Bible Strands
Acts 8:2
God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of Stephen’s execution, noting that devout men perform his burial rites while Saul stands by approving the stoning. This occurs during the initial persecution that scatters the Jerusalem church except for the apostles.
The words — The verb συνεκόμισαν (sunekomisan) literally means "buried" or "conducted burial rites," denoting formal interment. The adjective εὐλαβεῖς (eulabeis) translates as "devout" or "God-fearing," identifying the men who carried out the rites.
The thread — This account follows the established pattern of honoring the faithful dead found in Genesis 23:2, Genesis 50:10, and Numbers 20:29. The text places Stephen’s death within the continuity of Jewish burial and lament customs.
Why it lands — The passage states that men who feared God performed the burial and lamented Stephen. It requires the reader to observe that early believers maintained formal mourning practices even while facing violent opposition.
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 devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
Cross-references
- Genesis 50:10 When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
- Genesis 23:2 She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
- Numbers 20:29 When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
- Deuteronomy 34:8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
- 1 Samuel 28:3 Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
- 2 Samuel 3:31 Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.
- 2 Chronicles 35:25 Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers recite laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments.
- Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil.
- Jeremiah 22:10 Do not weep for him who is dead; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for him who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.