What's easy to miss here is that the entirety of the 400 years isn't just about the suffering in Egypt. This verse, following the Genesis account, speaks to the entire period of their "sojourning" – a time of being strangers and wanderers, with hardship being a significant, though not exclusive, part of it. The "bondage and affliction" are presented as the core experience within that larger frame of temporary dwelling.
And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's covenant relationship with God, starting with Abraham's call and God's promises. He emphasizes that despite God's promises of land and inheritance, Abraham and his descendants would first experience a period of being strangers, enslaved, and mistreated in a foreign land for centuries. This sets the stage for God's future judgment on the oppressors and their eventual deliverance.
God's promises don't always mean immediate comfort. Sometimes, they come with a long period of hardship before fulfillment.
Stephen reminds his audience that God foretold the suffering their ancestors would face. This wasn't a sign of God's abandonment, but part of His plan.
A Foretold Sojourn
God told Abraham his descendants would "sojourn in a strange land, and be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years." This shows that hardship and waiting are often woven into the fabric of God's redemptive story. The promise of a future inheritance was given, but the path to it involved deep struggle.
Divine Purpose in Suffering
This period of affliction wasn't random; it was a divinely ordained time of testing and preparation. As Calvin notes, God uses these times "to bring the wisdom of the flesh to nought." It's through such trials that our reliance shifts from our own strength to God's faithfulness.
Why 'four hundred years'? This number, though debated, carries weight in Scripture and points to a specific period in God's dealings.
The mention of 'four hundred years' is a specific detail from God's prophecy to Abraham recorded in Genesis 15:13. While there are different calculations regarding the exact duration of the Israelites' time in Egypt versus their total time as sojourners (often cited as 430 years in Exodus 12:40 and Galatians 3:17), Stephen uses this round number.
Round Numbers, Divine Timing
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Commentators like Barnes and Clarke suggest that 'four hundred years' might be a round number, a common practice in Scripture, especially when conveying a significant but not precisely itemized period. Bengel points out that this period encompasses the entire sojourn in a foreign land, from the birth of Isaac until the departure from Egypt, not just the bondage itself.
A Fulfilled Oracle
Regardless of the precise chronological puzzle, the key is that this was a prophecy delivered by God. Stephen emphasizes that this period of servitude and affliction was not an unexpected tragedy but a foreseen and declared part of the plan, highlighting God's sovereignty over history.
Understand the original words
sperma · Greek Noun
A group of descendants or posterity; in a theological context, it refers to the seed or lineage through which God's promises are fulfilled.
paroikos · Greek Noun/Adjective
One who resides temporarily in a foreign land without the rights of full citizenship, often characterized by vulnerability and dependence on God's protection.
douloo · Greek Verb
To compel someone to labor against their will, often involving oppression and subjugation; biblically, it frequently describes Israel's state in Egypt.
kakoucheo · Greek Verb
To cause distress, suffering, or hardship; in the Old Testament, this term specifically refers to the mistreatment of the Israelites by the Egyptians.
krino · Greek Verb
The act of a judge rendering a verdict; in theology, this often signifies God's divine justice against evil or nations that oppose His purposes.
latreuo · Greek Verb
The act of acknowledging God's worth and sovereignty through service, prayer, and ritual; it involves total submission to His commands.
Stephen highlights that the enslavement and suffering of Israel in Egypt were not unexpected misfortunes but a foretold part of God's plan, emphasizing God's faithfulness to His promises even through hardship.
c. 2091 BC
God's Covenant with Abraham
God makes a covenant with Abraham, promising him numerous descendants and a land for them, but also foretells a period of sojourning and hardship.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
Joseph's family, including Jacob and his sons, migrates to Egypt during a famine, settling in the land of Goshen.
c. 1805 BC - c. 1475 BC— this verse
Period of Sojourning and Oppression
This period encompasses the Israelites' time in Egypt, starting as honored guests and gradually descending into servitude and affliction, fulfilling God's prophecy.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from Egyptian bondage through Moses, marking the end of their 400+ years of affliction.
This is the direct Old Testament passage from which Stephen is quoting, outlining God's prophecy to Abraham about his descendants' time in a foreign land and their subsequent oppression.
Exodus 12:40This passage provides the specific duration of the Israelites' dwelling in Egypt as 430 years, which relates to Stephen's mention of 400 years, highlighting a common practice of using round numbers in Scripture to denote significant periods.
Galatians 3:17Paul also references the 430-year period from the promise to Abraham to the giving of the Law, further illuminating the chronological context and Stephen's use of the 400-year figure as a significant marker.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8This passage speaks of God's choosing of Israel not because of their greatness, but because of His love and faithfulness to His promises, which echoes Stephen's narrative of God's unfailing commitment to Abraham's descendants despite their trials.
ellicottActs 7:6: "And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years."
(6) And that they should bring them into bondage . . . —Here again there is another apparent discrepancy of detail. Taking the common computation, the interval between the covenant with Abraham and that with Moses was 430 years ( Galatians 3:17 ), of which only 215 are reckoned as spent in Egypt. The Israelites were indee…
calvinActs 7:5-8: "And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child."
- And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not the breadth of a foot; and promised that he would give it to him to possess, and to his seed after him, when as he had no son. 6. And God spake after this manner, Thy seed shall sojourn in a strange land; and they shall bring it into bo…
What's easy to miss here is that the entirety of the 400 years isn't just about the suffering in Egypt. This verse, following the Genesis account, speaks to the entire period of their "sojourning" – a time of being strangers and wanderers, with hardship being a significant, though not exclusive, part of it. The "bondage and affliction" are presented as the core experience within that larger frame of temporary dwelling.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's covenant relationship with God, starting with Abraham's call and God's promises. He emphasizes that despite God's promises of land and inheritance, Abraham and his descendants would first experience a period of being strangers, enslaved, and mistreated in a foreign land for centuries. This sets the stage for God's future judgment on the oppressors and their eventual deliverance.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel's covenant relationship with God, starting with Abraham's call and God's promises. He emphasizes that despite God's promises of land and inheritance, Abraham and his descendants would first experience a period of being strangers, enslaved, and mistreated in a foreign land for centuries. This sets the stage for God's future judgment on the oppressors and their eventual deliverance.
"And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they sh…" — What's easy to miss here is that the entirety of the 400 years isn't just about the suffering in Egypt. This verse, following the Genesis account, speaks to the entire period of their "sojourning"…
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Last reviewed October 2026
