The Meaning of Acts 7:27 Explained

Acts 7:27

KJV: But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

YLT: and he who is doing injustice to the neighbour, did thrust him away, saying, Who set thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Darby: But he that was wronging his neighbour thrust him away, saying, Who established thee ruler and judge over us?

ASV: But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  he that did  his neighbour  wrong  thrust  him  away,  saying,  Who  made  thee  a ruler  and  a judge  over  us? 

What does Acts 7:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 7:14-29 - Stephen's Defense: The Deliverer From Bondage
Moses, we are here told, was "mighty in words;" that is, in eloquence as well as in deeds. This confirms the statement of the Jewish historian, Josephus, that in the earlier part of his career, now lost in the oblivion of history, Moses led a very successful Egyptian expedition against Ethiopia. He complains to the Lord, in Exodus 4:10, of being slow of speech, but that probably refers to the habit of long disuse amid the silence and loneliness of the desert.
It is clear that, stung by the sense of wrong, Moses at first interfered with his own right arm to deliver his people. He smote the Egyptian, and essayed to judge between his brethren. God had to bring him into the dust by repeated failure and rejection that he might become an emptied and a broken vessel. God will not give glory to man. The treasure must be held in an earthen vessel, 2 Corinthians 4:7. It is when we come to the end of ourselves that we arrive at the beginning of God. The world has ever to learn what God can do by those who are wholly emptied of self-confidence but yielded to His hand. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 7

1  Stephen, permitted to answer to the accusation of blasphemy,
2  shows that Abraham worshipped God rightly, and how God chose the fathers,
20  before Moses was born, and before the tabernacle and temple were built;
37  that Moses himself witnessed of Christ;
44  and that all outward ceremonies were ordained to last but for a time;
51  reprehending their rebellion, and murdering of Christ, whom the prophets foretold
54  Whereupon they stone Stephen to death,
59  who commends his soul to Jesus, and humbly prays for them

Greek Commentary for Acts 7:27

Thrust him away [απωσατο αυτον]
First aorist middle indicative (Koiné{[28928]}š for Attic απεωσατο — apeōsato) of απωτεω — apōtheō to push away from oneself in middle voice as here, common in old Greek. Again in Acts 7:39; Acts 13:46; Romans 11:1; 1 Timothy 1:19. It is always the man who is doing the wrong who is hard to reconcile. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 7:27

Acts 13:18 Suffered he their manners [ετροποπορησεν]
First aorist active indicative of τροποπορεω — tropophoreō late word from τροπος — tropos manner, and περω — pherō reading of Aleph B D and accepted by Westcott and Hort. But A C Sahidic Bohairic read ετροποπορησεν — etrophophorēsen from τροποπορεω — trophophoreō (τροπος — trophos a nurse, and περω — pherō late word (II Macc. Acts 7:27), probably correct word here and Deuteronomy 1:31. [source]
Acts 13:46 It was necessary to you first [υμιν ην αναγκαιον πρωτον]
They had done their duty and had followed the command of Jesus (Acts 1:8). They use the very language of Peter in Acts 3:26 Ye thrust it from you (απωτειστε αυτον — apōtheisthe auton). Present middle (indirect, from yourselves) indicative of απωτεω — apōtheō to push from. Vigorous verb seen already in Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39 which see. Judge yourselves unworthy Present active indicative of the common verb κρινω — krinō to judge or decide with the reflexive pronoun expressed. Literally, Do not judge yourselves worthy. By their action and their words they had taken a violent and definite stand. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles (ιδου στρεπομετα εις τα ετνη — idou strephometha eis ta ethnē). It is a crisis (ιδου — idou lo): “Lo, we turn ourselves to the Gentiles.” Probably also aoristic present, we now turn (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 864-70). Στρεπομετα — Strephometha is probably the direct middle (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive εστραπην — estraphēn is so used also (Acts 7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the future history of Christianity. In Romans 9-11 Paul will discuss at length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles to be the real (the spiritual) Israel. [source]
Acts 13:46 Ye thrust it from you [απωτειστε αυτον]
Present middle (indirect, from yourselves) indicative of απωτεω — apōtheō to push from. Vigorous verb seen already in Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39 which see. [source]
Acts 7:39 Would not be [ουκ ητελησαν γενεσται]
Aorist active, negative aorist, were unwilling to become Indirect middle of the very verb used of the man (Acts 7:27) who “thrust” Moses away from him. Turned back Second aorist passive indicative of στρεπω — strephō to turn. They yearned after the fleshpots of Egypt and even the gods of Egypt. It is easy now to see why Stephen has patiently led his hearers through this story. He is getting ready for the home-thrust. [source]
Acts 7:39 Thrust him from them [απωσαντο]
Indirect middle of the very verb used of the man (Acts 7:27) who “thrust” Moses away from him. [source]
Romans 11:1 Did God cast off? [μη απωσατο ο τεοσ]
An indignant negative answer is called for by μη — mē and emphasized by μη γενοιτο — mē genoito (God forbid). Paul refers to the promise in the O.T. made three times: 1 Samuel 12:22; Psalm 94:14 (Psalms 93:14, lxx); Psalm 94:4. First aorist middle indicative (without augment) of απωτεω — apōtheō to push away, to repel, middle, to push away from one as in Acts 7:27. For I also (και γαρ εγω — kai gar egō). Proof that not all the Jews have rejected Christ. See note on Philemon 3:5 for more of Paul‘s pedigree. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 7:27 mean?

The [one] however mistreating the neighbor pushed away him having said Who you appointed ruler and judge over us
δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίον ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν εἰπών Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ’ ἡμῶν

  The  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀδικῶν  mistreating 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδικέω  
Sense: absolutely.
πλησίον  neighbor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πλησίον  
Sense: a neighbour.
ἀπώσατο  pushed  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπωθέω  
Sense: to thrust away, push away, repel.
εἰπών  having  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
κατέστησεν  appointed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καθιστάνω 
Sense: to set, place, put.
ἄρχοντα  ruler 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄρχων  
Sense: a ruler, commander, chief, leader.
δικαστὴν  judge 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: δικαστής  
Sense: a judge, arbitrator, umpire.
ἐφ’  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἡμῶν  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.