Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 7:19
The same dealt subtlely with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
19. The same dealt subtilly with our kindred [ race ] The word is from the LXX. (Exo 1:10), “Let us deal wisely (i.e. craftily) with them” are the words of the new king.
and evil entreated our fathers ] Beside the hard tasks put upon the people according to the record in Exodus, Josephus adds ( Antiq. ii. 9. 1) that the Egyptians “made them to cut a great many channels for the river, and set them to build pyramids, forced them to learn all sorts of mechanical arts and to accustom themselves to hard labour.”
so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live ] Better, in causing their young children to be cast out, &c. The words are rather a description of what the Egyptian king did in his tyranny (Exo 1:22), than (as A. V.) of what the Israelites were driven to by their despair.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Dealt subtilly – He acted deceitfully; he used fraud. The cunning or deceitful attempt which is referred to, is his endeavour to weaken and destroy the Jewish people by causing their male children to be put to death, Exo 1:22.
Our kindred – Our nation, or our ancestors.
And evil-entreated – Was unjust and cruel toward them.
So that … – For that purpose, or to cause them to cast them out. He dealt with them in this cruel manner, hoping that the Israelites themselves would destroy their own sons, that they might not grow up to experience the same sufferings as their fathers had. The cunning or subtilty of Pharaoh extended to everything that he did to oppress, to keep under, and to destroy the children of Israel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. The same dealt subtilty] , A word borrowed from the Septuagint, who thus translate the Hebrew nithchokmah lo, let us deal wisely with it, i.e. with cunning and deceit, as the Greek word implies; and which is evidently intended by the Hebrew. See Ge 27:35, Thy brother came with subtilty, which the Targumist explains by be-chokma, with wisdom, that is, cunning and deceit. For this the Egyptians were so remarkable that , to Egyptize, signified to act cunningly, and to use wicked devices. Hence the Jews compared them to foxes; and it is of them that Canticles, So 2:15, is understood by the rabbins: Take us the little foxes which spoil our vines; destroy the Egyptians, who, having slain our male children, sought to destroy the name of Israel from the face of the earth.
To the end they might not live.] Might not grow up and propagate, and thus build up the Hebrew nation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Pharaoh resolves to deal (as he thought) wisely, Exo 1:10, and it is acknowledged that the Egyptians dealt subtilly with them, Psa 105:25. For they do not at once destroy them, which might have been hazardous, the Israelites being so numerous; neither could Egypt well spare at once so many inhabitants; (too great and sudden evacuations cause swoonings); but they endeavour their ruin by degrees:
1. Wasting them by hard labours.
2. Commanding the midwives privately to kill their males.
3. Casting out, or exposing, any whom they found spared.
Yet this people, attempted upon by so many secret and open means to bring them to destruction, God did preserve; and so he will his church, (which they did typify), maugre all the endeavours the most potent malice can use against it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The same dealt subtilly with our kindred,…. See Ex 1:10 he took crafty, and yet cruel methods, to diminish the children of Israel, and to humble them; weakening their strength by labour, that they might not be able to beget children; ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill all the males that were born; and charging all his people to drown such male children that should escape the hands of the midwives;
and evil entreated our fathers; keeping them to hard labour, in mortar and brick, and all rural service; in which he made them to serve with rigour, and thereby made their lives bitter to them; employing them in building cities, pyramids, walls, and towers; making ditches, throwing up trenches, cutting watercourses, and turning rivers, with other things; which he added, setting taskmasters over them, to afflict them with burdens:
so that they cast out their young children, or “by making their children cast outs”: or as the Arabic version renders it, “by making that their children should be cast out”: that is, by ordering his people to expose them to ruin, and to cast them in the rivers; and so the Syriac version, “and he commanded that their children be cast out”; for this refers to Pharaoh, and his orders to his officers and people, to cast out the male children of the Israelites; and not to the parents of the children, which our version and the Vulgate Latin incline to: for though Moses’s mother, after she had hid him three months, put him into an ark of bulrushes, and laid him among the flags by the river’s side, yet that was in order to save his life: whereas the end of the casting out of these young children was as follows,
to the end they might not live: for this has not respect unto the parents of the children, that they might not increase or multiply their offspring, but to the young children, that they being cast into the waters, might perish, and not live and become men; the Ethiopic version is rather a paraphrase, “and he commanded that they should kill every male that was born”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Dealt subtilly (). First aorist middle participle of , late compound ( and , old verb, to make wise, to become wise, then to play the sophist), perfective use of . In the LXX, but here only in the N.T. To use fraud, craft, deceit.
That they should cast out their babes ( ). (genitive of the articular present infinitive) can be either design or result. The Revised Version here takes it as purpose while the Authorized as result. In either case Pharaoh required the Israelites to expose their children to death, a possible practice done voluntarily in heathen China and by heathen in so-called Christian lands. But the Israelites fought against such an iniquity. The word (exposed, cast out) is a verbal adjective from . It is an old word, but here only in the N.T. and not in the LXX.
To the end they might not live ( ). Purpose with and the articular infinitive (present middle). This compound verb is from (from , alive, and , to bear) and is used by late writers and the LXX. It is three times in the N.T. (here, Luke 17:33; 1Tim 6:13) in the sense to preserve alive.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Dealt subtilely [] . Only here in New Testament. Lit., to employ cunning against. See on sofov, wise, Jas 3:13.
So that they cast out [ ] . Lit., make exposed. The verb ejktiqhmi, to set out, or place outside, is not uncommon in classical Greek for the exposure of a new – born child. Thus Herodotus, of Cyrus, exposed in infancy : “The herdsman’s wife entreated him not to expose [] the babe” (1, 112). The rendering of the A. V., “so that they cast out,” is correct, expressing the result, and not Pharaoh ‘s design.
Young children [] . Incorrect. See on 1Pe 2:2. Rev., rightly babes.
Live [] Or, be preserved alive. See on Luk 17:33.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “The same dealt subtilly with our kindred,” (houtos katasophisamenos to genos hemon) “This king of an unkind (different disposition) was dealing craftily with our family-race;” It was rendered “deal wisely with them,” Exo 1:10. But what is wisdom or wise to the men of heathendom is foolishness, wickedness with God, 1Co 1:19-25; 1Co 3:19.
2) “And evil entreated our fathers,” (ekakosen tous pateras tou) “And he ill-treated or abused our fathers,” treated them with contempt and derision, imposing beastly burdens and slave-tasks upon them repeatedly, continually, Exo 1:11-14.
3) “So that they cast out their young children,” (poiein ta brephe auton) “To repeatedly make their babies be aborted, exposed, or cast out to die,” Exo 1:15-16, that is all male babies were to be destroyed at birth, Exo 1:22.
4) “To the end they might not live,” (eis to me zoogoneisthai) “So that they would not be preserved alive,” or be permitted to live, except the girt babies were permitted to live, that Egyptians might raise them up to be concubine- slaves to them, Exo 1:16-22.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
19. Dealt subtilely. The old interpreter did not translate this amiss, to deceive. (406) For Stephen meaneth that the king of Egypt did craftily invent new shifts and wicked pretenses, that he might every now and then lay heavier burdens upon the people, like as almost all tyrants do; for how unjustly soever they vex their subjects, they are [but] too witty to invent excuses. And it is not to be doubted but that Pharaoh abused this honest color, that it was not meet that the Jews, who were sojourners, should have a place of abode in his realm for nought, and that they should be free from all burthens, seeing they did enjoy great commodities. Therefore, he deceitfully made them vile bondslaves of free-men. When Stephen saith that this tyrant knew not Joseph, hereby it appeareth how soon the remembrance of benefits passeth away among men, For although we do all with one consent detest unthankfulness, yet is there no vice more common amongst us.
Lest they should be increased. Erasmus translateth this improperly, in my judgment. For [ Ζωογονεισθαι ] expresseth more than lest their children should live. For the word is fet [fetched] thence, because the people doth all always remain alive in the offspring. And, furthermore Stephen doth not reckon up all the parts of their evil-entreating, but putteth down one example of extreme cruelty. Whence we may easily gather how near the whole seed of Abraham was to destruction. For Pharaoh seemed to have murdered them all with that commandment as with one stroke of a sword. But such violent barbarism did the more set forth the unlooked-for and incredible power of God; because when Pharaoh hath, by all means possible, striven against God, yet all is in vain.
(406) “ Circumvenire,” to circumvent.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(19) So that they cast out their young children.Literally, to make their children cast out so that they should not be brought forth alive. The latter verb is used in the LXX. narrative (Exo. 1:17).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. Give me As we have noted of Judas’s What will ye give me? (Mat 26:15,) “This is a true huckster’s proposition.” Judas sold the SON; Simon would have bought the HOLY GHOST!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, so that they cast out their babes with the purpose that they might not live.’
The result was that affliction arose and attempts were made to slay all male babies at birth. There may be here a reminder of what had happened to the children of Bethlehem when Jesus was born at the hands of the crafty King Herod (Mat 2:16), and also of the Roman occupation which the Jews certainly saw as an affliction (‘ill-treated our fathers’).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 7:19. So that they cast out their young children, By causing their infants to be exposed. Heylin and Doddridge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 7:19 . ] to employ cunning against any one, to beguile , LXX. Exo 1:10 . Only here in the N. T. But see Kypke, II. p. 37; and from Philo, Loesner, p. 186. Aorist participle, as in Act 1:24 .
] a construction purely indicative of design; comp. on Act 3:12 . But it cannot belong to . (so Fritzsche, ad Matth. p. 846), but only to . Comp. 1Ki 17:20 . He maltreated them, in order that they should expose their children, i.e. to force upon them the exposure of their children. On = , comp. = , Herod. iii. 1; on , Eur. Andr. 70.
.] ne vivi conservarentur , the object of . . . Comp. LXX. Exo 1:17 ; Luk 17:33 . See on 2Co 8:6 ; Rom 1:20 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him , and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
Ver. 19. Dealt subtilly ] “Let us deal wisely,” saith he, Exo 1:10 ; “subtilly,” saith this text, . The world’s wisdom is but subtilty, sophistry, fallacy. And God took this wizard in his own craftiness, 1Co 3:19 ; for your labouring men have the lustiest children.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
19. ] so that they exposed , see ref. Meyer maintains that the inf. of the purpose is not to be departed from, ‘in order that they might expose:’ but I do not see that this meaning would express the fact. The purpose is afterwards expressed, . . .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 7:19 . : in Exo 1:10 we have the same verb “let us deal wisely with them” here translated “deal subtilly”; Vulgate, “circumveniens,” cf. Rhemish version: “circumventing our stock” ( , as in Act 4:36 ); cf. Jdt 5:11 ; Jdt 10:19 , in both passages the same verb is used, translated (R.V.), Act 5:11 , “dealt subtilly” the Syriac, probably nearest to the Hebrew, “ dealt wisely with them,” i.e. , the Egyptians dealt so with the Hebrews. In the second passage, R.V., word is rendered “might deceive”; same verb in Syriac as in Exo 1:10 , Heb.; Speaker’s Commentary , “Apocrypha,” i., p. 290. Josephus and Philo use verb in same sense as in text; see for the force and meaning of here, Page and Rendall. , cf. Exo 1:11 , where the same word is used of task-masters afflicting the people with burdens. For other ways in which Pharaoh is said to have afflicted the people, see Jos., Ant. , ii., 9, 1. . . ., “that they [ or he, margin ] should cast out their babes,” R.V. But a comparison with Exo 1:22 (LXX) justifies us in taking these words, as in R.V. margin, as describing the tyranny of Pharaoh, not as declaring that the parents themselves exposed their children. For the construction see Blass, Grammatik , p. 231; cf. 1Ki 17:20 , etc., genitive of result, see Page on Act 3:12 , and in loco , and Burton, N. T. Moods and Tenses , p. 157. : only here in N.T. and not in LXX, but used with in Eur., Andr. , 70. : expressing the purpose, cf. Luk 5:17 . : in the active the verb is used three times, in Exo 1 , of the midwives saving the Hebrew children alive, Act 7:17-18 ; Act 7:22 ( cf. Jdg 8:19 , etc.), vivum conservare . In the N.T. the word is only used by St. Luke here and in his Gospel, chap. Act 17:33 , and once by St. Paul, 1Ti 6:13 (see R.V. margin). St. Chrysostom comments on the thought that where man’s help was despaired of, and the child was cast forth, then God’s benefit did shine forth conspicuous, Hom. , xvi.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
The same = This one.
dealt subtilly with. Greek. katasophizomai. Only here. In Septuagint “deal wisely”, Exo 1:10.
cast out = caused to he exposed (Greek. ekthetos. Only here).
young children = babes. Greek. brephos. App-108.
to the end. Greek. eis.
live = be born alive, or preserved alive. Greek. zoogoneo. Only here and Luk 17:33. See also 1Ti 6:13. In Septuagint in Exo 1:17, Exo 1:18, Exo 1:22, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
19. ] so that they exposed, see ref. Meyer maintains that the inf. of the purpose is not to be departed from,-in order that they might expose: but I do not see that this meaning would express the fact. The purpose is afterwards expressed, …
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 7:19. ) viz. . A word of the Septuagint: Exo 1:17-18, and elsewhere frequently.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Exo 1:9-22, Psa 83:4, Psa 83:5, Psa 105:25, Psa 129:1-3, Rev 12:4, Rev 12:5
Reciprocal: Exo 1:10 – wisely Exo 1:14 – their lives Exo 1:22 – Every son Exo 2:3 – could not Num 20:15 – vexed us Mat 2:13 – for Mat 26:4 – by Act 9:2 – desired
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 7:19. Dealt subtilly means to use schemes or tricks to get advantage of them. One of such was to take the supply of straw from them, when they knew that the crop had been gathered and that nothing but stubble could be found. (See Exo 5:10-14.) Cast out their young children refers to the decree that all male infants should be drowned.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 7:19. The same dealt subtilely with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. Meyer and Hackett understand the language of this verse as setting forth the cruel policy of Pharaoh towards the children of Israel; in other words, they dealt so cruelly with these Hebrews, they made their lives so unendurable, that these unhappy ones destroyed their children, that they might not grow up to experience the wretched fate of their fathers. But this construction of the passage, which introduces a new feature into the history, is grammatically unnecessary. The verse simply tells us that, among other cruel acts, Pharaoh, with the hope of checking the increase of this strange tribe, gave a general command to his officials to cast the newborn sons of the Israelites into the Nile.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 17
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
7:19 The same {i} dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
(i) He devised a subtle plan against our stock, in that he commanded all the males to be cast out.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
This Pharaoh took advantage of the Israelites and mistreated them by decreeing the death of their infants (Exo 1:10; Exo 1:16; Exo 1:22). Like Pharaoh, Herod the Great had tried to destroy all the Jewish babies at the time of Jesus’ birth.