Acts 7:59

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
While they were killing him, Steve prayed, "Lord Jesus, open the gate. I'm coming home."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Legacy Standard Bible
They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Bible in Basic English
And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.

Darby Translation
And they stoned Stephen, praying, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

New King James Version
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Christian Standard Bible®
They were stoning Stephen as he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

World English Bible
They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit!"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Weymouth's New Testament
So they stoned Stephen, while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

King James Version (1611)
And they stoned Steuen, calling vpon God, and saying, Lord Iesus receiue my spirit.

Literal Translation
And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they stoned Steuen, which cryed, & sayde: LORDE Iesu, receaue my sprete.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Thus they stoned Stephen, while he was calling upon God, and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

THE MESSAGE
As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died.

Amplified Bible
They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!"

American Standard Version
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Revised Standard Version
And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they stoned Steven callynge on and sayinge: Lorde Iesu receave my sprete.

Update Bible Version
And they stoned Stephen, calling on and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon [God], and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were stoning Stephen, calling and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;'

New Century Version
While they were throwing stones, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

New English Translation
They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Contemporary English Version
As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, "Lord Jesus, please welcome me!"

Complete Jewish Bible
As they were stoning him, Stephen called out to God, "Lord Yeshua! Receive my spirit!"

English Standard Version
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they stoned Steuen, who called on God, and said, Lord Iesus, receiue my spirit.

George Lamsa Translation
And they stoned Stephen as he prayed, saying, Our LORD Jesus, accept my spirit.

Hebrew Names Version
They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Yeshua, receive my Spirit!"

International Standard Version
As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:45; Acts 9:14;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And they stoned Estephanos, (he) praying and saying, Our Lord Jeshu, receive my spirit.

Murdock Translation
And they stoned Stephen, while he prayed and said: Our Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

New Living Translation
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

New Life Bible
While they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

English Revised Version
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

New Revised Standard
While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they stoned Stephen, as he was invoking and saying - Lord Jesus! give welcome unto my spirit.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-58) And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

King James Version
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Lexham English Bible
And they kept on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they stoned Steuen, callyng on, and saying: Lorde Iesu receaue my spirite.

Easy-to-Read Version
As they were throwing the stones at him, Stephen was praying. He said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

New American Standard Bible
They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Good News Translation
They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei stonyden Steuene, that clepide God to help, seiynge, Lord Jhesu, resseyue my spirit.

Contextual Overview

⁵⁴On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." ⁵⁷At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. ⁵⁸They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."⁶⁰Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

calling: Acts 2:21, Acts 9:14, Acts 9:21, Acts 22:16, Joel 2:32, Romans 10:12-14, 1 Corinthians 1:2

Lord: Psalms 31:5, Luke 23:46

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:18 - her soul Leviticus 20:2 - the people Leviticus 24:14 - let all the Numbers 14:10 - But all Deuteronomy 17:7 - of the witnesses 2 Chronicles 24:21 - stoned him Psalms 25:20 - O Psalms 37:37 - General Psalms 49:15 - shall Psalms 73:24 - receive Habakkuk 1:4 - for Matthew 9:6 - that the Matthew 23:34 - ye Matthew 24:9 - shall they Luke 13:34 - killest Luke 21:16 - and some John 10:28 - neither John 10:31 - General John 14:3 - I will John 18:32 - the saying John 20:28 - My Lord Romans 1:7 - and the Lord 2 Corinthians 11:25 - once Philippians 1:23 - with 2 Timothy 1:12 - which I Hebrews 11:37 - stoned James 2:26 - as 1 Peter 2:23 - but 1 Peter 4:19 - commit

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God,.... As he was praying, and putting up the following petition;

and saying, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit; from whence we learn, that the spirit or soul of man sleeps not, nor dies with the body, but remains after death; that Jesus Christ is a fit person to commit and commend the care of the soul unto immediately upon its separation; and that he must be truly and properly God; not only because he is equal to such a charge, which none but God is, but because divine worship and adoration are here given him. This is so glaring a proof of prayer being made unto him, that some Socinians, perceiving the force of it, would read the word Jesus in the genitive case, thus; "Lord of Jesus receive my Spirit": as if the prayer was made to the Father of Christ, when it is Jesus he saw standing at the right hand of God, whom he invokes, and who is so frequently called Lord Jesus; whereas the Father is never called the Lord of Jesus; and besides, these words are used in like manner in the vocative case, in

Revelation 22:20 to which may be added, that the Syriac version reads, "our Lord Jesus"; and the Ethiopic version, "my Lord Jesus".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Calling upon God - The word God is not in the original, and should not have been in the translation. It is in none of the ancient mss. or versions. It should have been rendered, “They stoned Stephen, invoking, or calling upon, and saying, Lord Jesus,” etc. That is, he was engaged “in prayer” to the Lord Jesus. The word is used to express “prayer” in the following, among other places: 2 Corinthians 1:23, “I call God to witness”; 1 Peter 1:17, “And if ye call on the Father,” etc.; Acts 2:21, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord,” etc.; Acts 9:14; Acts 22:16; Romans 10:12-14. This was, therefore, an act of worship; a solemn invocation of the Lord Jesus, in the most interesting circumstances in which a man can be placed - in his dying moments. And this shows that it is right to worship the Lord Jesus, and to pray to him. For if Stephen was inspired, it settles the question. The example of an inspired man in such circumstances is a safe and correct example. If it should be said that the inspiration of Stephen cannot be made out, yet the inspiration of Luke, who has recorded it, will not be called into question. Then the following circumstances show that he, an inspired man, regarded it as right, and as a proper example to be followed:

1. He has recorded it without the slightest expression of an opinion that it was improper. On the contrary, there is every evidence that he regarded the conduct of Stephen in this case as right and praiseworthy. There is, therefore, this attestation to its propriety.

(2)The Spirit who inspired Luke knew what use would be made of this case. He knew that it would be used as an example, and as an evidence that it was right to worship the Lord Jesus. It is one of the cases which has been used to perpetuate the worship of the Lord Jesus in every age. If it was wrong, it is inconceivable that it should be recorded without some expression of disapprobation.

(3)The case is strikingly similar to that recorded in John 20:28, where Thomas offered worship to the Lord Jesus “as his God,” without reproof. If Thomas did it in the presence of the Saviour without reproof, it was right. If Stephen did it without any expression of disapprobation from the inspired historian, it was right.

(4)These examples were used to encourage Christians and Christian martyrs to offer homage to Jesus Christ. Thus, Pliny, writing to the Emperor Trajan, and giving an account of the Christians in Bithynia, says that they were accustomed to meet and “sing hymns to Christ as to God” (Latriner).

(5)It is worthy of remark that Stephen, in his death, offered the same act of homage to Christ that Christ himself did to the Father when he died, Luke 23:46. From all these considerations, it follows that the Lord Jesus is a proper object of worship; that in most solemn circumstances it is right to call upon him, to worship him, and to commit our dearest interests to his hands. If this may be done, he is divine.

Receive my spirit - That is, receive it to thyself; take it to thine abode in heaven.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God — The word God is not found in any MS. or version, nor in any of the primitive fathers except Chrysostom. It is not genuine, and should not be inserted here: the whole sentence literally reads thus: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Here is a most manifest proof that prayer is offered to Jesus Christ; and that in the most solemn circumstances in which it could be offered, viz., when a man was breathing his last. This is, properly speaking, one of the highest acts of worship which can be offered to God; and, if Stephen had not conceived Jesus Christ to be GOD, could he have committed his soul into his hands?

We may farther observe that this place affords a full proof of the immateriality of the soul; for he could not have commended his spirit to Christ, had he believed that he had no spirit, or, in other words, that his body and soul were one and the same thing. Allowing this most eminent saint to have had a correct notion of theology, and that, being full of the Holy Ghost, as he was at this time, he could make no mistake in matters of such vast weight and importance, then these two points are satisfactorily stated in this verse:

1. That Jesus Christ is GOD; for Stephen died praying to him.

2. That the soul is immaterial; for Stephen, in dying, commends his departing spirit into the hand of Christ.