Acts 7:41

At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin during his trial, recounting Israel’s wilderness rebellion immediately after noting their demand to Aaron for a visible leader. This moment captures the rapid transition from Exodus deliverance to idolatrous worship.

The words — The Greek ἐμοσχοποίησαν (emoschopoiēsan) literally means "they made a calf," while ἀνήγαγον (anēgagon) translates to "offered" or "brought up." These terms directly record the physical crafting and presentation of the idol.

The thread — This event parallels the rebellion at Horeb in Psalm 106:19 and Nehemiah 9:18, where Israel similarly crafted a molten image and claimed it as their deliverer. The pattern of idolatrous rejoicing is also condemned in Hosea 9:1.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that replacing divine guidance with self-made solutions results in spiritual abandonment. It requires the reader to examine whether their trust rests in God’s provision or in human craftsmanship.

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

καὶkaiAnd ἐμοσχοποίησανemoschopoiēsanthey made a calf ἐνenin ταῖςtaisthe ἡμέραιςhēmeraisdays ἐκείναιςekeinaisthose καὶkaiand ἀνήγαγονanēgagonoffered θυσίανthusiana sacrifice τῷtōto the εἰδώλῳeidōlōidol καὶkaiand εὐφραίνοντοeuphrainontothey were rejoicing ἐνenin τοῖςtoisthe ἔργοιςergoisworks τῶνtōnof the χειρῶνcheirōnhands αὐτῶν.autōnof them.

King James Version

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Cross-references

Psalms 106:19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.
Nehemiah 9:18 Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,
Hosea 9:1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
Habakkuk 2:18 What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Revelation 9:20 Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
Exodus 32:2 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
Exodus 32:17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
Deuteronomy 9:12 And the LORD said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten image.”
Isaiah 2:8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.