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.” ’
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.
- BSB 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.’
- 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 3:7–10Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- Neh 9:9“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea,
- Exod 4:31The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
- Ps 106:44Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry.
- John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
- Exod 2:23–25In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
- Exod 3:14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
- Hos 12:13By a prophet Yahweh brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.
- Isa 63:8–9For he said, “Surely, they are my people, children who will not deal falsely;” so he became their Savior.
- Ps 105:26He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
- Judg 10:15–16The children of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned! Do you to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, please, today.”
- John 3:13No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
- Num 11:17I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.
- Isa 64:1Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.
- Mic 6:4For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
- Ps 144:5Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
- Exod 6:5–6Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
- Gen 18:21I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”
- Judg 2:18When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
- Gen 11:7Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
- Gen 11:5Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
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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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