Question 1

What does Stephen say motivated the patriarchs’ action toward Joseph, and what exactly did they do?

Accepted Answer

Stephen names jealousy as the driving motive and describes a concrete action: they sold Joseph into Egypt (vv. 9–10). In his retelling, the wrong is not vague family tension but an intentional removal of Joseph from the family’s life. This sets up a contrast Stephen wants the audience to notice: the patriarchs are foundational figures (“the patriarchs”), yet they can still act in a way that opposes God’s later purposes. The sale also relocates the story outside the promised land, which matters for Stephen’s larger speech about God working beyond Israel’s borders.

Question 2

How do verses 9–10 describe God’s involvement with Joseph after he is sold?

Accepted Answer

Stephen uses three linked claims: God was with Joseph, God delivered him out of all his afflictions, and God gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh (vv. 9–10). The passage portrays God’s help as both protective (“delivered”) and enabling (“favor and wisdom”) within a foreign political setting. The result is Joseph’s elevation to governor over Egypt and Pharaoh’s household. Stephen’s point is not only that Joseph survives, but that God’s presence can lead to real authority and influence in a place that is not Israel.

Question 3

What role does the famine play in moving the narrative forward in verses 11–12?

Accepted Answer

The famine affects both Egypt and Canaan and creates “great affliction,” leaving “our fathers” without food (v. 11). This crisis pushes Jacob to send the brothers to Egypt when he hears grain is available (v. 12). In other words, the family’s need becomes the mechanism that brings them back into contact with Joseph. Stephen’s summary highlights how a regional disaster drives migration and dependence across borders. The famine also intensifies the reversal: those who once expelled Joseph now must go to the place where he has been raised to power.

Question 4

What happens on the second trip to Egypt, and why might Stephen emphasize it?

Accepted Answer

On the second visit, Joseph is “made known” to his brothers, and Joseph’s “race” (family connection/lineage) is revealed to Pharaoh (v. 13). Stephen’s emphasis on “the second time” highlights delayed recognition: initial contact does not bring understanding, but later engagement leads to disclosure and clarity. The second detail suggests Joseph’s identity becomes publicly acknowledged at the highest level of Egypt’s power structure, changing the family’s status and safety. In Stephen’s larger speech, this supports a pattern where God’s chosen agent is not recognized immediately by his own people.

Question 5

According to verses 14–15, who moves to Egypt, and what outcome does Stephen mention afterward?

Accepted Answer

Joseph sends for Jacob and “all his relatives,” giving a total of seventy-five persons (v. 14). Stephen then says Jacob goes down into Egypt and later dies there, “himself and our fathers” (v. 15). The passage traces a multi-generation movement: the family relocates because of Joseph’s invitation and provision, and the patriarch generation ends its life in Egypt. Stephen is compressing a long span of Genesis history into a few lines, keeping focus on how God’s deliverance worked through relocation and preservation during crisis.

Question 6

What does verse 16 claim about burial, and what questions does it raise?

Accepted Answer

Stephen says “they were brought back to Shechem” and laid in a tomb described as purchased by Abraham for silver from the sons of Hamor of Shechem (v. 16). The claim ties the family’s story back to the land through burial, even after death in Egypt. It also raises historical-literary questions because Old Testament accounts connect different purchases with different figures and locations, and readers debate how Stephen’s wording relates to those traditions. Regardless, Stephen’s summary uses burial to underline continuity of the family line and its link to the promised land.

Acts 7:9-16

Scripture