SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:9
Y los patriarcas, movidos de envidia, vendieron a Jos para Egipto; mas Dios era con l;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 7:9
Verse 9. And the patriarchs] The twelve sons of Jacob, thus called because each was chief or head of his respective family or tribe. Moved with envy] zhlwsantev. We translate zhlov variously: zeal or fervent affection, whether its object be good or bad, is its general meaning; and zhlow signifies to be indignant, envious, &c. See the note on chap. v. 17. The brethren of Joseph, hearing of his dreams, and understanding them to portend his future advancement, filled with envy, (with which no ordinary portion of malice was associated,) sold Joseph into the land of Egypt, hoping by this means to prevent his future grandeur; but God, from whom the portents came, was with him, and made their envy the direct means of accomplishing the great design.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. And the patriarchs, moved with envy , etc.] (see Genesis 37:11) the sons of Jacob and brethren of Joseph were filled with envy, and enraged at him, because of the evil report of them he brought to his father; and because he had a greater share in his fathers love than they had; and because of his dreams, which signified that he should have the dominion over them, and they should be obliged to yield obedience to him: wherefore they sold Joseph into Egypt ; they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, who were going down to Egypt, and who carried him thither with them: these twenty pieces of silver, the Jews say, the ten brethren of Joseph divided among themselves; everyone took two shekels, and bought shoes for his feet; to which they apply the passage in ( Amos 2:6) they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes f273 : and they suggest, that the redemption of the firstborn among the Israelites on account of the selling of Joseph; they say f274 , because they sold the firstborn of Rachel for twenty pieces of silver, let everyone redeem his son, his firstborn, with twenty pieces of silver; says R. Phinehas, in the name of R. Levi, because they sold the firstborn of Rachel for twenty pieces of silver, and there fell to each of them a piece of coined money (the value of half a shekel), therefore let everyone pay his shekel coined.
They also affirm f275 , that the selling of Joseph was not expiated by the tribes, until they were dead, according to ( Isaiah 22:14) and that on the account of it, there was a famine in the land of Israel seven years. There seems to be some likeness between the treatment of Joseph and Jesus Christ, which Stephen may have some respect unto; as Joseph was sold by his brethren for twenty of silver, so Christ was sold by one of his disciples, that ate bread with him, for thirty pieces of silver; and as it was through envy the brethren of Joseph used him in this manner, so it was through envy that the Jews delivered Jesus Christ to Pontius Pilate, to be condemned to death: of this selling of Joseph into Egypt, Justin the historian speaks f276 ; his words are, Joseph was the youngest of his brethren, whose excellent wit his brethren fearing, secretly took him and sold him to strange merchants, by whom he was carried into Egypt.
And then follow other things concerning him, some true and some false; Stephen here adds, but God was with him ; (see Genesis 39:2) he was with him, and prospered him in Potiphars house; he was with him, and kept him from the temptations of his mistress; he was with him in prison, and supported and comforted him, and at length delivered him from it, and promoted him as follows; and caused all the evil that befell him to work for good to him and his fathers family.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-16 - Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God, and an apostate from the church; therefore he shows that he is a son of Abraham, and value himself on it. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraha advanced toward performance, plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was the heavenly. God owned Josep in his troubles, and was with him by the power of his Spirit, both of his own mind by giving him comfort, and on those he was concerned with by giving him favour in their eyes. Stephen reminds the Jews of their mean beginning as a check to priding themselves in the glories of tha nation. Likewise of the wickedness of the patriarchs of their tribes in envying their brother Joseph; and the same spirit was still workin in them toward Christ and his ministers. The faith of the patriarchs in desiring to be buried in the land of Canaan, plainly showed they ha regard to the heavenly country. It is well to recur to the first ris of usages, or sentiments, which have been perverted. Would we know the nature and effects of justifying faith, we should study the characte of the father of the faithful. His calling shows the power and freenes of Divine grace, and the nature of conversion. Here also we see tha outward forms and distinctions are as nothing, compared with separatio from the world, and devotedness to God.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM πατριαρχαι 3966 N-NPM ζηλωσαντες 2206 5660 V-AAP-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM ιωσηφ 2501 N-PRI απεδοντο 591 5639 V-2AMI-3P εις 1519 PREP αιγυπτον 125 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM μετ 3326 PREP αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Moved with envy (zhlwsantev). Compare Jas. iv. 1; and see on envying, Jas. iii. 14.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:9 {Moved with jealousy} (zelwsantes). First aorist active participle of zelow, old verb from zelos (#Ac 5:17), to burn or boil with zeal, and qen with envy as here (#17:5, etc.) and #Ge 37:11.
