Acts 7:19 Meaning and Explanation
“The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →That king dealt cunningly with the people and mistreated them, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would not live.
What Does Acts 7:19 Mean?
Stephen summarizes the oppression of Exodus 1: shrewd policy hardening into forced labor and finally the casting out of newborn children.
Evil often comes dressed as cleverness, calculated and plausible. But the decree that ordered children cast out is the very decree God used to place one child in the palace. The cunning of the wicked has never yet outwitted the purposes of God.
Acts 7:19 in the Original Language
katasophizomai (κατασοφίζομαι), 'dealt subtilly' -- to outwit by cunning, to scheme against.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 7:19
What does Acts 7:19 mean?
That king dealt cunningly with the people and mistreated them, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would not live.