Acts 7:49

‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin during his trial, quoting a prophetic declaration to explain that the Most High does not dwell in human-made temples.

The words — The Greek οὐρανός (ouranos) means heaven and θρόνος (thronos) means throne, establishing a spatial contrast between divine sovereignty and the earth as His footstool.

The thread — This declaration directly quotes Isaiah 66:1, which asks what house can contain the Lord, and aligns with the biblical pattern that God’s presence transcends physical locations like the temple or mountain worship sites.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to stop treating worship as a geographic or architectural project and instead acknowledge that God occupies all space by His own making.

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

Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Cross-references

Isaiah 66:1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
John 4:21 “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 23:24 “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
Revelation 3:21 To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
1 Kings 22:19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
Matthew 5:34 But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Matthew 23:22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in deceptive words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’
Matthew 24:2 “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”