Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
- KJV Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
- NKJV ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
- NASB But the Lord said to him, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.
- NLT “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
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
God told Moses to remove his sandals because he stood on holy ground. God's presence sanctifies, demanding reverence and humility.
Overview
Stephen recalls God's command for Moses to take off his sandals before holy ground (Exodus 3:5). This emphasis on holiness is significant in Stephen's defense, showing that God's holy presence is not confined to the temple but meets His people wherever He chooses. It points toward the truth that God dwells with His people by His Spirit, not merely in a building.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Exod 3:5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Josh 5:15The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
- Eccl 5:1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
- 2 Pet 1:18And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 7:33 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.