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Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin
…52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—53you whoreceivedthelawordainedbyangels,yethave not kept it.”54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.…

Treasury of Scripture

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

have received.

Exodus 19:1-20:26
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came theyinto the wilderness of Sinai…

Deuteronomy 33:2
And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right handwent a fiery law for them.

Psalm 68:17
The chariots of Godare twenty thousand,even thousands of angels: the Lordis among them,as in Sinai, in the holyplace.

and have.

Ezekiel 20:18-21
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: …

John 7:19
Did not Moses give you the law, andyet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Romans 2:23-25
Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? …

AngelsArrangementDeliveredDispositionEffectIt'ItKeptLawMessengersMinistryObeyedOrdainedOrderedReceivedAngelsArrangementDeliveredDispositionEffectIt'ItKeptLawMessengersMinistryObeyedOrdainedOrderedReceived1.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.

you who received the law
This phrase refers to the Jewish people, specifically the religious leaders, who were entrusted with the Mosaic Law. The Law was given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, as described inExodus 19-20. It was a significant covenant between God and His chosen people, setting them apart from other nations. The Law included moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations that were meant to guide the Israelites in their relationship with God and with each other.

ordained by angels
The involvement of angels in the giving of the Law is mentioned in several places in Scripture, such asGalatians 3:19 andHebrews 2:2. This suggests that angels played a role as mediators in the transmission of the Law from God to Moses. The presence of angels underscores the divine authority and sacredness of the Law, highlighting its importance in the Jewish faith.

yet have not kept it.
This phrase is a direct accusation against the Jewish leaders for their failure to adhere to the very Law they received. Despite their knowledge and outward observance, they often missed the Law's deeper spiritual and moral requirements. This critique echoes the words of the prophets, who frequently called out Israel for their disobedience (e.g.,Isaiah 1:10-17,Jeremiah 7:21-26). It also aligns with Jesus' own rebukes of the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:23-28). The failure to keep the Law points to the need for a savior, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who perfectly kept the Law and offered redemption through His sacrifice.

1.Stephen
A deacon in the early church, known for his faith and filled with the Holy Spirit. He is the speaker in this passage, delivering a powerful sermon before the Sanhedrin.

2.Sanhedrin
The Jewish ruling council, consisting of religious leaders who were responsible for maintaining Jewish law and order. They are the audience of Stephen's speech.

3.Angels
Spiritual beings who, according to Jewish tradition, were involved in the mediation of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

4.The Law
Refers to the Mosaic Law, given to the Israelites, which includes the commandments and regulations found in the first five books of the Old Testament.

5.Mount Sinai
The place where Moses received the Law from God, a significant event in Jewish history.The Role of Angels in Delivering the Law
Understanding the Jewish tradition that angels were involved in the giving of the Law highlights the sacredness and divine origin of the Law.

The Responsibility of Receiving the Law
Receiving the Law comes with the responsibility to obey it. Stephen's accusation points out the failure of the religious leaders to live up to this responsibility.

The Danger of Hypocrisy
The religious leaders prided themselves on their knowledge of the Law, yet Stephen accuses them of not keeping it. This serves as a warning against hypocrisy in our own lives.

The Fulfillment of the Law in Christ
While the Law was given through angels, its ultimate fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. Believers are called to live by the Spirit, which empowers them to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law.

The Importance of Obedience
True faith is demonstrated through obedience to God's commands. This passage challenges believers to examine their own lives for areas where they may be falling short.1.What is the meaning of Acts 7:53?

2.How can we avoid resisting the Holy Spirit as described in Acts 7:53?

3.What does "received the law ordained by angels" reveal about God's law's importance?

4.How does Acts 7:53 connect with the Israelites' history of disobedience?

5.In what ways can we ensure obedience to God's commands in our lives?

6.How does understanding Acts 7:53 deepen our appreciation for Christ's fulfillment of the law?

7.What does Acts 7:53 mean by "angels" in delivering the law?

8.How does Acts 7:53 challenge the authority of the law given to Moses?

9.Why does Stephen accuse the audience of not keeping the law in Acts 7:53?

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

11.Do angels possess the ability to choose freely?

12.Can humans command angels?

13.In Acts 12:7-10, how can the chains supernaturally fall off Peter's wrists and prison doors open on their own without any guards noticing?

14.Should we obey Old Testament dietary laws? (Leviticus 11:1-47 vs. Mark 7:18-19)You

Stephen looks squarely at his Sanhedrin listeners.

• In calling them “you,” he personalizes guilt; this is not a distant lesson but a direct charge (cf.Matthew 23:13).

• They sit in seats of religious power, yet Stephen reminds them that spiritual privilege never removes personal accountability (Romans 2:1–3).

• “You” links them with the stiff-necked ancestors he has just described (Acts 7:51-52), stressing continuity of unbelief.

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Received the law

• God’s Torah was not discovered by Israel; it was graciously “received” (John 1:17).

•Romans 3:1-2 affirms, “The Jews were entrusted with the words of God,” highlighting both honor and responsibility.

•Psalm 19:7 celebrates, “The law of the Lord is perfect,” reminding us that the failure lies not in the law but in the receivers.

• This receiving happened at Sinai (Exodus 19-20), where the covenant made Israel a priestly nation (Exodus 19:6). Stephen’s audience had inherited that covenant stewardship.

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Ordained by angels

•Deuteronomy 33:2 recalls that “He came with myriads of holy ones,” pointing to angelic mediation at Sinai.

•Galatians 3:19 echoes, “The law was ordained through angels by a mediator,” underscoring the solemn heavenly involvement.

•Hebrews 2:2 adds, “For if the message spoken through angels was binding…,” affirming the law’s unbreakable authority.

• Angelic participation magnifies the weight of disobedience: to reject a law delivered with such glorious escort is to spurn heaven itself.

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Yet have not kept it

• The indictment lands: possessing the law is worthless without obedience (James 1:22-25).

• Jesus had earlier exposed the same hypocrisy: “Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?” (John 7:19).

•Acts 7:52 shows the ultimate breach—betraying and murdering “the Righteous One,” fulfillingIsaiah 53:3’s prophecy of rejection.

•Romans 2:17-24 warns that breaking the law while boasting in it causes God’s name to be blasphemed among the nations.

• Stephen’s point: lawkeeping is impossible apart from faith in the Messiah who fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17;Romans 8:3-4).

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summary

Stephen charges Israel’s leaders with a tragic contradiction: they, of all people, received God’s perfect law, delivered amid angelic glory, yet they persistently refuse to obey it—culminating in their rejection of Christ. Privilege without obedience becomes condemnation. Only by turning to the One who fulfilled the law can anyone move from guilt to grace.

(53)Who have received . . .--More accurately,who received.

By the disposition of angels.--Better,as ordained of angels; or, more literally,as ordinances of angels. The Greek preposition cannot possibly have the meaning of "by." The phrase expressed the current Jewish belief that angels were the intermediate agents through whom Israel received the Law; that it was their voice that was heard on Sinai. Here also St. Paul, in speaking of the Law as "ordained by angels" (Galatians 3:19), reproduced St. Stephen. Comp. alsoHebrews 2:2 and Jos.Ant. xv. 4, ? 3, for like statements. The idea rested mainly on the LXX. version ofDeuteronomy 33:2, "on His right hand were angels with Him" and "the thousands of angels" as connected with Sinai inPsalm 68:17.

Verse 53.- Ye who received forwho have received, A.V. ;as it was ordained by angels forby the disposition of angels, A.V.;kept it not forhove not kept it, A.V.Ordained by angels. This phrase, thus differently rendered (εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων), is one of extreme difficulty:διαταγή means properly appointment," or "ordinance," as inRomans 13:2; andεἰς, which has a great variety of uses in the Greek of the New Testament, means "at," or "upon," or "on the occasion of," asMatthew 12:41, "At the preaching of Jonah." So here they received the Law "at" or "on the occasion of," the "ordering" or "appointing" of angels. When the angels, who were commissioned by God and spoke in his Name, gave the Law, the Israelites so received it. The A.V., "by the disposition of angels" very nearly ex- presses the true sense. Another sense ofεἰς - "in view of" - comes to nearly the same thing. St. Paul speaks of the part taken by the angels in the giving of the Law, and in language strikingly resembling the text. He says of it, that it was "ordained through ['by,' A V] angels" God ordained or appointed the Law, but the angels were the instruments or ministers of its promulgation. And it is also distinctly referred to inDeuteronomy 33:2, where the LXX. read, "On his right hand the angels were with him." In the foregoing verses the application which Stephen had all through been contemplating is hurled with accumulated force at the consciences of his hearers, and cuts them to the heart, but does not bring them to repentance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


[you] who
οἵτινες(hoitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3748:Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

have received
ἐλάβετε(elabete)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2983:(a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

the
τὸν(ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Law
νόμον(nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551:From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

ordained
διαταγὰς(diatagas)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1296:Ordaining, ordinance, disposition. From diatasso; arrangement, i.e. Institution.

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

angels,
ἀγγέλων(angelōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 32:From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.

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

have not kept [it].”
ἐφυλάξατε(ephylaxate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5442:Probably from phule through the idea of isolation; to watch, i.e. Be on guard; by implication, to preserve, obey, avoid.


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NT Apostles: Acts 7:53 You received the law as it was (Acts of the Apostles Ac)