Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 7:53

"ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not." — Acts 7:53 (ASV)

Stephen’s address began with the fraternal greeting “Men, brothers and fathers.” It affirmed throughout his deep respect for such distinctly Jewish phenomena as the Abrahamic covenant (vv.3–8), circumcision (v.8), and the tabernacle (vv.44–46). He repeatedly referred to “our father Abraham” and “our fathers” in such a way as to stress his ready acceptance of his Israelite heritage (vv.2, 11–12, 15, 19, 39, 44–45). Yet his repeated use of the second person plural pronoun in vv.51–53 shows his desire to disassociate himself from the nation in its recurrent refusal of God throughout its history. Consequently, taking the offensive, Stephen drives home his point: “Your fathers always resisted the Holy Spirit.... Your fathers persecuted the prophets.... You received the law put into effect through angels, but you have not obeyed it.” Perhaps he jabbed with a finger at his accusers—though even a blind man would have felt his verbal blows.