Acts 7:34
What does Acts 7:34 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 7:34 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 7:34 means
God declares He has seen Israel’s affliction, heard their groaning, and has come down to deliver them. He now sends Moses to Egypt. Stephen highlights God’s compassion and action: He is not distant from His people’s pain. The phrase come down underscores divine initiative. Moses is not self-appointed; he is commissioned by the God who sees, hears, and acts. This frames Moses’ mission as an extension of God’s saving purpose. Stephen’s defense thus presents Moses as God’s man for God’s moment, a forerunner of the ultimate Deliverer sent from heaven to save His people from a deeper bondage.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
KJV
King James Version · 1611I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Truly, I have seen the sorrows of my people in Egypt, and their cries have come to my ears, and I have come down to make them free: and now, come, I will send you to Egypt.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that <FI>is<Fi> in Egypt, and their groaning I did hear, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee to Egypt.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Seeing, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt: and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them. And now come: and I will send thee into Egypt.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890I have surely seen the ill treatment of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groan, and have come down to take them out of it; and now, come, I will send thee to Egypt.
Context
The revelation reaches its missional peak: God announces deliverance and sends Moses. The next verse (35) will underline the irony that this same Moses was previously refused, yet God has now sent him as ruler and deliverer. Verses 36–38 will then recount the signs and wonders, Moses’ role at Sinai, and the living oracles he received. The context strengthens Stephen’s pattern—divine commissioning after initial rejection—and foreshadows the greater salvation accomplished in the Righteous One.
v.33And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
v.34This passage
v.35This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Exodus 3:7
And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
- Psalms 106:44
Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry:
- Isaiah 64:1
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence,
- Nehemiah 9:9
And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea,
- Psalms 105:26
He sent Moses his servant, AndAaron whom he had chosen.
- Isaiah 63:8
For he said, Surely, they are my people, children that will not deal falsely: so he was their Saviour.
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