At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
Parallel translations
- WEB All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
- KJV And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
- BSB All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
- NKJV And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
- NASB And all who were sitting in the Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The council sees Stephen's face shining like an angel's. God visibly marks His faithful witness with glory amid accusation.
Overview
The radiance recalls Moses' shining face after meeting God, fitting since Stephen is charged with opposing Moses. It signals God's presence and approval upon Stephen even as men condemn him. The heavenly glory on the accused contrasts sharply with the false charges of his accusers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Matt 13:43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
- Eccl 8:1Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
- Exod 34:29–35When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mountain, Moses didn’t know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.
- Matt 17:2He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
- 2 Cor 3:18But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
- 2 Cor 3:7–8But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:
- Matt 5:22But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 6:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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