At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
- KJV And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
- NKJV And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
- NASB At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
- NLT So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.
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
They made a golden calf, sacrificed to it, and rejoiced in their own handiwork. This idolatry is the archetype of Israel's rebellion against God.
Overview
Stephen recalls the golden calf, the people sacrificing and celebrating before an idol of their own making (Exodus 32:4-6). Worshiping the works of their hands rather than the living God exposes the folly of idolatry. Stephen implies that trusting in human-made things over God's true word remains a danger, even regarding the temple.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 106:19–21At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.
- Neh 9:18Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,
- Hos 9:1Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
- Hos 9:10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
- Hab 2:18–20What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
- Rev 9:20Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
- Isa 2:8–9Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.
- Exod 32:17–20When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
- Deut 9:12–18And the LORD said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten image.”
- Isa 44:9–20All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
- Exod 32:2–8So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
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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 7:41 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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