Bible Strands
Acts 7:8
Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Stephen addresses the Jewish council while recounting Israel’s history, positioned between the declaration of future Egyptian bondage (Acts 7:7) and the patriarchs’ betrayal of Joseph (Acts 7:9).
The words — ἔδωκεν (edōken) means He gave, and διαθήκην (diathēkēn) means covenant, describing God’s formal bestowal of the circumcision agreement to Abraham.
The thread — The lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the circumcision covenant reappears in Genesis 17:9, Genesis 21:1, and Genesis 35:23.
Why it lands — The text records the historical transmission of God’s covenant through three generations before demanding acknowledgment that divine promises persist across human failure.
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 gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
Cross-references
- Genesis 17:9 God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you.
- Genesis 35:23 The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
- Genesis 21:1 Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.
- Genesis 25:21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
- Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
- Genesis 35:16 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
- Genesis 35:18 And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.
- Exodus 1:1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
- 1 Chronicles 1:34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.
- 1 Chronicles 2:1 These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,