Acts 7:6

And God spake on this wise, that his seede should soiourne in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and intreate them euill foure hundreth yeeres. Acts 7:6 (KJV)

In Acts 7 Stephen, a leading figure in the early church, stands before the high priest and the council of elders and begins a sweeping review of Israel’s history. He starts with Abraham, the patriarch to whom God gave a solemn promise. Stephen cites verse 6 as a reminder of that covenant, echoing the language of Genesis 15:13‑14: “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years… and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”

Stephen explains that God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated in a foreign land for four hundred years. This prophecy was fulfilled when the Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, found themselves in Egypt and were subjected to harsh bondage under Pharaoh. Their eventual liberation, the Exodus led by Moses, stands as one of the central events of the Old Testament and serves as a powerful symbol of God’s redemptive power and His desire to set His people free.

By recalling this history, Stephen demonstrates a recurring pattern: God’s messengers are repeatedly rejected and persecuted. He draws a clear parallel between the suffering of the prophets in Israel’s past and the present rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders of his day. The verse therefore does more than recount a historical fact; it underscores God’s sovereignty, His unwavering faithfulness to the promises made to Abraham, and His ability to deliver His people from oppression.

In concluding, Stephen uses Acts 7:6 as a foundational reference that validates his defense of Jesus. The passage reminds believers that God’s covenantal promises endure through suffering, that divine judgment follows prolonged oppression, and that ultimate deliverance is assured for those who trust in Him.