The Meaning of Acts 7:54 Explained

Acts 7:54

KJV: When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

YLT: And hearing these things, they were cut to the hearts, and did gnash the teeth at him;

Darby: And hearing these things they were cut to the heart, and gnashed their teeth against him.

ASV: Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When  they heard  these things,  they were cut  to the heart,  and  they gnashed  on  him  with [their] teeth. 

What does Acts 7:54 Mean?

Study Notes

When they heard
They had brought false witnesses against Stephen; he bears true witness against them, quoting the testimony of writers they owned to be inspired. He speaks of the persistent rejection of God and His servants by the nation til at last it is brought home to themselves, and arouses the maddened enmity of their hearts. It was the final trial of the nation.

Verse Meaning

"The possibilities are that what took place was a spontaneous act of mob violence or that Stephen was legally executed by the Sanhedrin, either because there was some kind of special permission from the Romans or because there was no Roman governor at the time and advantage was taken of the interregnum. The first of these possibilities is the more likely." [1]
Stephen"s speech caused a revolution in the Jews" attitude toward the disciples of Jesus, and his martyrdom began the first persecution of the Christians.
Luke recorded the Sanhedrin"s response to Stephen"s message to document Jesus" continued rejection by Israel"s leaders. He did so to explain why the gospel spread as it did and why the Jews responded to it as they did following this event.

Context Summary

Acts 7:47-60 - A Martyr's Glorious Death
Words like these could not be forgiven. The growing irritation of the audience seems to have extorted those burning remonstrances, and to have hastened the final scene. But the storm that burst around Christ's faithful confessor and first martyr could not disturb his serenity. His heart was fixed, trusting in God, Psalms 108:1. The peace of God garrisoned his heart and mind. At the moment when his foes were fiercest, the presence of Jesus, who had risen from sitting to standing, in order to encourage and welcome him, was most vital. It will always be even so. You will never know the completeness of Christ's comradeship till you have weathered a storm in His company.
They were particular not to violate the sanctity of the Temple, but not so in respect to the pure temple of the young martyr's body. The dying Stephen did not forget the Lord's prayer for those who crucified Him, and he followed his Master's steps in this also. Amid the murderous flight of stones, he slept as a tired child on his mother's breast; and from that hour his patience, gentleness, and strength became as pricking goads in the heart of Saul of Tarsus. [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 7:54

When they heard [ακουοντες]
Present active participle of ακουω — akouō while hearing. [source]
They were cut to the heart [διεπριοντο ταις καρδιαις]
See note on Acts 5:33 where the same word and form (imperfect passive of διαπριω — diapriō) is used of the effect of Peter‘s speech on the Sadducees. Here Stephen had sent a saw through the hearts of the Pharisees that rasped them to the bone. They gnashed on him with their teeth (εβρυχον τους οδοντας επ αυτον — ebruchon tous odontas ep' auton). Imperfect (inchoative) active of βρυχω — bruchō (Attic βρυκω — brukō), to bite with loud noise, to grind or gnash the teeth. Literally, They began to gnash their teeth at (επ — ep') him (just like a pack of hungry, snarling wolves). Stephen knew that it meant death for him. [source]
They gnashed on him with their teeth [εβρυχον τους οδοντας επ αυτον]
Imperfect (inchoative) active of βρυχω — bruchō (Attic βρυκω — brukō), to bite with loud noise, to grind or gnash the teeth. Literally, They began to gnash their teeth at Stephen knew that it meant death for him. [source]
They were cut []
See on Acts 5:33. In both instances, of anger. A different word is used to express remorse, Acts 2:37. [source]
Gnashed [ἔβρυχον]
Originally to eat greedily, with a noise, as wild beasts: hence to gnash or grind the teeth. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 7:54

Acts 5:33 They were cut to the heart [διεπρίοντο]
Only here and Acts 7:54. The verb means, originally, to saw asunder. A strong figure for exasperation. [source]
Acts 5:33 Were cut to the heart [διεπριοντο]
Imperfect passive of διαπριω — diapriō old verb Here it is rage that cuts into their hearts, not conviction of sin as in Acts 2:37. Only here and Acts 7:54 (after Stephen‘s speech) in the N.T. (cf. Simeon‘s prophecy in Luke 2:35). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 7:54 mean?

Hearing now these things they were cut in the hearts of them and began gnashing the teeth at him
Ἀκούοντες δὲ ταῦτα διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ’ αὐτόν

Ἀκούοντες  Hearing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ταῦτα  these  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
διεπρίοντο  they  were  cut 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διαπρίω  
Sense: to saw asunder or in two, to divide by a saw.
ταῖς  in  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καρδίαις  hearts 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἔβρυχον  began  gnashing 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: βρύχω  
Sense: to grind, gnash with the teeth.
ὀδόντας  teeth 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀδούς  
Sense: a tooth.
ἐπ’  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.