Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

ACTS 7:45KJV
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Acts 7:45 (KJV)

What does Acts 7:45 mean?

Acts 7:45 explains that the ancestors of the Israelites, after Moses, brought the sacred tent (the tabernacle) into the land that had belonged to non-Israelite nations, as God drove those nations out before them, and this continued until the time of King David. The verse highlights how God helped the Israelites take possession of the land by removing the previous inhabitants.

Stephen is speaking to the Jewish council, recounting Israel’s history to show God’s faithfulness and the journey of the tabernacle. He points out that the Israelites, following their leaders, carried the tabernacle with them as they entered the land of Canaan, which God had cleared of Gentile nations, and this situation remained up to David’s era.

The Greek behind Acts 7:45

  • Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous): Although this is the Greek form of "Jesus," in this context it refers to Joshua, the leader who succeeded Moses and led Israel into Canaan. The same Greek word is used for both names, which can cause confusion.
  • ἐν τῇ κατασχέσει (en tē kataschesei): This phrase means "into the possession," referring to the Israelites taking ownership of the land. The Greek emphasizes the act of receiving or taking hold of something that was not previously theirs.
  • ἔθνη (ethnē): This word means "nations" or "Gentiles," pointing to the non-Israelite peoples who originally lived in Canaan. It clarifies that the land was not empty but inhabited by others whom God removed.

Why Acts 7:45 matters

  • Acts 7:45 clarifies that "Jesus" here means "Joshua," which helps avoid confusion with Jesus Christ and keeps the historical timeline clear.
  • The verse emphasizes God’s active role in Israel’s history, showing that the conquest of the land was not by Israel’s power alone but by God driving out the previous nations.
  • This verse connects Stephen’s speech to the larger story of God’s presence with Israel, from the wilderness tabernacle to the time of David, setting up his later points about the temple and God’s dwelling.

Where else these words appear

“possession” Greek G2697 · used in 2 verses

  • Acts 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

“out” Greek G1856 · used in 2 verses

  • Acts 27:39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

“in” Greek G1521 · used in 10 verses

  • Luke 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
  • John 18:16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
  • Acts 21:29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

“David” Greek G1138 · used in 54 verses

  • Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
  • Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
  • Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.