Acts 7:1–8

Verse 1. Are these things so? The high priest speaks after this mild manner, being either terrified, or charmed with his angelical countenance. S. Stephen’s design in this discourse, was to shew them, first, that he was falsely accused of speaking either against Moses, or the law, for which he shews so great a veneration. 2. He puts them in mind, that the true worship of God may subsist without a temple, as it did in the time of Abraham, and the patriarchs, before the law was given, or the temple built. 3. That as their forefathers had been rebellious to Moses, and disobedient to the prophets, whom they many times persecuted even to death, so they had lately resisted, persecuted, and crucified their Messias. Witham.

Verse 5. Not the pace of a foot; not so much as a foot of land, that is, to dwell in, though he bought there a place to bury in. Genesis 23:9. Witham.

Verse 6. For four hundred years, counting from the birth of Isaac, which was twenty-five years after the call and promises made to Abraham. It is certain the Israelites were not four hundred years in Egypt. Witham.—Four hundred. These words are taken from the fifteenth chapter of Genesis, in which Moses mentions the same number of years. This calculation is made from the entry of Abraham into Chanaan, to the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt. Strictly, the Israelites did not remain in Egypt more than two hundred and fifteen years.

Verse 7. The nation which they shall serve, I will judge. The meaning is, that God would afflict the Egyptians with divers plagues, or visible punishments, before they dismissed the Israelites. Witham.

Verse 8. The covenant, or the testament, [1] and alliance of circumcision, by which the Israelites should be known to be the elect people of God. Witham.—Literally, he gave them the alliance of circumcision; he made with him an alliance, of which circumcision was the seal. V.