giving the land of Canaan to Israel and driving out the nations, echoing Stephen's point about the forefathers dispossessing the Gentiles.
Hebrews 4:8This verse also references Joshua (Jesus) bringing the people into rest, drawing a parallel between the Old Testament leader and the concept of spiritual rest in Christ.
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 the continuity of God’s presence and His people’s journey through generations, even as the physical dwelling shifted. It emphasizes that the Tabernacle was "received" by one generation and brought in by the next, showing God's faithfulness wasn't tied to a single group but passed along. This sets the stage for Stephen's larger point about God's presence transcending physical structures.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's relationship with God, focusing on the Tabernacle. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, given to them in the wilderness, was brought into the Promised Land by Joshua and the subsequent generation. This movement into the land, driving out the Canaanites, continued until the time of David, who then desired to build a permanent house for God.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's relationship with God, focusing on the Tabernacle. He's explaining how the Tabernacle, given to them in the wilderness, was brought into the Promised Land by Joshua and the subsequent generation. This movement into the land, driving out the Canaanites, continued until the time of David, who then desired to build a permanent house for God.
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A residence or home; in the OT/NT, often used to refer to the Temple or Tabernacle as the place where God's presence dwells among His people.
c. 1010 BC
David Brings Ark to Jerusalem
King David, after consolidating his kingdom, brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, establishing it as the religious and political capital.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Builds the Temple
David's son, Solomon, builds a permanent Temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark and serve as the central sanctuary for Israel's worship.
"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, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God o…" — The verse subtly highlights the continuity of God’s presence and His people’s journey through generations, even as the physical dwelling shifted. It emphasizes that the Tabernacle was "received" by…
