The Meaning of Acts 7:36 Explained

Acts 7:36

KJV: He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

YLT: this one did bring them forth, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years;

Darby: He led them out, having wrought wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

ASV: This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He  brought  them  out,  after that he had shewed  wonders  and  signs  in  the land  of Egypt,  and  in  the Red  sea,  and  in  the wilderness  forty  years. 

What does Acts 7:36 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 7:30-46 - Stephen's Defense: Disobedience In The Wilderness
The angel who appeared in the bush that burned with fire was the angel of God's presence, who saved the Israelites and bare them and carried them all the days of old. See Isaiah 63:9. Who could this be save our Lord Himself? Only He could speak of Himself as I am. Remember the use our Lord made of that present tense, as carrying with it evidence that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all of them living, though centuries had passed since their bodies had been deposited in Machpelah's cave. See Luke 20:38. It is very helpful to note that reference to the hand of the angel in Acts 7:35; Acts 7:38. It reminds us of Acts 11:21. Would that, in our service for God, we were always conscious of the co-operating hand of the Savior!
The prophet referred to in Acts 7:37 is, of course, our Lord, and the parallel between Him and Moses is very apparent during our Lord's human ministry-for meekness, for reference in all things to the sending of God, for the work they did, as negotiating the Law from Sinai and the Mount of Beatitudes. But the difference in their posthumous ministry is emphasized in Hebrews 3:1-6. [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

What do the individual words in Acts 7:36 mean?

this one led out them having done wonders and signs in [the] land of Egypt [the] Red Sea the wilderness years forty
οὗτος ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ποιήσας τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ Ἐρυθρᾷ Θαλάσσῃ τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἔτη τεσσεράκοντα

οὗτος  this  one 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἐξήγαγεν  led  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξάγω  
Sense: to lead out.
ποιήσας  having  done 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
τέρατα  wonders 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τέρας  
Sense: a prodigy, portent.
σημεῖα  signs 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: σημεῖον  
Sense: a sign, mark, token.
γῇ  [the]  land 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
Αἰγύπτῳ  of  Egypt 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: Αἴγυπτος  
Sense: a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa.
Ἐρυθρᾷ  [the]  Red 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐρυθρός  
Sense: the Red Sea.
Θαλάσσῃ  Sea 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: θάλασσα  
Sense: the sea.
ἐρήμῳ  wilderness 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἔρημος  
Sense: solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited.
ἔτη  years 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἔτος  
Sense: year.
τεσσεράκοντα  forty 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τεσσαράκοντα 
Sense: forty.