This is a study of Jesus called the Righteous One. Not many times, but still an important name in the over all picture of Jesus.

1. JESUS WAS THE RIGHTEOUSONE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Acts 7:52 52Was there ever a prophet your ancestors
did not persecute? They even killedthose who
predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now
you have betrayed and murdered him-
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? - Ye have not only
resistedthe Holy Ghost, but ye have persecutedall those who have spokento
you in his name, and by his influence: thus ye prove your opposition to the
Spirit himself, by your opposition to every thing that proceeds from him.
They have slain them, etc. - Isaiah, who showedbefore of the coming of
Christ, the Jews report, was sawnasunder at the command of Manasseh.
The coming of the Just One - Του δικαιου, Meaning JesusChrist;
emphatically called the just or righteous person, not only because ofthe
unspotted integrity of his heart and life, but because ofhis plenary acquittal,
when tried at the tribunal of Pilate: I find no fault at all in him. The mention
of this circumstance servedgreatly to aggravate theirguilt. The characterof
Just One is applied to our Lord in three other places of Scripture: Acts 3:14;
Acts 22:14;and James 5:6.

2. The betrayers and murderers - Ye first delivered him up into the hands of the
Romans, hoping they would have put him to death; but, when they acquitted
him, then, in opposition to the declarationof his innocence, and in outrage to
every form of justice, ye took and murdered him. This was a most terrible
charge;and one againstwhich they could setup no sort of defense. No
wonder, then, that they were instigatedby the spirit of the old destroyer,
which they never resisted, to add another murder to that of which they had
been so recently guilty.
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Which of the prophets … - The interrogative form here is a strong mode of
saying that they had persecuted“all” the prophets. It was “the characteristic
of the nation” to persecute the messengersofGod. This is not to be takenas
literally and universally true; but it was a generaltruth; it was the national
characteristic. Seethe notes on Matthew 21:33-40;Matthew 23:29-35.
And they have slain them … - That is, they have slain the prophets, whose
main messagewas that the Messiahwas to come. It was a greataggravationof
their offence that they put to death the messengerswhich foretoldthe greatest
blessing that the nation could receive.
The Just One - The Messiah. See the notes on Acts 3:14.
Of whom ye … - You thus show that you resemble those who rejectedand put
to death the prophets. You have even gone beyond them in guilt, because you
have put the Messiahhimself to death.
The betrayers - They are called“betrayers” here because they employed
Judas to betray him - agreeable to the maxim in law, “He who does anything
by another is held to have done it himself.”
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

3. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?.... Eitherby reviling
and speaking allmanner of evil of them, Matthew 5:11 or by killing them,
Matthew 23:31 and they have slain them; as Isaiah, Zachariah, and others:
which showedbefore of the coming of the just one; of Jesus the Messiah,
whose characterin the prophecies of the Old Testamentis righteous servant,
righteous branch, just, and having salvation;and whom Stephen styles so
partly on accountof the holiness of his nature, and the innocence and
harmlessness ofhis life; and partly because he is the author of righteousness,
and the end of the law for it to all that believe;of whose coming in the flesh all
the prophets more or less spoke:and this being goodnews, and glad tidings,
made the sin of the Jewishfathers the greater, in putting them to death, as the
innocent characterof Christ was an aggravationof the Jews'sin, in
murdering of him, as it follows:
of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers; Judas, one of their
nation, betrayed him into the hands of the chief priests and elders; and they
betrayed, or delivered him into the hands of Pontius Pilate to be condemned
to death, which they greatly importuned, and would not be satisfiedwithout;
and therefore are rightly called the murderers, as well as the betrayers of him.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Which of, etc. — Deadly hostility to the messengers ofGod, whose high office
it was to tell of “the Righteous One,” that well-knownprophetic title of
Messiah(Isaiah53:11;Jeremiah 23:6, etc.), and this consummatedby the
betrayal and murder of MessiahHimself, on the part of those now sitting in
judgment on the speaker, are the still darker features of the national
characterdepicted in these withering words.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament

4. Which of the prophets (τινα των προπητων — tina tōn prophētōn). Jesus
(Luke 11:47; Matthew 23:29-37)had chargedthem with this very thing. Cf. 2
Chronicles 36:16.
Which shewedbefore (προκαταγγειλαντας — prokataggeilantas). The very
prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiahtheir fathers killed.
The coming (της ελευσεως — tēs eleuseōs). Notin ancient Greek or lxx and
only here in the N.T. (in a few late writers).
Betrayers (προδοται — prodotai). Just like Judas Iscariot. He hurled this old
biting word at them. In the N.T. only here and Luke 6:16; 2 Timothy 3:4. It
cut like a knife. It is blunter than Peterin Acts 3:13.
Murderers (πονεις — phoneis). The climax with this sharp word used of
Barabbas (Acts 3:14).
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
52.Whichof the prophets? Forasmuchas they ought not to bear their fathers’
fault, Stephen seemethto deal unjustly, in that he reckoneththis amongst
their faults unto whom he speaketh;but he had just causes so to do. First,
because they did vaunt that they were Abraham’s holy progeny, it was worth
the labor to show unto them how greatvanity that was, as if Stephen should
say, that there is no cause why they should vaunt of their stock, forasmuchas
they come of those who were wickedmurderers of the prophets. So that he
toucheth that glancingly which is more plainly setdown by the prophets, that
they are not the children of prophets, but a degenerate andbastardly issue,

5. the seedof Canaan, etc. Which thing we may at this day object to the Papists,
when as they so highly extol their fathers. Furthermore, this serveth to
amplify withal, whereas he saith that it is no new thing for them to resistthe
truth, but that they have this wickedness, as it were, by inheritance from their
fathers. Furthermore, it was requisite for Stephen by this means to pluck
from their faces the visor of the Church, wherewith they burdened him. (467)
This was an unmeet prejudice againstthe doctrine of the gospel, in that they
boastedthat they are the Church of God, and did challenge this title (468)by
long succession. Therefore, Stephenpreventeth them on the contrary, and
proveth that their fathers did, no less than they, rage againstthe prophets,
through wickedcontempt and hatred of sound doctrine. Lastly, this is the
continual custom of the Scripture to gatherthe fathers and children together
(469)under the same guiltiness, seeing they pollute themselves with the same
offenses, andthat famous sentence ofChrist answereththereto, “Fulfill the
measure of your fathers, until the just blood come upon you, from Abel unto
Zacharias.”
Who have foretold. Hereby we gatherthat this was the drift of all the
prophets, to direct their nation unto Christ, as he is the end of the law,
(Romans 10:4.) It were too long to gatherall the prophecies wherein the
coming of Christ was foretold. Let it suffice to know this generally, that it was
the common office of all the prophets to promise salvationby the grace of
Christ. Christ is calledin this place the Just, not only to note his innocency,
but of the effect, because it is proper to him to appoint justice in the world.
And even in this place doth Stephen prove that the Jews were altogether
unworthy of the benefit of redemption, because the fathers did not only refuse
that in times past, which was witnessedunto them by the prophets, but they
did also cruelly murder the messengers ofgrace, andtheir children
endeavoredto extinguish the author of righteousness and salvationwhich was
offered unto them. By which comparisonChrist teacheththat the wicked
conspiracyof his enemies was an heap of all iniquities.

6. John Trapp Complete Commentary
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have
slain them which shewedbefore of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye
have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Ver. 52. Of whom ye have been now the betrayers, &c.]This was to deal
plainly and freely with them; this was Mordaciradere vero, to tell them the
nakedtruth, whatever it costhim. Let those tigers tear him with their teeth
which now they were whetting; he hath but a life to lose, and lose it he cannot
in a better cause, &c.
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
52. τίνα τ. προφ.] See Matthew 23:31 ff.: 2 Chronicles 36:16;where the same
generalexpressions are usedof their persecuting the prophets. Such sayings
are not to be pressedto the letter, but representthe uniform attitude of
disobedience and hostility which they assumed to the messengers ofGod. See
also the parable, Matthew 21:35.
τοὺς προκ.] The office of all the prophets, see ch. Acts 3:18. The assertionis
repeated, to connectthem, by this title, with Him, whom they announced.
τοῦ δικαίου]Schöttg. vol. ii. p. 18, has shewn from the Rabbinical writings
that this name was used by the Jews to designate the Messiah. Seereff. and
note on James 5:6.
προδόται]By Judas’s treachery, of which the Sanhedrists had been the
accomplices;Matthew 26:14-16 :— φονεῖς, by the hands of the Romans;ch.
Acts 2:23, note.

7. ἐγένεσθε is preferable not only on accountof its manuscript authority, but as
being the historicaltense, like the rest. It was probably altered to the perfect,
as suiting the time then present, better than the aorist.
Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
Acts 7:52. Proofof the ὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ (also)ὑμεῖς.
καὶ ἀπέκτ.]καί is the climactic even; they have even killed them. Comp. on
this reproach, Luke 11:47. The characteristicmore specialdesignationof the
prophets; τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας κ. τ. λ., augments the guilt.
τοῦ δικαίου]κατʼἐξοχήνof Jesus, the highest messengerofGod, the (ideal)
Just One, iii. 14, xxii. 14;1 Peter3:18; 1 John 2:1. Contrastto the relative
clause that follows.
νῦν] in the present time, opposed to the times of the fathers; ὑμεῖς is
emphatically placed over againstthe latter as a parallel.
προδόται]betrayers (Luke 6:16), inasmuch as the Sanhedrists, by false and
crafty accusationand condemnation, delivered Jesus overto the Roman
tribunal and brought Him to execution.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
Acts 7:52. καὶ ἀπέκτειναν, and they have slain) This is commonly construed
with what follows;but it is more suitable to connectit with the verb ἐδίωξαν,
persecuted. [The margin of Ed. 2 and the Vers. Germ. more clearlyanswers to
this judgment than the largerEd.—E. B.] For, Which of the prophets not
expresses,with the addition of feeling, the same meaning as, all the prophets;
whence the construction should be, [“Which of the prophets have not your
fathers persecutedand slain,” i.e.] all the prophets, who announced or showed
before, etc. Syllepsis. [Append. Where the sense regulates the construction
more than the words; as here the Plural, τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας, refers to
the antecedentplural implied in the singular, τίνα τῶν προφητῶν;]— περὶ τῆς

8. ἐλεύσεως, concerning the coming) Whence He is so often called ὁ ἐρχόμενος,
the Comer, He who is to come.— τοῦ δικαίου, ofthe JustOne) A remarkable
Antonomasia [substitution of an appellative designationfor a proper name].
The true Messiahis the Just Author of justice or righteousness.—νῦν, now)
The now answers to the before in who announced or showedbefore.—
προδοται, betrayers)to Pilate. Referthis to the previous, persecuted.—
φονεῖς, murderers) Pilate delivering Him up to them. Referthis to the
previous, have slain.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? This is the rather
said to stain all their glory from succession, and their ancestors,Matthew 5:12
23:31,37.
The Just One; our Saviour deservedly, and by way of eminence, is so called;
as not only being himself just, and fulfilling all righteousness,but being The
Lord our Righteousness, Jeremiah23:6, and is of God made unto us, wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, andredemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30. This word
is used in a forensic sense, and is the same with innocent, and opposite to
guilty; whereby St. Stephen vindicates our Saviour, notwithstanding the
unjust sentence passedhere upon him.
The betrayers, in hiring Judas, and murderers, in that they excitedPilate to
condemn him, and abettedthe soldiers and others in executing of him.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
The Just One; Jesus Christ. Acts 3:14; 2 Chronicles 36:16;Matthew 26:66;
Matthew 27:20-26;John 19:12-18.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges

9. 52. τίνα κ.τ.λ., which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? Cf. the
history 2 Chronicles 36:16, ‘they mockedthe messengersofGod and despised
His words and misused His prophets.’ And Christ (Matthew 23:37)brought
the same charge againstJerusalem, ‘thou that killest the prophets.’
τοῦ δικαίου, ofthe righteous One. Jesus is so named by St John (1 John 2:1),
and the name also occurs with the same applicationActs 3:14; Acts 22:14,
where the same rendering should be given that the passages maybe brought
into due connexion.
ἐγένεσθε, ye are become. Thus proving yourselves true children of those who
misused the prophets of old time.
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
“Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those
who showedbefore of the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have
now become betrayers and murderers,”
Now Stephen gets to the heart of the matter. Their fathers had revealed what
was in their uncircumcised hearts by persecuting the prophets. Indeed, they
had bared their hearts by even killing some who had proclaimed beforehand
the coming of the Righteous One (Isaiahwho according to their tradition was
sawnin half in the reign of Mansseh, was probably especiallyin mind). They
had revealedthat they had not wanted the Righteous One to come if He was as
the prophets had said. And now they themselves had gone even further and
had betrayed and murdered the Righteous One Himself. They were all of a
piece. It must be seenas quite possible at this point that Stephen in his faith
and enthusiasm still hoped that they would repent if he pressedthem hard
enough.
Apart from the last all these accusations hadbeen made againstthe people of
Israelbefore by their own teachers (2 Chronicles 36:15-16;Nehemiah9:26;
Jeremiah2:30) and by Jesus Himself (Matthew 23:29-31;Matthew 23:37;
Luke 11:47-50;Luke 13:34;Mark 12:1-10). As for the killing of the Righteous

10. One Himself Peterhad previously made that very clear(Acts 2:23; Acts 3:14-
15; Acts 5:28). The charges were not new. They simply rankled.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
52. Which of the prophets—This is not equivalent, as some would understand
it, to saying that every prophet, without exception, had been persecuted. Being
but a question, it allows that some exceptionalreply may be made.
Them which showedbefore—The particularprophets who predicted the
Messiah.
The Just One—Same as the Holy One of Peter, Acts 2:27; Acts 3:14.
Betrayers and murderers—The same charge was repeatedlymade by Peteron
the day of Pentecostand in chap. 3.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
The Sanhedrin members were behaving just as their forefathers had. Note
that Stephen had previously associatedhimself with "our fathers" ( Acts 7:2;
Acts 7:11-12;Acts 7:15; Acts 7:19; Acts 7:39; Acts 7:44-45), but now he
disassociatedhimself from the Sanhedrin by referring to "your fathers."
"Our fathers" were the trusting and obeying patriarchs, but "your fathers"
were the unresponsive apostates.The Jews" ill treatment of their prophets
was well knownand self-admitted (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16;Nehemiah9:26;
Jeremiah2:30). They had consistentlyresistedGod"s messengers to them,
even killing the heralds of God"s Righteous One (cf. Acts 3:14; 1 Kings 19:10;
1 Kings 19:14; Nehemiah9:26; Jeremiah26:20-24;Luke 6:23; Luke 11:49;
Luke 13:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:15;Hebrews 11:36-38). Stephensaid the
Sanhedrin members were responsible for the betrayal and murder of that one,
Jesus.

11. Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Acts 7:52. The Just One. This title was used by the Jews as a designation of
the Messiah. ‘This sentence (ofStephen’s) seems to have been in the mind of
the secondapostolic martyr at Jerusalem, St. James, whenhe wrote his epistle
a little before his own martyrdom,’ James 5:6 (Wordsworth).
The Expositor's Greek Testament
Acts 7:52. τίνα τῶν προφ.— ἀσυνδέτως, to mark the vehemence of the speech,
as above, Acts 7:51 : cf. 2 Chronicles 36:16 for the generalstatement, and for
individual cases, Jeremiah, Amos, and probably Isaiah, the prophet just
quoted. We may compare the words of our Lord, Matthew 5:12, Luke 13:34,
and also Luke 11:49, Matthew 23:29-37 where the same words ἐδίωξανand
ἀπέκτεινανare used of the treatment of the prophets.— καὶ ἀπέκ.:“they even
slew”—perhaps the force of καί (Wendt), “they slew them also” (Rendall).—
ἐλεύσεως: only here in the N.T., not in LXX or Apocrypha, or in classical
writers, but found in Acta Thomæ 28, and in Iren., i., 10, in plural, of the first
and secondadvent of Christ (see also Dion. Hal., iii., 59).— τοῦ δικαίου, see
Acts 3:14 and note. It has been suggestedthat it is used here and elsewhere of
our Lord from His ownemployment of the same word in Matthew 23:29,
where He speaks ofthe tombs τῶν δικαίωνwhom the fathers had slain whilst
the children adorned their sepulchres. But it is more probable that the word
was applied to our Lord from the LXX use of it, cf. Isaiah53:11. Even those
Jews who rejectedthe idea of an atoning MessiahacknowledgedthatHis
personalrighteousness was His real claim to the Messianic dignity, Weber,
Jüdische Theologie, p. 362;Taylor, Sayings of the JewishFathers, p. 185,
secondedition. We cannotforget that one of those present who heard St.
Stephen’s burning words was himself to see the Just One and to carry on the
martyr’s work, cf. Acts 22:14, ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιονκ. τ. λ.— νῦν ἐγένεσθε: “of

12. whom ye have now become,” R.V., the spirit of their fathers was still alive,
and they had acted as their fathers had done; ὑμεῖς again emphatic.
Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible
Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they
killed them that showedbefore of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom
ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
"DID NOT YOUR FATHERS PERSECUTE?"-Jesus hadtaught the same
thing (Matthew 21:33;Matthew 5:12; Luke 13:34. Even though the present
generationrepudiated the actions of their ancestors,they still were acting in
the same manner towards the messengerssentfrom God (Matthew 23:29-37).
"OF WHOM YE HAVE NOW BECOME BETRAYERSAND
MURDERERS"-This was saidto the very Sanhedrin and the same High
Priestthat had handed Jesus overto the Romanauthorities and had pressed
for His execution.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
have, &c. = did . . . persecute.
have slain = slew.
shewedbefore. Greek. prokatangello. SeeActs 3:18.
coming. Greek. eleusis. Only here. the Just One. Greek. dikaios. App-191.
Compare Acts 3:14; Acts 22:14. 1 John 2:1.
have been = became.
the. Omit.
betrayers. Greek. prodotes. Here, Luke 6:16. 2 Timothy 3:4.

13. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain
them which shewedbefore of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have
been now the betrayers and murderers:
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain
them which showedbefore of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have
been , [ gegeneesthe (Greek#1096)] - rather, 'ye were'[ egenesthe (Greek
#1096)]being the better supported reading,
Now the betrayers and murderers. In these most withering words the still
darker features of the national characterare boldly held up-deadly hostility to
the messengers ofGod, whose highestmission was to announce the coming of
"THE RIGHTEOUS ONE," that well-knownprophetic title of Messiah
(Isaiah 53:11;Jeremiah23:6; etc.), and this crime, consummated by the
betrayal and murder of MessiahHimself by their own hands. One word more
is added.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(52) Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?—St. Stephen
echoes, as it were, our Lord’s ownwords (Matthew 5:12; Luke 13:34). Every
witness for the truth had in his day had to suffer. The prophet was not only
“without honour,” but was exposedto shame, treated as an enemy,
condemned to death. 1 Thessalonians2:15, perhaps, reproduces the same fact,
but more probably refers to the sufferings of the prophets of the Christian
Church who were treatedas their predecessorshad been.
The coming of the Just One.—The name does not appear to have been one of
the receivedtitles of the expected Messiah, but may have been suggestedby
Isaiah11:4-5. It seems to have been acceptedby the Church of Jerusalem, and
in 1 John 2:1, and, perhaps, in James 5:6, we find examples of its application.
The recentuse of it by Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19)may have helped to give
prominence to it. He who had been condemned as a malefactorwas
emphatically, above all the sons of men, the “righteous,” the “JustOne.”

14. The betrayers and murderers.—The two words emphasise, the first the actof
the Sanhedrin and the people, and secondly, the persistence with which they
urged on Pilate the sentence ofdeath, and which made them not merely
accessories, but principals in the deed of blood.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Acts 7:52 "Whichone of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They
killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;(NASB: Lockman)
KJV Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and
they have slain them which shewedbefore of the coming of the Just One; of
whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Which one of the prophets 1 Sa 8:7,8;1 Ki 19:10,14;2 Chr 24:19-22;36:16;
Neh 9:26; Jer 2:30; Jer20:2; 26:15,23;Mt 5:12; Mt 21:35-41;Mt 23:29-39;Lk
11:47-51, 13:33,34;1 Th 2:15
had previously announced the coming Acts 3:18,24;1 Peter1:11; Rev 19:10
the Righteous One Acts 3:14; 22:14; Zech 9:9; 1 John 2:1; Rev 3:7
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become Acts 2:23; 3:15; 4:10;
5:28-30
Acts 7 Resources -Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
JESUS CHRIST:
THE RIGHTEOUS ONE

15. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? - Clearly a
rhetoricalquestion and the answeris they persecutedthem ALL! Notice that
Stephen no longer says "our fathers" (as in Acts 7:2, 11, 12, 15, 19, 38, 39, 44,
45), but your fathers (Acts 7:51, 52). Stephen does not want to be identified
with their evil deeds againstGod's prophets! I like the NLT paraphrase
"Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute!"
Persecute (1377)(dioko)whichBDAG says means "to move rapidly and
decisivelytoward an objective," whichis an interesting description as this is
exactly what the Sanhedrin would do in order to stone Stephen in a few
minutes! And then a few days later Saul who was watching Stephen's stoning
would hear Jesus ask “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting (dioko) Me?...Iam
Jesus you are persecuting (dioko).” (Acts 9:4-5+).
Dioko is used by Luke 9 times in Acts - Acts 7:52; Acts 9:4; Acts 9:5; Acts
22:4; Acts 22:7; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:11; Acts 26:14;Acts 26:15
Your fathers - See your fathers repeatedby Jesus whenHe issueda similar
scathing rebuke (which some of Stephen's hearers may have heard or at least
heard about -- and now it was being castat them!)...
“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers
who killed them. 48 “So you are witnesses andapprove the deeds of your
fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49
“Forthis reasonalso the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets
and apostles, andsome of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50
so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world,
may be chargedagainstthis generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood
of Zechariah, who was killed betweenthe altar and the house of God; yes, I
tell you, it shall be chargedagainstthis generation. ’(Luke 11:47-51+)
Here is a similar but expanded denunciation by Jesus in which He alluded to
how their fathers had mistreated the prophets of old...
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!For you build the tombs of the
prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had
been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with

16. them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31“So you testify against
yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 “Fill up,
then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 “You serpents, you brood of
vipers, how will you escape the sentence ofhell? 34 “Therefore, behold, I am
sending you prophets and wise men (STEPHEN WAS A MAN FULL OF
WISDOM - Acts 6:3,10+) and scribes;some of them you will kill (LIKE THE
WERE ABOUT TO DO TO STEPHEN)and crucify, and some of them you
will scourge in your synagogues, andpersecute from city to city, 35 so that
upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the
blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom
you murdered betweenthe temple and the altar. 36 “Truly I say to you, all
these things will come upon this generation. 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who
kills the prophets and stones those who are sentto her (SEE Acts 7:58+)! How
often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 “Behold, your house is
being left to you desolate!39 “ForI say to you, from now on you will not see
Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE
LORD!’” (ED: THEY WILL IN ESSENCEDO THIS AT THE END OF THE
GREAT TRIBULATION WHEN JESUS RETURNS - SEE Zech 12:10-14+,
Zech 13:1+) (Mt 23:29-39)
They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous
One - Their ancestors hadkilled the true prophets of God those who predicted
the coming of their Messiah.
The MoodyBible Commentary notes that this statement"is not an
affirmation of the church's long-held Christ-killer charge againstthe Jewish
people as a whole, but rather to identify the Sanhedrin's role (with the
Gentiles)in the conspiracyagainstJesus."
The Righteous One - This Name of God is found 5 times - Ex 9:27, Isa 24:16,
Isa 53:11, Acts 7:52, and Acts 22:14. This Messianictitle of Jesus would have
grated on the consciences ofthe Sanhedrin for they very likely had heard it
used in Isaiah 53 where God referred to Jesus declaring "by His knowledge
the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many as He will bear their

17. iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11+). In any event this title would have emphasized
Jesus'innocence and the seriousness oftheir crime.
Righteous (Just) (1342)(dikaios)fromdike = right, just) defines that which is
in accordancewith high standards of rectitude. It is that which is in right
relation to another and so in reference to persons defines the one who is
morally and ethically righteous, upright or just. Stephen is saying that Jesus is
rightly relatedto Godand because ofHis right relationship, His characterwas
always associatedwith righteous conduct. This statement would have been
especiallygalling to these self-righteous hypocrites.
Peterhad uttered a similar accusationagainsthis Jewishhearers...
“But you disownedthe Holy and Righteous One and askedfor a murderer to
be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God
raisedfrom the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.(Acts3:14-15)
Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become - So while their fathers
had killed the prophets who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, the
prophet like Moses(Acts 7:37+), Stephen's hearers had actually killed the
Righteous One! The harsh critique has OT precedent as shownin the
following passages...
2 Chr 36:15-16 - The LORD, the Godof their fathers, sent word to them again
and againby His messengers, becauseHe had compassiononHis people and
on His dwelling place; but (TRAGIC TERM OF CONTRAST!)they
continually mockedthe messengers ofGod, despisedHis words and scoffedat
His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose againstHis people, until
there was no remedy.
Neh 9:26 “(Neh9::24 “So their sons entered and possessedthe land") But
(ANOTHER TRAGIC TERM OF CONTRAST!)they became disobedient
and rebelled againstYou, And castYour law behind their backs And killed
Your prophets who had admonished them So that they might return to You,
And they committed greatblasphemies.
Betrayers (4273)(prodotesfrom prodídomi = to give away, to betray from pró
= forth + dídomi = give) describes men who who betray another’s trust and

18. confidence or are false to an obligation or duty. This is the man who delivers a
person without justification into the control of someone else. Thesemen
betray confidence and trust put in them. Luke describes the prototypical
traitor "Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
(prodotes) (Lk 6:16+)
Robertsonon betrayers - Just like Judas Iscariot. He hurled this old biting
word at them. In the N.T. only here and Luke 6:16; 2 Ti 3:4+. It cut like a
knife. It is blunter than Peterin Acts 3:13.
Murderers (5406)(phoneus from phoneuo = to kill) means one who takes
another person's life. There are no uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint.
Robertsonadds "The climax with this sharp word used of Barabbas (Acts
3:14+)."
Wikipedia says murder "is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of
another human, and generallythis premeditated state of mind distinguishes
murder from other forms of unlawful homicide."
Phoneus - 7x in 7v - murderer(3), murderers(4). Matt. 22:7; Acts 3:14; Acts
7:52; Acts 28:4; 1 Pet. 4:15; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15
Gilbrant - Phoneus, “murderer,” occurs seventimes in the New Testament,
though other words for “killing” are fairly common. It is apparently distinct
from the killing of animal or plant life or even the unavoidable or judicial
taking of human life. A murderer is one who deliberately takes the life of
another human being for personal and evil reasons. Usuallyit was used to
describe the Jewishleaders (Matthew 22:7; Acts 7:52; 28:4; 1 Peter4:15), but
it can also be found in generallists of vices (Revelation21:8; 22:15).
(Complete Biblical Library Greek-EnglishDictionary)
Constable observes that "Stephen’s purpose was also to show that Jesus
experiencedthe same things Abraham, Joseph, and Moses had experiencedas
God’s anointed servants. As the Sanhedrin recognizedthem as men whom
God had anointed for the blessing of Israeland the world, so should they
recognize Jesus. The people to whom these three patriarchs went as God’s

19. representatives allinitially rejectedthem but later acceptedthem, which was
also Jesus’experience."(Acts 7 Commentary)