John Bengel Commentary - Acts 7:53 - 7:53

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John Bengel Commentary - Acts 7:53 - 7:53


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Act 7:53. Οἵτινες, who) He proves, from the deed which they had perpetrated upon the Christ, that they had not kept the law. Comp. Joh 7:19.-ἐλάβετε, have received) with subjection, in the first instance.-εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων, into, as to [by] the dispositions of angels) [as being the ordinances established by angels]. This indicates the majesty of the law: Gal 4:14, “Ye received me as an angel of God.” The angels on Sinai appeared under the appearance of a flame. Comp. Gal 3:19 (διαταγεὶς δἰ ἀγγέλων), Heb 2:2. Εἰς, at, in respect to, or by reason of, as in Rom 4:20 (εἰς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν: he staggered not at it in unbelief, as being the promise of God). The Jews received the law as that which was to be regarded in the light that angelical ordinances would deserve to be regarded; namely, with the highest reverence. God has the angels for His ministers. Hence, what is angelic, is certainly also divine.-οὐκ ἐφυλάξατε, have not kept it) with all your phylacteries [alluding to the verb ἐφύλαξατε]. He who believes on Christ, establishes the law: he who sets aside Christ, sets aside the law. Reason would think that these last words of Stephen ought to have been suppressed by him, because he had by this time completed his defence. But in the state of one making confession of the truth, all things ought to be said, which the glory of GOD and the salvation of the hearers demand.