Acts 7:54 Meaning and Explanation
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Hearing this, the council was cut to the heart and gnashed on Stephen with their teeth.
What Does Acts 7:54 Mean?
This same council had once heard Peter, been pricked in the heart, and asked what to do (Acts 2:37). Here the cutting goes the other way, into fury.
Conviction is a fork in the road: the truth that humbles one heart enrages another. The Greek says they were sawn through; the word had reached the quick, and they answered it with clenched teeth instead of broken hearts. What we do when the word of God wounds us reveals everything.
Acts 7:54 in the Original Language
diaprio (διαπρίω), 'cut' -- literally to saw through; conviction felt as tearing fury.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 7:54
What does Acts 7:54 mean?
Hearing this, the council was cut to the heart and gnashed on Stephen with their teeth.