I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
Parallel translations
- WEB I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’
- KJV I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
- NKJV I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ’
- NASB I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; and now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
- NLT I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’
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 declared He had seen Israel's affliction, heard their groaning, and come to deliver them through Moses. God hears and acts to rescue His suffering people.
Overview
Stephen quotes God's commission of Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt (Exodus 3:7-10). God's seeing, hearing, and coming down to save reveals His compassionate, redeeming character. This pattern of divine rescue finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, whom God sent to deliver His people from sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Exod 3:7–10The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- Neh 9:9You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.
- Exod 4:31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
- Ps 106:44Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
- Exod 2:23–25After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- Exod 3:14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
- Hos 12:13But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.
- Isa 63:8–9For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal.” So He became their Savior.
- Ps 105:26He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen.
- Judg 10:15–16“We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”
- John 3:13No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
- Num 11:17And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.
- Isa 64:1If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence,
- Mic 6:4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. I sent Moses before you, as well as Aaron and Miriam.
- Ps 144:5Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
- Exod 6:5–6Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.
- Gen 18:21I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
- Judg 2:18Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.
- Gen 11:7Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”
- Gen 11:5Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.
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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 7:34 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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