Acts 7 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

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The speech before the Sanhedrin: the God of glory from Abraham to the Righteous One 7:1–53

vv. 1–2a — the high priest's question and the address

And the high priest said, 'Are these things so?'independent — the hearing's single question (εἰ introducing a direct question, Septuagintal) — the presiding judge opens the floor on the charges of 6:13–14

And he said:independent — the speech-frame — from this one ἔφη the whole defence (vv. 2–53), the longest speech in the NT, hangs

'Men — brothers and fathers — hear me.content — the captatio — the same address Paul will use before the same city (22:1); Stephen claims the family before indicting it

vv. 2b–8 — Abraham: called out, kept landless, given promise and covenant

The God of glory appeared to our father Abrahamcontent — ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης (Ps 29:3) — the keynote: glory appearing outside the land, before temple or law; the phrase returns as δόξα θεοῦ at v. 55

while he was in Mesopotamia,participial — temporal participle agreeing with Ἀβραάμ — the call located in Ur, before Haran (Gen 15:7; Neh 9:7)

before he settled in Haran,phrase modifier — πρὶν ἤ + accusative-and-infinitive — Stephen antedates the Gen 12:1 call to Ur, reading Genesis with Gen 15:7

and said to him,content — coordinate with ὤφθη — the appearing becomes a word

'Go out from your land and from your kindred,content — Gen 12:1 LXX — God's speech nested within Stephen's; the double ἐκ strips country and clan

and come into the landcontent — δεῦρο — the summons toward an unnamed destination; reissued to Moses at v. 34

that I will show you.'relative — ἄν + future δείξω — the land known only in the showing: faith's itinerary

Then, going out from the land of the Chaldeans,participial — forward-leaning on κατῴκησεν — obedience narrated in the call's own verb: ἐξελθών answering Ἔξελθε

he settled in Haran;content — the first, partial settlement — still short of the land

and from there, after his father died, God resettled him into this landcontent — crux — μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν harmonizes Gen 11:26, 32 with 12:4 (so also Philo, Migr. 177); the subject slides silently to God (μετῴκισεν, the verb of v. 43)

in which you are now living;relative — the first ὑμεῖς — the audience made tenants of a promise they did not earn

and he gave him no inheritance in it — not even a foot's length —content — βῆμα ποδός (Deut 2:5) — the patriarch lives landless in the land

and yet he promisedcontent — the pivot from possession to promise — ἐπαγγελία, the speech's load-bearing word (v. 17)

to give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him,content — complement infinitive — Gen 17:8 LXX (εἰς κατάσχεσιν); κατάσχεσις returns redeemed at v. 45

though he had no child.participial — concessive genitive absolute — promise against the evidence (Gen 15:2–3)

And God spoke to this effect:content — the citation formula for Gen 15:13–14

that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land,content — πάροικος — the speech's theology of exile: the promise ripens outside the land (cf. v. 29)

and they will enslave and mistreat it four hundred years;content — the round figure of Gen 15:13 (Exod 12:40 has 430) — κακόω returns at vv. 19 and 34

'and the nation that they serve, I will judge,'content — the oracle turns direct — fronted τὸ ἔθνος, emphatic final ἐγώ; ἐάν + future indicative, Koine indefiniteness

said God,content — parenthetical re-attribution inside the quotation — Stephen keeps the divine speaker before his judges

'and after these things they will come outcontent — Gen 15:14 — the exodus promised from inside the covenant, four centuries early

and will worship me in this place.'content — Exod 3:12 grafted onto Genesis — worship, not real estate, as the promise's goal: ὁ τόπος οὗτος answering the τόπος-charge of 6:13–14

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision.content — Gen 17:10 — the ἔδωκεν the land withheld (v. 5), given as covenant sign

And so he fathered Isaaccontent — οὕτως — under that covenant: the promise at last embodied

and circumcised him on the eighth day,content — Gen 21:4 — circumcision kept in the flesh, against the 'uncircumcised hearts' of v. 51

and Isaac, Jacob,content — ἐγέννησεν gapped — the genealogy accelerates

and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.content — the verb still gapped — οἱ πατριάρχαι named just in time to sell their brother (v. 9)

vv. 9–16 — Joseph: sold out of jealousy, and God was with him

And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt;content — ζηλώσαντες (Gen 37:11) — the first rejection of a God-sent deliverer: the speech's pattern begins

and God was with him,content — Gen 39:2, 21 — the counter-clause: rejected below, accompanied above

and rescued him out of all his afflictions,content — ἐξαιρέομαι — the rescue-verb God will use of the whole nation at v. 34

and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt,content — Gen 39:21; 41:38–39 — χάρις and σοφία, the very pair Luke gives Stephen himself (6:8, 10)

and he appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.content — the subject slides to Pharaoh (Gen 41:43) — καθίστημι, the 'Who appointed you?' verb of vv. 27 and 35

Then a famine came upon all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction,content — Gen 41:54–57 — θλῖψις again: the affliction out of which the rejected one will feed his rejecters

and our fathers could find no sustenance.content — iterative imperfect ηὕρισκον — kept searching, kept failing; οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, still 'ours'

But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt,participial — forward-leaning on ἐξαπέστειλεν — participial indirect discourse (ὄντα); εἰς for ἐν, Koine

sent our fathers out a first time;content — πρῶτον setting up the fateful δεύτερον of v. 13 (Gen 42:1–2)

and on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brothers,content — ἀνεγνωρίσθη (Gen 45:1 LXX) — recognition only at the second encounter: the two-visit pattern Stephen is building toward Jesus

and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.content — τὸ γένος — the covenant clan surfaces in the empire's court (Gen 45:16)

And Joseph sentparticipial — forward-leaning on μετεκαλέσατο — the sold one now the summoner

and called for Jacob his father and all the kindred — seventy-five souls.content — crux — ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε follows LXX Gen 46:27 and Exod 1:5 against the MT's seventy

And Jacob went down into Egypt,content — κατέβη — the descent that begins the four hundred years of v. 6

and he died — he and our fathers —content — all the patriarchs die outside the land: the promise still unpaid (cf. v. 5)

and they were carried back to Shechemcontent — μετετέθησαν — in this speech even burial is a migration

and laid in the tombcontent — the fathers rest in Samaritan ground — a pointed note before a Jerusalem court

that Abraham had bought for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.relative — crux — Gen 23 (Abraham at Machpelah) conflated with Gen 33:19 (Jacob at Shechem); the telescoped tradition is kept unharmonized; ᾧ by attraction; τιμῆς, genitive of price

vv. 17–22 — the promise ripens: oppression in Egypt and the birth of Moses

But as the time of the promise that God had pledged to Abraham drew near,comparative — temporal καθώς (BDAG 3) — forward-leaning on ηὔξησεν; ἧς attracted to τῆς ἐπαγγελίας; ὡμολόγησεν, God on record

the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,content — Exod 1:7 in creation-blessing verbs (Gen 1:28) — the promise keeps its own clock

until another king arose over Egyptrelative — temporal-relative ἄχρι οὗ — Exod 1:8; ἕτερος, a different kind of king; ἀνέστη, the verb God will claim at v. 37

who did not know Joseph.relative — forgetting as policy — the saved forget the savior: the speech's other pattern

He dealt craftily with our race and mistreated our fathers,content — κατασοφίζομαι (Exod 1:10 LXX) — 'out-wisdomed'; ἐκάκωσεν, Gen 15:13 (v. 6) fulfilled to the letter

making them expose their infantscontent — τοῦ + infinitive of intended result — ἔκθετα, the exposure v. 21 will turn to salvation

so that they would not be kept alive.purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive of purpose — ζῳογονεῖσθαι, the midwives' verb (Exod 1:17 LXX)

At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God;content — incorporated relative (ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ) — ἀστεῖος (Exod 2:2 LXX); the dative τῷ θεῷ an intensifying 'before God' (cf. Jon 3:3 LXX)

who was nursed three months in his father's house,relative — continuative relative — the first of the nurture-verbs (ἀνατρέφω, vv. 20–21)

and when he was exposed,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἀνείλατο; the deliverer suffers the fate decreed at v. 19

Pharaoh's daughter took him upcontent — ἀναιρέομαι in its adoption sense (Exod 2:5) — the oppressor's own house rears the liberator

and reared him as her own son.content — ἑαυτῇ εἰς υἱόν — adoption formula; Moses formed inside Egypt

And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,content — a Hellenistic-Jewish commonplace (Philo, Mos. 1.21–24), not in Exodus — pagan learning claimed for God's man

and he was powerful in his words and deeds.content — the very phrase for Jesus at Luke 24:19 — the typology said out loud; contrast Moses' own protest, Exod 4:10

vv. 23–29 — the first forty years end: the visit, the rejection, the flight

But when a period of forty years was being completed for him,comparative — temporal ὡς — forward-leaning on ἀνέβη; the first of the life's three forties (vv. 30, 36; cf. Deut 34:7)

it came up into his heartcontent — Septuagintism (Jer 3:16; Isa 65:16) — the visitation begins inward

to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.content — epexegetic infinitive — ἐπισκέπτομαι, God's own visitation-verb (Luke 1:68; 7:16)

And seeing one of them being wronged,participial — forward-leaning on ἠμύνατο — ἀδικέω, the keyword of vv. 24–27

he came to his defensecontent — ἀμύνομαι — only here in the NT

and worked justice for the man being crushed,content — ἐκδίκησις — Moses acting as judge before being asked: the sting of v. 27

striking down the Egyptian.participial — participle of means — Exod 2:12, the burial in the sand left unmentioned

Now he supposed his brothers would understandcontent — Stephen's own interpretive aside — no Exodus warrant; imperfect ἐνόμιζεν, a sustained mistaken supposing

that God through his hand was giving them salvation;content — retained present δίδωσιν — διὰ χειρός, the idiom of vv. 35 and 45; σωτηρία already on offer

but they did not understand.content — four words carrying the whole indictment — the refrain of Israel's story (cf. Luke 24:25)

And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fightingcontent — ὤφθη — the theophany-verb of vv. 2 and 30 used of Moses: the deliverer 'appears' and is refused

and tried to reconcile them to peace,content — conative imperfect συνήλλασσεν — peacemaking attempted, not achieved

saying,participial — the speech-participle — Moses' words nested within Stephen's

'Men, you are brothers!content — the appeal to kinship — Stephen's own address (v. 2) on Moses' lips

Why are you wronging each other?'content — ἱνατί (Exod 2:13 LXX) — the wrong now brother against brother

But the one wronging his neighbor pushed him away,content — ἀπωθέομαι — the single shove that becomes the nation's verb at v. 39

saying,participial — the rejection given words

'Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?content — Exod 2:14 — the question God will answer at v. 35, title for title

Do you want to kill mecontent — μή expecting 'no' — but naming the fear; emphatic σύ

the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'comparative — ὃν τρόπον — the secret out within a day (Exod 2:14): the deed that exiles the deliverer

At this word Moses fledcontent — ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ — one sentence banishes him; the brothers' rejection, not Pharaoh's wrath (Exod 2:15), is Stephen's stated cause

and became a sojourner in the land of Midian,content — πάροικος — the deliverer joins the promise's exile pattern (v. 6)

where he fathered two sons.relative — Gershom and Eliezer (Exod 18:3–4) — a life rebuilt in exile

vv. 30–34 — the second forty: the bush, the holy ground, the sending

And when forty years had been fulfilled,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ὤφθη; the second forty (Exod 7:7), spent in Midian

an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush.content — ὤφθη again (vv. 2, 26) — holy ground far from Jerusalem; the ἄγγελος of Exod 3:2, about to speak as the Lord (v. 31)

And Moses, seeing it, marveled at the sight;content — imperfect ἐθαύμαζεν — wonder held, not momentary; ὅραμα, Luke's vision-word (9:10; 10:3)

and as he drew near to look,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἐγένετο; κατανοῆσαι, the looking he will not dare finish (v. 32)

there came the voice of the Lord:content — the angel's flame becomes the Lord's voice — Luke's easy angel/Lord alternation (cf. vv. 35, 38)

'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.'content — Exod 3:6 — verbless divine self-identification; the patriarchal triad, Jesus' own resurrection proof-text (Luke 20:37)

And Moses, becoming terrified, did not dare to look.content — ἔντρομος — the gaze of v. 31 broken off; imperfect ἐτόλμα, a sustained not-daring (contrast Stephen's ἀτενίσας, v. 55)

And the Lord said to him,content — now κύριος outright — the bush's occupant named

'Loose the sandal from your feet,content — Exod 3:5 — God's speech nested within Stephen's

for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.'cause — γῆ ἁγία in Midian — τόπος: holiness is where God stands, not where walls stand (against 6:13)

Surely I have seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt,content — ἰδὼν εἶδον — the Hebrew infinitive absolute (Exod 3:7) carried into Greek; κάκωσις, Gen 15:13 (v. 6) seen from heaven

and I have heard their groaning,content — seen, then heard — the senses of the covenant God (Exod 2:24)

and I have come downcontent — the divine κατέβην answering Jacob's κατέβη (v. 15) — God too goes down to Egypt

to rescue them.purpose — purpose infinitive — ἐξαιρέομαι, Joseph's rescue-verb (v. 10) now for the nation

And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'content — δεῦρο — Abraham's summons (v. 3) reissued; ἀποστελῶ, the sending v. 35 vindicates

vv. 35–38 — the οὗτος-encomium: the rejected one is the sent one

This Moses,phrase modifier — pendent accusative opening the fourfold οὗτος-anaphora (vv. 35, 36, 37, 38) — resumed by the second τοῦτον below

whom they denied,relative — ἀρνέομαι — the verb of Acts 3:13–14: the Moses–Jesus overlay made audible

saying,participial — the denial in their own recorded words

'Who appointed you ruler and judge?'content — v. 27 quoted back verbatim — with ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν dropped: the question now stands against them all

this man God has sent as both ruler and redeemer, with the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.content — resumptive τοῦτον — καὶ ἄρχοντα καὶ λυτρωτήν answers 'ruler and judge' and raises it (λυτρωτής only here in the NT); perfect ἀπέσταλκεν: the commission still stands

This man led them out,content — the second οὗτος — ἐξάγω, the exodus verb (Exod 3:10)

doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years.participial — τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα — Stephen's own charge-sheet phrase (6:8); the third forty completes the life

This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel,content — the third οὗτος — the attributive ὁ εἴπας makes Moses himself the witness for the prosecution

'A prophet God will raise up for you from your brothers, as he raised me.'content — Deut 18:15 — the speech's christological hinge (cf. 3:22); ἀναστήσει carrying resurrection overtones for Luke's readers

This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers,content — the fourth οὗτος — ἐκκλησία for the Sinai congregation (Deut 9:10 LXX): wilderness Israel named with the church's own word; Moses posted between angel and people, the mediator's place

who received living oraclesrelative — λόγια ζῶντα — the law honored as living speech: Stephen no antinomian (against 6:13)

to give to us.purpose — purpose infinitive — received in order to hand on; ἡμῖν: Stephen still inside the 'us'

vv. 39–43 — the refusal: the calf, the handing-over, and Amos 5:25–27

To him our fathers were not willing to become obedient;relative — the encomium pivots into indictment on a relative pronoun — refusal as an act of will (οὐκ ἠθέλησαν)

instead they pushed him awayrelative — ἀπωθέομαι again — the single shove of v. 27 now the nation's act

and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,relative — the return trip taken inwardly — geography of the heart (Num 14:3–4)

saying to Aaron,participial — the turning given words — Exod 32:1

'Make us godscontent — ποιέω + θεοί — the oxymoron of idolatry: manufactured deity ('making' runs through vv. 41, 43, 44, 48, 50)

who will go before us;relative — the pillar's office (Exod 13:21) reassigned to metal

for this Moses,phrase modifier — pendent nominative — anacoluthon, resumed by αὐτῷ; οὗτος now contemptuous on their lips

who led us out of the land of Egypt —relative — the exodus conceded in the act of deserting its leader

we do not know what has become of him.'content — the indirect question folded in — forty days' absence (Exod 24:18) undoing forty years' deliverance

And they made a calf in those dayscontent — ἐμοσχοποίησαν — a coined verb, 'calf-made': the absurdity in one word

and brought up a sacrifice to the idolcontent — θυσία to an εἴδωλον — the cult's forms kept, the object swapped

and rejoiced in the works of their hands.content — ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν — the prophets' idol-formula (Ps 115:4); the phrase that arms χειροποίητος at v. 48

But God turnedcontent — answering their ἐστράφησαν (v. 39) — they turned, so he turned

and handed them overcontent — παρέδωκεν — judicial abandonment (cf. Rom 1:24–28): the punishment is the permission

to worship the host of heaven,content — complement infinitive — λατρεύω: the worship promised at v. 7 given to the stars instead (Deut 4:19; 2 Kgs 21:3)

as it is written in the book of the prophets:comparative — the Twelve cited as one βίβλος — the formula for Amos 5:25–27 LXX

'Did you offer me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?content — Amos 5:25 — μή expects 'no': even the wilderness cult, God says, was not for me

You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan,content — Amos 5:26 LXX — the chapter's first σκηνή is an idol's; Ῥαιφάν, the LXX's rendering of Kaiwan (Saturn)

the images you made in order to worship them;phrase modifier — apposition to tent and star, its relative folded in — τύπος recurs in bono at v. 44; ποιέω again: worship of the made

and I will deport you beyond Babylon.'content — crux — Amos 5:27 has Damascus; Βαβυλῶνος (with the LXX tradition Stephen cites) extends the sentence to the exile that came; μετοικίζω, Abraham's resettling-verb (v. 4), now in judgment

vv. 44–50 — the tent and the house: the Most High does not dwell in the handmade

The tent of testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness,content — the true σκηνή set against Moloch's (v. 43) — dative of possession; a sanctuary that travels

just as the one who spoke to Moses directedcomparative — ὁ λαλῶν — God named by his speaking; the tent legitimate because commanded, not because built

to make it according to the patterncontent — the one sanctioned 'making' in the chapter — κατὰ τὸν τύπον (Exod 25:40): a copy answering to heaven

that he had seen;relative — pluperfect ἑωράκει — the mountain vision behind the artifact

which our fathers, receiving it in succession, also brought in with Joshua at the dispossession of the nationsrelative — μετὰ Ἰησοῦ — 'with Joshua', in Greek the name of Jesus; κατάσχεσις, the promise-word of v. 5 redeemed

whom God drove out from before the face of our fathers,relative — God the true conqueror — the fathers only walk in behind him

until the days of David;phrase modifier — the moving tent's whole era in three words — sufficiency without a house

who found favor before Godrelative — the chain runs on through David — εὗρεν χάριν, the Joseph-word (v. 10)

and asked leaverelative — Ps 132:1–5 — asked, not built: the request God deflected (2 Sam 7:5–7)

to find a dwelling for the house of Jacob.content — crux — τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰακώβ kept over the easier variant τῷ θεῷ: a tenting-place (σκήνωμα) for Jacob's house, not yet a house for God

But it was Solomon who built him a house.content — five words and a δέ — σκήνωμα becomes οἶκος; the whole argument tips on this hinge

Yet the Most High does not dwell in things made by hands,content — χειροποίητος — the LXX's idol-word (Lev 26:1; Isa 46:6) laid against the temple; ὁ ὕψιστος, the title above all houses

as the prophet says:comparative — Isaiah given the argument's last word — the formula for Isa 66:1–2

'Heaven is my throne,content — verbless — the cosmos as furniture

and the earth a footstool for my feet;content — verbless — footstool imagery about to recur at God's right hand (vv. 55–56)

what sort of house will you build for me — says the Lord —content — οἰκοδομήσετε echoing Solomon's οἰκοδόμησεν (v. 47); the parenthetic λέγει κύριος kept in line

or what is the place of my rest?content — verbless — τόπος, the charge-word of 6:13–14 handed back in God's own question

Did not my hand make all these things?'content — Isa 66:2 — οὐχί expects 'yes': his hand made all, so no hands can house him; the χειροποίητος argument closed

vv. 51–53 — the indictment: stiff-necked, Spirit-resisting, law-breaking

You stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in hearts and ears!content — verbless vocative volley — Exod 33:5 and Jer 6:10 fused; circumcision (v. 8) turned against its keepers

you are forever resisting the Holy Spirit —content — ἀντιπίπτω — falling against, in pitched battle; ἀεί: the whole recited history universalized

as your fathers did, so do you.comparative — verbless comparison — and 'our fathers' (vv. 2–45) has become 'your fathers': Stephen steps out of the family

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?content — the unanswerable rhetorical question (cf. Luke 11:47–51)

And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One,content — ὁ δίκαιος — the messianic title of 3:14 and 22:14; ἔλευσις, only here in the NT

of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers —relative — νῦν ὑμεῖς — the fathers killed the heralds; you, the Announced One himself: the speech's point of impact

you who received the law at the directions of angels — and did not keep it.relative — qualitative ὅστις; the angel-mediated law (Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2) — the law-breaking charge of 6:13 returned to the accusers; the speech ends mid-indictment, cut off by the riot

The stoning: the standing Son of Man, the cloaks at Saul's feet, and the two prayers 7:54–60

vv. 54–56 — the gnashing and the vision of the standing Son of Man

Now hearing these things,participial — forward-leaning on διεπρίοντο — present participle: the rage rising while he still speaks

they were being sawn through in their heartsindependent — διαπρίομαι (cf. 5:33) — the uncircumcised hearts of v. 51 are cut, but not to repentance (contrast the κατενύγησαν of 2:37)

and began gnashing their teeth at him.independent — the psalmists' image of the wicked against the righteous (Ps 35:16; 37:12) — the court plays its own Scriptures' villains

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit,participial — forward-leaning on εἶδεν — the Spirit they resist (v. 51) filling the man they gnash at (6:5)

gazing into heaven,participial — forward-leaning, coordinate with ὑπάρχων — ἀτενίζω, Luke's fixed-stare verb (1:10; 6:15): the steady look Moses could not hold (v. 32)

saw the glory of Godindependent — the God of glory who opened the speech (v. 2) closes it in vision — above the court, outside the house made with hands

and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,phrase modifier — second object of εἶδεν, the verb gapped — ἑστῶτα: standing, not seated (Ps 110:1); witness for the defense, advocate, or rising to receive — the crux is left open

and he said,independent — the vision reported to the court — testimony to the last

'Look — I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'content — the only non-dominical 'Son of Man' in the Gospels and Acts — Dan 7:13 joined to Ps 110:1, Jesus' own trial-answer (Luke 22:69) confirmed, with ἑστῶτα doubled

vv. 57–58 — cast out of the city; the cloaks at the feet of Saul

But crying out with a loud voice,participial — forward-leaning on συνέσχον — the court's scream against what it hears as blasphemy

they stopped their earsindependent — the uncircumcised ears of v. 51 now plugged by their own hands — the verdict enacted on themselves

and rushed upon him with one accord,independent — ὁμοθυμαδόν — the word for the church's unanimity (1:14; 2:46) turned lynch-law

and driving him outside the city,participial — forward-leaning on ἐλιθοβόλουν — outside the camp, as for blasphemy (Lev 24:14; cf. Heb 13:12–13)

they began to stone him.independent — inceptive imperfect — the stoning opens here and continues under v. 59

And the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul,independent — the witnesses throw first (Deut 17:7) — and Luke plants Saul at the coats: the persecutor's quiet entrance (8:1; 22:20)

vv. 59–60 — the two prayers and the falling asleep

And they went on stoning Stephenindependent — the imperfect resumed — Luke keeps the stones falling through the prayer

as he was calling out and saying,participial — ἐπικαλέομαι — the church's defining act (2:21; 9:14) performed under the stones, and its object is Jesus

'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'content — Ps 31:5 as Jesus prayed it (Luke 23:46) — but addressed to Jesus himself: prayer to the standing Son of Man

And kneeling down,participial — forward-leaning on ἔκραξεν — τιθέναι τὰ γόνατα, Luke's kneeling idiom (Luke 22:41; Acts 9:40)

he cried out with a loud voice,independent — the martyr's φωνὴ μεγάλη answering the mob's (v. 57) — and echoing the cross (Luke 23:46)

'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.'content — μὴ στήσῃς — do not fix it to their account; Jesus' 'Father, forgive them' (Luke 23:34) in Stephen's mouth, with Saul in earshot

And having said this,participial — forward-leaning on ἐκοιμήθη — the prayer his last act

he fell asleep.independent — ἐκοιμήθη — the church's death-verb (1 Thess 4:13) minted in narrative: a lynching that ends in a lying down to sleep

Analysis. Acts 7 is one question, one speech, and a stoning. The high priest's five-word question (v. 1) and Stephen's Ὁ δὲ ἔφη (v. 2) are the only narrative clauses in the first fifty-three verses: after the Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες address, the entire defence — the longest speech in the NT — runs as a coordinate cnt catena under that single ἔφη at one constant depth, so the page shows what Luke built: an unbroken recital of Israel's history that withholds its verdict until v. 51. Against the fixed column the speech's own grammar indents: God's words to Abraham (vv. 3, 6–7) and to Moses at the bush (vv. 33–34) nest as speech-within-speech under their verbs of saying, as do the people's words (vv. 26–28, 35, 40); the Amos 5:25–27 citation hangs under γέγραπται (vv. 42–43) and Isa 66:1–2 under the prophet's λέγει (vv. 49–50); fronted temporals and participles (vv. 4, 12, 14, 17, 21, 23, 30–31) lean forward anchor-less on their clauses, as in Mark 13; and the mv labels track the history's movements, including Moses' three forties (vv. 23, 30, 36). The cruxes are taken openly: μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν (v. 4) keeps the chronological harmonization of Gen 11:32 with 12:4 known also to Philo; the seventy-five souls (v. 14) follow LXX Gen 46:27; the tomb of v. 16 conflates Machpelah (Gen 23) with Jacob's Shechem plot (Gen 33:19) and is left unharmonized; ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος (v. 43) follows the LXX's exile-horizon where Amos wrote Damascus; τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰακώβ is kept at v. 46 against the easier τῷ θεῷ. The second section sets the martyrdom in narrative indicatives at depth 0 — the only such lines after v. 2 — with the mob's participles leaning forward on their verbs: the doubled ἑστῶτα (vv. 55–56), standing rather than seated at the right hand, is flagged as the open crux it is (witness? advocate? rising to receive?), v. 56 is noted as the only non-dominical 'Son of Man' in the Gospels and Acts, and Stephen's two dying prayers are laid out as the deliberate echo of his Lord's (Luke 23:34, 46) before the verb Luke chose for the first martyr's death: ἐκοιμήθη, he fell asleep.