The Meaning of Acts 7:9 Explained

Acts 7:9

KJV: And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

YLT: and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and God was with him,

Darby: And the patriarchs, envying Joseph, sold him away into Egypt. And God was with him,

ASV: And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the patriarchs,  moved with envy,  sold  Joseph  into  Egypt:  but  God  was  with  him, 

What does Acts 7:9 Mean?

Study Notes

God
Jehovah. Genesis 39:2 .

Context Summary

Acts 7:1-13 - Stephen's Defense: God's First Called Ones
There are several touches in this eloquent apology which deserve notice. Acts 7:2 : "The God of glory." This chapter begins and ends with glory. See Acts 7:55. Note that God appeared to Abraham in Ur, before he had come to Haran at the divine bidding. It is interesting to have this discrimination between the different appearances of God to the patriarch. Acts 7:3 : We often have to leave our land before God shows us another. Acts 7:6 : God's promises lighted up the weary bondage of Egypt. Acts 7:10 : It is God that delivers us out of our afflictions and gives us favor with people.
The drift of the whole speech, which must be borne in mind as we read it, is that again and again the Chosen People had rejected their God-sent deliverers and prophets, and had taken their own evil courses. The rejection of the Savior was only a parallel to that of Joseph by his brethren, and that of Moses by the nation. Israel had always been stiffnecked and froward, and ought not history to warn Stephen's hearers against taking a similar attitude towards Jesus of Nazareth? Might not Jesus prove to be as great a blessing in that generation as Joseph or Moses had been in his? The parallel will be complete when Jesus returns in power and glory. [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 7:9

Moved with jealousy [ζηλωσαντες]
First aorist active participle of ζηλοω — zēloō old verb from ζηλος — zēlos (Acts 5:17), to burn or boil with zeal, and then with envy as here (Acts 17:5, etc.) and Genesis 37:11. [source]
Moved with envy [ζηλώσαντες]
Compare James 4:1; and see on envying, James 3:14. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 7:9

Acts 10:38 God anointed him [εχρισεν αυτον ο τεος]
First aorist active of the verb διηλτεν ευεργετων — chriō to anoint, from which the verbal διερεομαι — Christos is formed (Acts 2:36). The precise event referred to by Peter could be the Incarnation (Luke 1:35.), the Baptism (Luke 3:22), the Ministry at Nazareth (Luke 4:14). Why not to the life and work of Jesus as a whole? Went about doing good (δια — diēlthen euergetōn). Beautiful description of Jesus. Summary (constative) aorist active of ευεργετων — dierehomai to go through (ευεργετεω — dia) or from place to place. The present active participle ευ — euergetōn is from the old verb εργον — euergeteō (ευεργετης — eu well, και ιωμενος — ergon work) and occurs only here in the N.T. The substantive τους καταδυναστευομενους — euergetēs (benefactor) was often applied to kings like Ptolemy Euergetes and that is the sense in Luke 22:25 the only N.T. example. But the term applies to Jesus far more than to Ptolemy or any earthly king (Cornelius a Lapide). And healing And in particular healing. Luke does not exclude other diseases (cf. Luke 13:11, Luke 13:16), but he lays special emphasis on demoniacal possession (cf. Mark 1:23). That were oppressed (κατα — tous katadunasteuomenous). Present passive articular participle of διαβολος — katadunasteuō A late verb in lxx and papyri. In the N.T. only here and James 2:6 (best MSS.). One of the compounds of οτι ο τεος ην μετ αυτου — kata made transitive. The reality of the devil (the slanderer, diabolos) is recognized by Peter. For God was with him Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
Acts 10:38 And healing [καταδυναστευω]
And in particular healing. Luke does not exclude other diseases (cf. Luke 13:11, Luke 13:16), but he lays special emphasis on demoniacal possession (cf. Mark 1:23). That were oppressed (κατα — tous katadunasteuomenous). Present passive articular participle of διαβολος — katadunasteuō A late verb in lxx and papyri. In the N.T. only here and James 2:6 (best MSS.). One of the compounds of οτι ο τεος ην μετ αυτου — kata made transitive. The reality of the devil (the slanderer, diabolos) is recognized by Peter. For God was with him Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
Acts 10:38 For God was with him [hoti ho theos ēn met' autou)]
Surely this reason does not reveal “a low Christology” as some charge. Peter had used the same language in Acts 7:9 and earlier in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:66 as Nicodemus does in John 3:2. [source]
1 Corinthians 12:31 The greater gifts [τα χαρισματα τα μειζονα]
Paul unhesitatingly ranks some spiritual gifts above others. ηλοω — Zēloō here has good sense, not that of envy as in Acts 7:9; 1 Corinthians 13:4. [source]
Hebrews 12:16 Sold [ἀπέδετο]
The word occurs in the narrative of Genesis 25:31, Genesis 25:33, lxx. In N.T. often of discharging an obligation; paying back. To sell, Acts 5:8; Acts 7:9. [source]
1 John 4:17 Our love [ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ ' ἡμῶν]
The A.V. construes μεθ ' ἡμῶν withus, with love, making with us equivalent to our. In that case it might mean either the love which is between Christians, or the love which is between God and Christians. The Rev. construes with us with the verb: love is made perfect with us. The latter is preferable. I do not think it would be easy to point out a parallel in the New Testament to the expression ἀγάπη μεθ ' love that with us = our love. The true idea is that love is perfected in fellowship. The love of God is perfected with us, in communion with us, through our abiding in Him and He in us. “Love is not simply perfected in man, but in fulfilling this issue God works with man” (Westcott). Compare 2 John 1:3, “grace shall be with us ” (true reading); and Acts 25:4, “what things God had done with them.” See also Matthew 1:23; 1 Corinthians 16:24; Galatians 6:18. Μετά withis used constantly in the New Testament of ethical relations. See Matthew 20:2; Matthew 2:3; Luke 23:12; Acts 7:9; Romans 12:15; 1 John 1:6. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 7:9 mean?

And the patriarchs having envied - Joseph sold [him] into Egypt But was - God with him
Καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαι ζηλώσαντες τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ ἦν Θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ

πατριάρχαι  patriarchs 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πατριάρχης  
Sense: patriarch, founder of a tribe, progenitor.
ζηλώσαντες  having  envied 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ζηλεύω 
Sense: to burn with zeal.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰωσὴφ  Joseph 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωσήφ 
Sense: the patriarch, the eleventh son of Jacob.
ἀπέδοντο  sold  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀποδίδωμι  
Sense: to deliver, to give away for one’s own profit what is one’s own, to sell.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
Αἴγυπτον  Egypt 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Αἴγυπτος  
Sense: a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.