Question 1

What does Acts 7:28 mean?

Accepted Answer

Acts 7:28 records a man confronting Moses, asking, “Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?” This question refers to Moses’s earlier act of killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew, and now someone is challenging Moses’s authority and motives. In this scene, Stephen is retelling the story of Moses to the Jewish council. The speaker in the verse is a fellow Israelite, reacting after Moses tried to break up a fight between two Hebrews. The man’s question shows that Moses’s secret act was known, and it highlights the mistrust and fear among the Israelites toward Moses at that moment.

Question 2

The Greek behind Acts 7:28

Accepted Answer

ἀποκτείνεις (apokteineis, “kill”): This word means to put to death or slay. The use of this strong term shows the seriousness of the accusation and the fear the man felt. Αἰγύπτιον (Aigyption, “Egyptian”): This specifically points back to the Egyptian Moses killed, making it clear the speaker knows about the incident and is referencing it directly. ἐχθές (echthes, “yesterday”): This word means “yesterday,” emphasizing how recent the event was and suggesting that news of Moses’s action spread quickly.

Question 3

Why Acts 7:28 matters

Accepted Answer

Acts 7:28 shows that Moses’s attempt to help his people was not immediately welcomed, revealing the complexity of his relationship with the Israelites. This verse highlights how quickly information and suspicion spread, even in ancient times, and how Moses’s actions had unintended consequences. The verse connects to Stephen’s larger point in Acts 7, showing how God’s chosen leaders were often misunderstood or rejected by their own people.

Acts 7:28 (KJV)