Acts 7 · Verse 58

Acts 7:58

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
Acts 7:58, King James Version

Acts 7:58 in other translations

BSBThey dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
WEBThey threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
ASVand they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
YLTand having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning him --and the witnesses did put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul--
DARBYand having cast him out of the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid aside their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul.
BBEDriving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.
WebsterAnd cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

What does Acts 7:58 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 7:57-58

57-58. Then they cried out ... and ran upon him with one accord--To men of their mould and in their temper, Stephen's last seraphic words could but bring matters to extremities, though that only revealed the diabolical spirit which they breathed.

Read the full comment on Acts 7:57-58 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 58. And cast him out of the city. This was in accordance with the usual custom. In Lev 24:14, it was directed to bring forth him that had cursed without the camp; and it was not usual, the Jewish writers inform us, to stone in the presence, of the sanhedrim. Though this was a popular tumult, and Stephen was condemned without the regular process of trial, yet some of the forms of law were observed, and he was stoned in the manner directed in the case of blasphemers.

And stoned him. This was the punishment appointed in the case of blasphemy, Lev 24:16. Jn 10:31.

And the witnesses. That is, the false witnesses who bore testimony against him, Acts 6:13. It was directed in the law De 17:7 that the witnesses in the case should be first in executing the sentence of the law. This was done to prevent false accusations by the prospect that they must be employed as executioners. After they had commenced the process of execution, all the people joined in it, De 17:7, Lev 24:16.

Laid down their clothes. Their outer garments. They were accustomed to lay these aside when they ran or worked. Mt 5:40.

At a young man's feet, etc. That is, they procured him to take care of their garments. This is mentioned solely because Saul, or Paul, afterwards became so celebrated, first as a persecutor, and then an apostle. His whole heart was in this persecution of Stephen; and he himself afterwards alluded to this circumstance as an evidence of his sinfulness in persecuting the Lord Jesus, Acts 22:20.

(k) "cast him out" Lk 4:29, Heb 13:12,13 (l) "witnesses" Acts 6:13 (m) "whose name was Saul" Acts 8:1,3, 22:20 (+) "clothes" "mantles"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 58 Cast him out of the city, and stoned him - They did not however wait for any sentence to be pronounced upon him; it seems they were determined to stone him first, and then prove, after it had been done, that it was done justly. For the manner of stoning among the Jews, see the note on Lev 24:23. The witnesses laid down their clothes - To illustrate this whole transaction, see the observations at the end of this chapter.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 7:54-60

Nothing is so comfortable to dying saints, or so encouraging to suffering saints, as to see Jesus at the right hand of God: blessed be God, by faith we may see him there. Stephen offered up two short prayers in his dying moments. Our Lord Jesus is God, to whom we are to seek, and in whom we are to trust and comfort ourselves, living and dying. And if this has been our care while we live, it will be our comfort when…

Read the full comment on Acts 7:54-60 →

Acts 7:58 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiandG2532
ἐκβαλόντεςekbalonteshaving cast [him]G1544
ἔξωexōout ofG1854
τῆςtēstheG3588
πόλεωςpoleōscityG4172
ἐλιθοβόλουν.elithobolounthey were stoning [him].G3036
καὶkaiAndG2532
οἱhoitheG3588
μάρτυρεςmartureswitnessesG3144
ἀπέθεντοapethentolaid asideG659
τὰtatheG3588
ἱμάτιαhimatiagarmentsG2440
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
παρὰparaatG3844
τοὺςtoustheG3588
πόδαςpodasfeetG4228
νεανίουneaniouof a young manG3494
καλουμένουkaloumenounamedG2564
ΣαύλουSaulouSaulG4569

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 7:58

  • Acts 22:20

    And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

  • Acts 8:1

    And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

  • Leviticus 24:14-16

    Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.

  • Acts 6:13

    And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

  • Acts 22:4

    And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

  • 1 Kings 21:13

    And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

  • Deuteronomy 13:9-10

    But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

  • Luke 4:29

    And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

  • Deuteronomy 17:7

    The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

  • Numbers 15:35

    And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

  • Acts 9:1-19

    And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? …

  • Hebrews 13:12-13

    Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
cast.
Nu 15:35; 1Ki 21:13; Lu 4:29; Heb 13:12,13
stoned.
6:11; Le 24:14-16; Joh 10:23-26
the witnesses.
6:13; De 13:9,10; 17:7
their.
8:1; 9:1-19; 22:4,20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 7:57

    Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

  • Acts 7:58

    And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

  • Acts 7:59

    And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Read all of Acts 7

Acts 7:58 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y echándolo fuera de la ciudad, le apedreaban: y los testigos pusieron sus vestidos á los pies de un mancebo que se llamaba Saulo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et l’ayant poussé hors de la ville, ils le lapidaient; et les témoins déposèrent leurs vêtements aux pieds d’un jeune homme appelé Saul.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als sie ihn aus der Stadt hinausgestoßen hatten, steinigten sie ihn. Und die Zeugen legten ihre Kleider ab zu den Füßen eines Jünglings, genannt Saulus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et lapidabant Stephanum invocantem, et dicentem: Domine Jesu, suscipe spiritum meum.