Acts 7:41
What does Acts 7:41 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 7:41 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 7:41 means
They made a calf, offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the work of their hands. Stephen lays bare the folly of idolatry—celebrating what human hands produce as if it were divine. The golden calf episode epitomizes Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness and highlights the danger of exchanging the living God for lifeless images. Their worship became self-congratulation. This indictment serves Stephen’s larger point: reverence for structures or objects—even the Temple—can become idolatrous if it displaces obedience to God. The people’s joy here is tragically misplaced, a warning that not all religious enthusiasm pleases the Lord when it centers on human manufacture.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they made a calf in those days and offered sacrifices to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
Context
This verse completes the golden calf account begun in verses 39–40. Next, verses 42–43 will declare God’s response: He turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven and quotes from the prophets about their misplaced sacrifices and idolatry, culminating in exile beyond Babylon. The movement from calf to cosmic idolatry to exile frames Stephen’s charge that Israel’s heart has long resisted God, preparing for his critique of misplaced confidence in the Temple (verses 44–50).
v.40saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
v.41This passage
v.42But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 9:18
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
- Isaiah 2:8
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
- Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.
- Exodus 32:2
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
- Deuteronomy 9:12
And Jehovah said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people that thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
- Psalms 106:19
They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image.
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