Acts 7:52
What does Acts 7:52 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 7:52 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 7:52 means
Stephen asks which prophet their fathers did not persecute. They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom his audience has now betrayed and murdered. The title Righteous One points to Jesus, confirmed by the apostolic witness. Stephen links the council’s actions to Israel’s long history of opposing God’s messengers. Their guilt is not ignorance alone but active betrayal. In naming Jesus as the Righteous One, Stephen asserts His innocence and divine approval, while indicting the leaders for rejecting God’s promised Savior. This is the heart of his defense: loyalty to Moses and the prophets leads to faith in Jesus, not rejection of Him.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
KJV
King James Version · 1611Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed those who declared before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom now ye betrayers and murderers have become,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One: of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain those who announced beforehand concerning the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have now become deliverers up and murderers!
Context
Stephen intensifies the accusation begun in verse 51. The line of persecuted prophets culminates in the killing of those who foretold the Righteous One, and now in the betrayal and murder of Jesus. Verse 53 will add that, despite receiving the Law as ordained by angels, they did not keep it. This climactic indictment provokes the council’s violent response in verse 54 and propels the narrative toward Stephen’s martyrdom (verses 55–60).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 9:26
Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets that testified against them to turn them again unto thee, and they wrought great provocations.
- Matthew 23:31
Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
- 2 Chronicles 36:16
but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Jehovah arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
- 1 Peter 1:11
searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
- Acts 2:23
him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay:
- Luke 13:33
Nevertheless I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
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