Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

ACTS 7:42KJV
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Acts 7:42 (KJV)

What does Acts 7:42 mean?

Acts 7:42 describes God turning away from the Israelites and giving them over to worship the heavenly bodies. Stephen uses a question from the prophets to challenge the idea that Israel’s worship during the wilderness years was directed faithfully to God.

Stephen is speaking before the Jewish council, recounting Israel’s history. After mentioning the golden calf in verse 41, he points to the “host of heaven”—the sun, moon, and stars—as objects of worship. The quoted question addresses the “house of Israel,” meaning the people of Israel.

The Greek behind Acts 7:42

  • “gave them up” — παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi): This word can mean to hand over or give up. Here it describes God giving the people over to the worship Stephen names.
  • “worship” — λατρεύω (latreuō): This word carries the sense of serving or worshipping. It points to religious devotion directed toward the heavenly bodies.
  • “offered” — προσφέρω (prospherō): This word means to bring or present something. With the question form used here, it is part of a challenge about whom Israel’s sacrifices were being offered to.

Why Acts 7:42 matters

  • Stephen supports his account with Israel’s own prophetic writings. “The book of the prophets” introduces a quotation from Amos 5:25–27, which continues in the next verse.
  • The question presses the hearers to consider the direction of Israel’s worship, not just whether sacrifices took place. Its pointed words are “to me,” spoken as God addresses the “house of Israel.”
  • The “forty years in the wilderness” locates the question in Israel’s journey after leaving Egypt. The time span gives Stephen’s criticism a place within the history he is recounting.

Where else these words appear

“host” Greek G4756 · used in 2 verses

  • Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

“book” Greek G976 · used in 12 verses

  • Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
  • Luke 20:42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
  • Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

“turned” Greek G4762 · used in 18 verses

  • Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
  • Luke 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
  • John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi,(which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

“worship” Greek G3000 · used in 21 verses

  • Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
  • Acts 26:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
  • Hebrews 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;