Bible Strands
Acts 7:12
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin while recounting Israel’s patriarchal history, specifically noting the famine that preceded Jacob’s sons traveling to Egypt.
The words — Ἀκούσας (Akousas) literally means “having heard,” and ἐξαπέστειλεν (exapesteilen) means “he sent forth,” marking the decisive response to the famine report.
The thread — This event parallels Genesis 42:1, where Jacob learns of grain in Egypt, and Genesis 43:2, where the family must return to purchase more.
Why it lands — The text records a historical trigger for Israel’s descent into Egypt, requiring the reader to trace how famine and provision set the stage for later covenant fulfillment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
Cross-references
- Genesis 42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
- Genesis 43:2 So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”