Movatterモバイル変換

Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin
…15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.16Their boneswere carried backtoShechemandplacedinthetombthatAbrahamhad boughtfromthesonsof HamoratShechemfor a price he paidin silver.17As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.…

Treasury of Scripture

And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

were.

Acts 23:16
And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

Exodus 13:19
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

the sepulchre.

Genesis 33:9-20
And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself…

Genesis 35:19
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, whichis Bethlehem.

Genesis 49:29-32
And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave thatis in the field of Ephron the Hittite, …

Emmor.

Genesis 34:2
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

Hamor, Shechem.

AbrahamBoughtCarriedChildrenHamorLaidMoneyPaidPlacedPricePurchasedRemovedRestSepulcherSepulchreShechemSilverSumTombAbrahamBoughtCarriedChildrenHamorLaidMoneyPaidPlacedPricePurchasedRemovedRestSepulcherSepulchreShechemSilverSumTomb1.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.

Their bones were carried back to Shechem
This phrase refers to the burial of the patriarchs, specifically Joseph, whose bones were carried from Egypt to Canaan. Shechem is a significant location in biblical history, situated in the heart of the Promised Land. It was a city of refuge and a place where God appeared to Abraham. The act of carrying bones back to Shechem symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to Abraham's descendants.

and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought
Abraham's purchase of the tomb signifies a legal claim to the land, emphasizing the permanence of God's covenant with Abraham. This act of buying a burial site in Canaan demonstrates Abraham's faith in God's promise that his descendants would inherit the land. The tomb serves as a physical reminder of God's faithfulness and the hope of resurrection.

from the sons of Hamor at Shechem
The sons of Hamor were the original inhabitants of Shechem. This detail highlights the historical and legal transaction that took place, ensuring that the burial site was rightfully owned by Abraham's family. It underscores the importance of Shechem as a place of covenant and God's unfolding plan for Israel.

for a price he paid in silver
The mention of silver indicates a formal and recognized transaction, emphasizing the legitimacy of Abraham's purchase. Silver was a common medium of exchange in ancient times, and its use here underscores the seriousness and permanence of the agreement. This transaction prefigures the redemption theme found throughout Scripture, where a price is paid for the fulfillment of God's promises.

1.Abraham
The patriarch who originally purchased the tomb in Shechem. His faith and obedience to God are foundational to the account of the Israelites.

2.Shechem
A significant location in biblical history, often associated with covenantal events and patriarchal accounts. It is where Abraham bought the tomb and where Joseph's bones were eventually laid to rest.

3.Sons of Hamor
The original inhabitants of Shechem from whom Abraham purchased the burial site. This transaction signifies a legitimate and peaceful acquisition of land.

4.Joseph
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, Joseph's bones were carried from Egypt and buried in Shechem, fulfilling the promise made to him by his brothers.

5.Stephen
The speaker inActs 7, who is recounting the history of Israel to the Sanhedrin. His speech highlights God's faithfulness and the Israelites' history of resistance to God's messengers.God's Faithfulness Across Generations
The burial of the patriarchs in Shechem serves as a testament to God's enduring promises. Just as God was faithful to Abraham, He remains faithful to us today.

The Importance of Spiritual Heritage
The act of carrying Joseph's bones to Shechem underscores the value of honoring our spiritual forebears and maintaining a connection to our faith's history.

The Significance of Covenant
The purchase of the tomb in Shechem is a reminder of the covenants God made with the patriarchs. We are called to live in light of the New Covenant through Christ.

Peaceful Acquisition and Integrity
Abraham's purchase of the tomb reflects integrity and peaceful dealings. As Christians, we are called to conduct our affairs with honesty and integrity.

The Role of Remembrance in Faith
Just as the Israelites remembered their patriarchs, we are encouraged to remember God's past faithfulness as we face present challenges.1.What is the meaning of Acts 7:16?

2.How does Acts 7:16 demonstrate God's faithfulness to His promises?

3.What does Acts 7:16 reveal about the importance of burial traditions in Scripture?

4.How can we apply the respect for ancestors shown in Acts 7:16 today?

5.What connections exist between Acts 7:16 and God's covenant with Abraham?

6.How does Acts 7:16 encourage us to honor our spiritual heritage?

7.How does Acts 7:16 align with historical and archaeological evidence of burial sites in Shechem?

8.Why does Acts 7:16 mention Shechem instead of Hebron for the burial of the patriarchs?

9.What theological significance does the burial location in Acts 7:16 hold for early Christians?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Acts 7?

11.What is Shechem's significance in the Bible?

12.In Acts 7:16, Stephen says Abraham bought a burial place in Shechem, yet Genesis 33:19 credits Jacob with that purchase. Which account is correct?

13.Genesis 34:2 - How can the apparent disregard for Dinah's autonomy be squared with a just and compassionate God?

14.What does the Bible say about household salvation?Their bones were carried back to Shechem

• The “bones” refer to the patriarchs whose remains symbolized their enduring hope in God’s promises (Genesis 50:25;Hebrews 11:22).

• Carrying them out of Egypt underscored God’s faithfulness to deliver His people, just as He had foretold to Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14).

• Stephen highlights this to show that even in death the fathers anticipated the land of promise, foreshadowing the believer’s own sure hope of resurrection (John 5:28-29;1 Thessalonians 4:16).

---

And placed in the tomb

• Burial in a family tomb demonstrated covenant continuity—God’s promises linked each generation (Genesis 49:29-31).

• A single resting place kept the patriarchs together, pointing to their unity as the founders of Israel (Psalm 133:1).

• Tombs also served as physical reminders that God would one day raise the dead in that very land (Isaiah 26:19;Ezekiel 37:12-14).

---

That Abraham had bought

• Scripture records Abraham’s purchase of burial property (Genesis 23:3-20). Luke’s summary in Acts echoes that legal transfer, affirming land ownership by faith, not conquest.

• No contradiction exists with Jacob’s later purchase at Shechem (Genesis 33:18-19). Both transactions happened; Stephen compresses the narrative, attributing the family burial ground to the patriarchal head whose faith initiated Israel’s claim (Joshua 24:32).

• The purchase underlines that God’s people possessed a foothold in the promised land long before Joshua’s wars (Hebrews 11:9-10).

---

From the sons of Hamor at Shechem

• Shechem held deep covenant history:

– Abram first received the promise there (Genesis 12:6-7).

– Jacob built an altar there, calling it El-Elohe-Israel (Genesis 33:20).

– Joshua later renewed the covenant there (Joshua 24:1, 25).

• The “sons of Hamor” identify the local rulers, emphasizing a peaceful, legal purchase, not seizure (cf.Genesis 34:2, 6;Judges 9:28).

• By naming them, Stephen shows Israel’s fathers engaging honorably with surrounding peoples (Romans 12:17-18).

---

For a price he paid in silver

• Silver sealed the deal, stressing the reality of the transaction (Genesis 23:15-16; 33:19).

• Paying full price foreshadowed redemption: God later “redeemed” Israel from Egypt “with silver and gold” (Psalm 105:37) and ultimately redeemed sinners “not with perishable things such as silver,” but with Christ’s blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).

• The mention of money reminds us that God’s promises engage everyday life—land, currency, contracts—and yet point to eternal realities (Luke 16:9).

---

summary

Stephen’s brief sentence (Acts 7:16) weaves a tapestry of covenant faithfulness: the patriarchs’ bones witnessed to resurrection hope; their transport to Shechem displayed God’s promise of land; the legally purchased tomb underscored rightful possession; and the silver price hinted at future redemption. Every detail confirms Scripture’s reliability and invites us to rest, as they did, in the certainty that God keeps His word now and forever.

(16)And were carried over into Sychem.--The words appear to include Jacob, who was buried not at Sychem, but Machpelah (Genesis 1:13). If we limit the verb to the patriarchs, which is in itself a tenable limitation, we are met by the fresh difficulty that the Old Testament contains no record of the burial of any of the Twelve Patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose bones were laid, on the occupation of Canaan, in Shechem (Joshua 24:32); and Josephus states (Ant. iv. 8, ? 2) that they were buried at Hebron. This, however, only represents, at the best, a local tradition. In the time of Jerome (Ep. 86) the tombs of the Twelve Patriarchs were shown at Shechem, and this in its turn witnesses to a Samaritan tradition which continues to the present day (Palestine Exploration Report,Dec., 1877), and which Stephen, it may be, followed in preference to that of Judaea. Looking to the probabilities of the case, it was likely that the example set by Joseph would be followed by the other tribes, and that as Shechem was far more prominent than Hebron, as the centre of the civil and religious life of Israel in the time of Joshua, that should have been chosen as the burial-place of his brethren rather than Machpelah. Looking, again, to the fact that one of Stephen's companions, immediately after his death, goes to Samaria as a preacher, and that there are good grounds for believing that both had been previously connected with it (see Note onActs 6:5), we may probably trace to this influence his adoption of the Samaritan version of the history. The hated Sychar (Ecclesiasticus 1:26; see Note onJohn 4:5) had, from Stephen's point of view, a claim on the reverence of all true Israelites, and his assertion of that claim may well have been one of the causes of the bitterness with which his hearers listened to him.

That Abraham bought for a sum of money.--Here we seem to come across a direct contradiction to the narrative of Genesis. The only recorded transaction in which Abraham appears as a buyer, was his purchase of the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:16). The only recorded transaction in which the sons of Emmor, or Hamor, appear as sellers, was in Jacob's purchase of the field at Shechem (Genesis 33:19;Joshua 24:32). What we have seen above, however, prepares us for there having been a Samaritan tradition carrying the associations of Shechem to a remoter past. And, assuming such a tradition, there are significant facts in the patriarchal history of which it furnishes an explanation. (1) Jacob gives as a special inheritance to Joseph, "one portion" (in the Hebrew, "oneShechem;" in the LXX.,Sikima) above his brethren, which he had taken "out of the hands of the Amorites with his sword and his bow." Of that conquest--as it is clear that the words cannot refer to the massacre connected with the story of Dinah, which Jacob had severely condemned (Genesis 34:30)--the history contains no record, and to interpret the words as prophetic of future conquests is to strain them to a non-natural interpretation which they will hardly bear. Jacob did not come as an invader, nor had the time for thus taking possession of the whole land as yet arrived. The facts of the case suggest a special right claimed and asserted in regard to this one possession, and that right presupposes a previous purchase by some ancestor of Jacob's--i.e.,by Abraham. This being done and the right asserted, to make the portion larger, and perhaps as a measure of conciliation, there followed the subsequent purchase ofGenesis 33:19. (2) Shechem was the earliest settlement of Abraham on his entrance into Canaan, and there he built an altar (Genesis 12:7). But the feeling of reverence for holy places, always strong in the Hebrew race, as seen,e.g.,in the case of David and Araunah, would hardly permit a man of Abraham's wealth and princely nobleness to offer burnt-offerings to the Lord of that which had cost him nothing (2Samuel 24:24); nor would a devout worshipper be content to see the altar so consecrated in the possession of another, and so exposed to desecration. The building of an altar involved, almost of necessity, as in the case just cited, the purchase of the ground on which it stood. (3) The Samaritans had an immemorial tradition (adopted by Dean Stanley, Ffouikes, Grove, and others) that the sacrifice of Isaac took place on the mountain of Moriah (Genesis 22:2), or Gerizim, which commands the plain of Moreh (Genesis 12:6), or Shechem; and, without now discussing the evidence for or against the tradition, it almost involved of necessity the assumption that Abraham had already an altar there, and with it a consecrated field which he could call his own. (4) Another Samaritan tradition, it may be noted, connected Shechem with the sacrifice offered by Melchizedek. This is enough to show the extent of the claims which were made by the Samaritans on behalf of their sacred places, and, taken together with the statement referred to in the previous Note as to the tombs of the Patriarchs, leads usto the conclusion that Stephen, more or less influenced by his recent associations with them, adopted their traditions. This seems, at any rate, the most probable solution of the difficulty which the statement at first sight presents. To do this in Jerusalem, before the very Sanhedrin, the members of which had reviled our Lord as a Samaritan (John 8:48), required a martyr's boldness, and, claiming as it did, a brotherhood for the hated Samaritans, the hereditary foes of Judah, had, we may believe, much to do with causing the fury that ended in his actual martyrdom. It may be added (1) that the manifest familiarity of St. Luke with Samaria and the Samaritans would dispose him to accept such a tradition without correction (seeIntroduction to St. Luke's Gospel); (2) that the Twelve, some of whom had sojourned for three days at Sychar (John 4:43), were likely to have become acquainted with it, and to have been ignorant of the Hebron traditions; (3) that the well-known substitution of Gerizim for Ebal inDeuteronomy 27:4, in the Samaritan Pentateuch, not less than their addition of a commandment to build an altar on Gerizim to the ten great laws of Exodus 20, shows a tendency to deal freely with the text and the facts of the Pentateuch, so as to support their own traditions as to their sacred places. . . .

Verse 16.- And they were forand were, A.V.;unto Shechem forinto Sychem, A.V.,i.e. the Hebrew for the Greek form of the name (Genesis 34:2); tomb forsepulcher, A.V.;a price in silver fora sum of money, A.V.;Hamor for Erect, A.V. (Hebrew for Greek form);in Shechem forthe father of Sychem, A.V. and T.R. As regards the statement in the text, two distinct transactions seem at first sight to be mixed up. One, that Abraham bought the field of Machpelah of Ephron the Hittite for a burial-place, where he and Sarah, and Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah, were buried (Genesis 24:16, 17, 19;Genesis 25:9, 10;Genesis 35:27-29;Genesis 49:29-31); the other, that Jacob "bought a parcel of a field..., at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money," where the bones of Joseph were buried by Joshua (Genesis 33:19;Genesis 50:25;Joshua 24:32), and where, according to a tradition still surviving in the days of St. Jerome, the other patriarchs were also buried ('Epistol.'86," She came to Sichem, now called Neapolis (or Nablous), and from thence visited the tombs of the twelve patriarchs"). See also Jerome, 'De Optimo Genere Interpretandi. All Jewish writers, however, are wholly silent" about this tradition, perhaps from jealousy of the Samaritans (Lightfoot, vol. 8. p. 423). And Josephus affirms that all but Joseph were buried at Hebron ('Ant. Jud.,'2. 8:2); and that their beautiful marble monuments were to be seen at Hebron in his day. In the cave of Machpelah, however, there is no tomb of any of the twelve patriarchs except Joseph; and his so-called tomb is of a different character and situation from the genuine ones (Stanley's 'Lectures on Jewish Church,' 1st series, pp. 498-500. See also 'Sermons in the East': 'The Mosque of Hebron'). But on looking closer at the text it appears pretty certain that only Shechem was in Stephen's mind. For first he speaks of Shechem at once,And were carried over unto Shechem. And adds andwere laid inthe tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem. Except the one word "Abraham," the whole sentence points to Shechem. What he says of Shechem is exactly in accordance withGenesis 33:18, 19. And what he says of their fathers being carried over and buried at Shechem is exactly true of Joseph's bones, as related inJoshua 24:32. So that the one difficulty is the word "Abraham." It seems much more probable that this word should have been interpolated by some early transcriber, who saw no nominative case toὠνήσατο, and who had in his mind a confused recollection of Abraham's purchase, than that Stephen, who shows such thorough knowledge of the Bible history, should have made a gross mistake in such a well-known and famous circumstance as the purchase of the field of Machpelah, or that Luke should have perpetuated it had he made it in the hurry of speech. It cannot be affirmed with certainty that Stephen confirms the story of the other patriarchs being buried at Shechem, though possibly he alludes to the tradition. The plural, "they were carried," etc., might be put generally, though only Joseph was meant (asMatthew 27:44;Matthew 26:8 compared withLuke 23:39;John 12:4), or "the bones of Joseph" might possibly be the subject, though not expressed. Lightfoot - followed by Bishop Wordsworth, who thinks that Abraham really did buy a field of Ephron in Sychem, when he was there (Genesis 12:6)-would thus be right in supposing that the point of Stephen's remark was that the patriarchs were buried in Shechem.

Parallel Commentaries ...


[Their bones]
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

were carried back
μετετέθησαν(metetethēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3346:From meta and tithemi; to transfer, i.e. transport, exchange, change sides, or pervert.

to
εἰς(eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519:A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

Shechem
Συχὲμ(Sychem)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4966:Shechem. Of Hebrew origin; Sychem, the name of a Canaanite and of a place in Palestine.

and
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

placed
ἐτέθησαν(etethēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 5087:To put, place, lay, set, fix, establish. A prolonged form of a primary theo to place.

in
ἐν(en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῷ(tō)
Article - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

tomb
μνήματι(mnēmati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3418:A tomb, monument, memorial. From mnaomai; a memorial, i.e. Sepulchral monument.

that
ᾧ(hō)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.

Abraham
Ἀβραὰμ(Abraam)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 11:Abraham, progenitor of the Hebrew race. Of Hebrew origin; Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch.

had bought
ὠνήσατο(ōnēsato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5608:To buy, purchase. Middle voice from an apparently primary onos; to purchase.

from
παρὰ(para)
Preposition
Strong's 3844:Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

the
τῶν(tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sons
υἱῶν(huiōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of Hamor
Ἑμμὼρ(Hemmōr)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1697:Hamor, a man whose sons sold a field at Shechem to Jacob. Of Hebrew origin; Emmor, a Canaanite.

at
ἐν(en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

Shechem
Συχέμ(Sychem)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4966:Shechem. Of Hebrew origin; Sychem, the name of a Canaanite and of a place in Palestine.

for a price he paid
τιμῆς(timēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5092:A price, honor. From tino; a value, i.e. Money paid, or valuables; by analogy, esteem, or the dignity itself.

in silver.
ἀργυρίου(argyriou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 694:Neuter of a presumed derivative of arguros; silvery, i.e. cash; specially, a silverling.


Acts 7:16 NIV
Acts 7:16 NLT
Acts 7:16 ESV
Acts 7:16 NASB
Acts 7:16 KJV

Acts 7:16 BibleApps.com
Acts 7:16 Biblia Paralela
Acts 7:16 Chinese Bible
Acts 7:16 French Bible
Acts 7:16 Catholic Bible

NT Apostles: Acts 7:16 And they were brought back to Shechem (Acts of the Apostles Ac)