Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest 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.
- BSB Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing 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 3:5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
- Josh 5:15And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
- Eccl 5:1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
- 2 Pet 1:18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
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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 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
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