Acts 7:48
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Original Language Analysis
ἀλλ'
Howbeit
G235
ἀλλ'
Howbeit
Strong's:
G235
Word #:
1 of 12
properly, other things, i.e., (adverbially) contrariwise (in many relations)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὕψιστος
the most High
G5310
ὕψιστος
the most High
Strong's:
G5310
Word #:
4 of 12
highest, i.e., (masculine singular) the supreme (god), or (neuter plural) the heavens
χειροποιήτοις
made with hands
G5499
χειροποιήτοις
made with hands
Strong's:
G5499
Word #:
6 of 12
manufactured, i.e., of human construction
κατοικεῖ
dwelleth
G2730
κατοικεῖ
dwelleth
Strong's:
G2730
Word #:
8 of 12
to house permanently, i.e., reside (literally or figuratively)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
1 Kings 8:27But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?2 Chronicles 6:18But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!Psalms 91:9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;Psalms 91:1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.Daniel 4:17This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.Psalms 92:8But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.Psalms 7:17I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.Daniel 4:34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:Psalms 46:4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.Deuteronomy 32:8When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
Historical Context
Stephen spoke these words circa AD 33-35, just years before the temple's destruction in AD 70, which would vindicate his claim. Solomon's temple (destroyed 586 BC) and Herod's temple (Stephen's contemporary) both served temporary purposes in redemptive history.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this truth challenge our tendency to localize or limit God to particular places?
- What does it mean that believers are now God's temple under the new covenant?
- Why was this statement so offensive to the Jewish leaders?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Stephen declares that 'the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands' - a provocative statement to Jewish leaders proud of their temple. This echoes Solomon's prayer (1 Kings 8:27) and anticipates the new covenant truth that God dwells in His people (1 Corinthians 6:19). Reformed theology emphasizes God's transcendence: no physical structure can contain Him. The temple served as a gracious accommodation, a meeting place, but never as God's dwelling in the limiting sense. This statement anticipated the temple's obsolescence under the new covenant.