Bible Strands
Acts 7:60
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Stephen speaks to the Lord while being stoned by a hostile crowd, immediately after committing his spirit to Jesus. He addresses his executioners, asking that their sin not be counted against them.
The words — θεὶς (theis) literally means "having fallen" or "having placed," describing the physical act of kneeling. ἔκραξεν (ekraxen) means "he cried out," denoting a loud, public vocalization.
The thread — This plea parallels Jesus’ prayer on the cross in Luke 23:34 and fulfills the command to pray for persecutors in Matthew 5:44. The closing phrase "fell asleep" aligns with the apostolic usage of death as a temporary state in 1 Corinthians 15:20.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that the believer’s final words model active forgiveness toward attackers rather than retaliation. It requires the reader to accept that peaceful death and divine pardon are presented as simultaneous realities.
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
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Cross-references
- Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.
- Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
- Acts 9:40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
- Acts 20:36 When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
- Luke 22:41 And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed,
- Acts 13:36 For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.